What consumers really think about pet care packaging

ARTICLE UPDATED IN JUNE 2022

In 2018, the global pet care market was valued at over USD $190.1 billion, with pet food accounting for $81.2million in sales. From 2019 – 2025, further growth is expected to be at 5.2% CAGR according to Global Market Research.

With pet care such a rapidly growing market, it’s important that brands understand their customers’ experiences – the good and the bad. That way, they can spot opportunities for improvement and keep delighted pet owners coming back for more.

To better understand the specific pain points in pet owner’s customer journey, Amcor analyzed over 3 million online user reviews and comments about 3,249 pet care products across the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Germany and Poland to identify their top likes and dislikes about packaging.

Keep reading to find out what trends and concerns pet parents care most about when it comes to pet care packaging.

1.Staying fresh and minimizing odor with reclosable pet food packaging

For pet owners, one of the features that matters most is reclosability, where the packaging is easy to open and close. Many consumers are left frustrated with pet food and snacks packaging that cannot be tightly reclosed after opening, over and over again. Reclosablility affects the freshness and shelf-life of the product, not to mention the odor that can fill the whole room if food is not sealed properly.

“We have tried 1.5kg, 4kg and 10kg and all have the same design flaw – they cannot be resealed more than a handful of times without the seal breaking.” – said a pet owner about a dry dog food brand.

The benefits of reclosable packaging are easy-to-use products, and longer lasting freshness for pet food which is particularly important for pet owners who shop for fresher, healthier foods for their beloved animals.

“The only problem was that the bag was missing a zip lock and I had to transfer all the food in several containers so that it would stay fresh.” – said a pet owner about a dried cat food brand.

Pet care brands can meet this desire with packaging that has a seal or zip-lock fit to last and isn’t damaged in transit from the warehouse to the consumer’s front door.

Another important feature to pet owners is reducing odor. While the food’s strong smell is highly attractive to cats and dogs, it’s less appealing to their humans.

“I can say the packaging is excellent – no scent escaped the plastic, so my pantry didn’t smell like dog food.” – said a pet owner about a dried dog food brand.

2. Mess-free pet care packaging

Having packaging that is fussy to use, causes easy spills and as result wastes pet food continues to be one of the biggest frustrations for pet owners.

“As with most wet cat foods, the packaging is neither environmentally sound, nor particularly convenient to handle – I always seem to end up with gravy right up to my elbows no matter how carefully I try to handle the packs and still have a nagging suspicion that I've left lots in the pack!” – said a pet owner about a wet cat food brand.

Our classic stand up pouch offers an easy peel feature which ensures the package tears open cleanly and is mess free when opening, making it more attractive for pet owners.

3. Better packaging for my pet and the planet

Our research reflected pet owners’ desire for more sustainable, recyclable pet care packaging. This has led many pet food manufacturers and retailers to actively seek ways to eliminate packaging waste across the industry.

“As with most dry-dog food packaging, I often felt guilty throwing it in the trash given how big the bag was. It never felt environmentally sound, nor particularly convenient to dispose of.” said a dog owner about a dry-pet food product.

In Europe, environmentally friendly packaging claims have risen from 7% to 9% among cat and dog food launches over the last five years, according to Mintel GNPD. Showing that as consumer desire for more sustainable packaging increases, pet food packaging is no exception.

AmLite HeatFlex is our line of metal-free high barrier packaging for retort applications such as wet pet food. Its high barrier coating creates a lightweight material that not only protects the product but is also up to 6% lighter weight with 6% reduced carbon footprint compared to standard retort pouches.

4. BPA-free packaging for animals too

As pets are regarded more and more like family members, many pet parents are conscious of the health of their furry friends – and that extends to the levels of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) they are exposed to from packaging.

“Even short-term feeding of canned dog food containing BPA dramatically increases dogs’ exposure to… an industrial chemical… that is linked to a range of health problems in humans and animals.” - commented a pet owner about a dry dog food brand.

This means that brands who use BPA free packaging will win over concerned pet owners, as demonstrated by this positive review we uncovered in our research:

“As well as the delicious aroma and flavor, the other bonus is that the plastic packaging is BPA-free.” – said a pet owner about a wet dog food brand.

In addition to stand-up-pouches for wet pet food, aluminum packaging options that are BPA-free and suitable for wet pet foods, providE peace of mind for pet owners while maintaining a long shelf-life.

5. Tooth and claw-proof packaging

Animals love treats, and based on our research, treat theft and packaging “break-ins” from excited pets happen often. Therefore, robust, scratch-proof packaging to withstand the efforts of even the most persistent animals will put pet owners’ minds at ease.

“Packaging is excellent; despite his best efforts one of our cats has been unable to chew through to get into the packet!” - stated the owner of a well-known cat food packaging brand.

Beyond hungry pets, pet care products also need to survive long transit journeys and arrives intact and undamaged to consumers. Online shopping for pet food is increasing by 5-9% every year in Europe, according to Euromonitor, and the pace is predicted to remain similar until at least 2021.

“Packaging is fantastic. I love that it was bagged and then boxed. will be ordering more” - said a pet owner of a popular dry pet food product.

6. Managed portion control means healthier, happier pets

Lastly, maintaining variety and healthy portion control are two consumer trends that can be met with easy-to-open multipacks. Packaging that breaks up the portion size means it’s easier for pet owners to manage and control each serving.

Pet owners with busy lifestyles will find packaging with improved portionability means optimum freshness in each serving, plus it's highly convenient and helps reduce waste. For pets who love treats, smaller sized packaging that’s easily transportable means owners can take them on-the-go while maintaining control over how much is consumed.

“Looks great and packaging is excellent, easy to keep fresh if you’re halving packs etc.” - said the pet owner about a dry dog food multipack brand.

So there you have it – the top likes and dislikes with pet care packaging from pet owners in their own words.

How will your brand capitalize on them to improve the experience for pet owners?

To learn more about Amcor’s full offering of pet care packaging find out how you can transform your pet care packaging strategy. For further information, please contact us and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your options.

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