PETS International Magazine November 2020

Benelux ports are the international entry point to the European market. Pet industry players from all over the world use these ports to transship their products. PETS International interviewed a few players about their experiences with trading into Europe through the Benelux.

Rising sales, increasing brand awareness and enhancement of customer engagement – these are just a few of the promises augmented reality brings with it.

A recent survey among pet owners in four countries revealed some idiosyncratic behaviour. What pet owners say is important, is not always guiding in their purchasing decisions!

AMA Research recently looked into how high-tech pet accessories are enhancing pet care in the UK.

Enabling pet owners to stay connected with their pet

As pets increasingly become one of the family, owners are just as concerned about their pet’s health and safety as their children’s. Now new, connected technologies are enabling owners to keep tabs on their pet any time of day.

New technologies – such as tracking, dynamic pricing and extended reality – hold the promise of significantly boosting in-store sales. This is how!

New product developments based on functional fibre are showing continuous growth. Better understanding of the functionalities of fibre types is key to success.

Pet product manufacturers are increasingly looking for reliability, security of supply and value in the sourcing of health-claim ingredients. How do leading ingredients manufacturers provide for these needs?

From a purely technical point of view, there is no difference between packaging used for pet food and for human food. The big difference is that packaging for human food communicates its sustainability to the consumer. This rarely happens on pet food packaging. Yet there are definitely sustainable solutions.

Rabbits, chinchillas or hamsters might be small, but they still deserve the  best to fill their little tummies and stay in good health. Luckily, nowadays,  we have a wide variety of premium food available on the market for our  small companions.

Hydrolysed and novel protein diets are often used in the diagnosis and treatment of food allergies in pets. There are a few crucial points to bear in mind, however, when considering these diets and their claims.

A tighter pet-owner relationship could help drive sales of premium pet products or at least insulate the market to a degree from the impact of a post-pandemic recession.

Out of crisis comes opportunity:  the opportunity for brands to innovate. Several under-utilised  novel health ingredients could  hold the key to product differentiation and marketplace growth.

The superpremium segment is generally reserved for the highest quality products, typically positioned on clear-cut ingredient or targeted health claims. ‘Natural’ and ‘holistic’ pet foods are increasingly taking over this space.

The Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA) has a clear view on the global status of the pet industry, due to their strong connection with prominent associations and manufacturers worldwide. They shed their light on the times before, during and after the pandemic, considering pet ownership, customer behaviour and industry trends.