While high street spending has declined in recent years, consumer spending on pet care products shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, demand for pet care products is so high that growth is expected to reach US$202.6 billion by 2025.[1]

So, what’s fueling this growth? Looking ahead to 2020, we’ve identified four key trends that are shaping pet care packaging and will set brands apart from the competition.

Trend one: More sustainable pet care products

This trend is shaping the whole industries, and not only pet care. It is a result of consumers’ desire to reduce their impact on the environment, and that starts with the kinds of products they purchase.

A 2018 Nielsen report found that the majority (73%) of consumers would change their consumption habits to reduce their impact on the environment.[2] They also expect clear product packaging which precisely indicates sustainability elements, and pet care brands are no exception.

60% of participants in a recent European Sustainability survey among pet parents agree that pet companies must be sustainable and expect them to give clear evidence of their concrete contribution in the area sustainability.[3]

We are now seeing growing number of pet care companies attempting to tackle the issue of sustainability by bringing more sustainable products to market and forging partnerships with retailers and recycling firms to help with recycling schemes.

In 2018, **Mars Petcare UK and recycling experts TerraCycle **launched a nationwide pet food packaging recycling programme, that enables consumers to return any eligible packaging in the market for processing.

Nestlé Purina PetCare has recently announced a new sustainability commitment to support farmers benchmark their current on-farm stewardship practices and identify areas of improvment.

Trend two: Pet humanization is leading to pet food premiumization

More than ever, pets are seen as part of the family. With this mindset, pet parents increasingly want pet food and products to meet the highest possible quality standards. For example, buying pet food that is good for gut health and calming for stressed pets. Mintel research shows that more than three quarters (76%) of pet food buyers in the UK agree that actively looking after pets’ digestive health is essential for their overall health.[4]

According to Euromonitor, premiumization is one of the biggest drivers of the pet care market.[5] The rise in the populations of small animals, economic growth, and the ongoing tightness of the animal/human bond have led to a marketplace where owners are happy to spend more on their pets.

Indeed, much like the explosion of the wellness trend in the last five years, the pet care sector is also making strides into this space. All-natural ingredients are cat and dog food buyers’ top consideration, with two in five owners swayed by these. This goes beyond established benefits like high protein content, dental health, and shiny fur; pet parents want their pets to be cared for, comfortable and as healthy as possible.

With this changing consumer behavior, brands now have a real opportunity to differentiate through packaging, by choosing solutions that offer excellent product protection and extended shelf-life, as well as a premium look and feel.

Amcor can provide pet care brands with a wealth of packaging options, that reflect the high quality of products, in the retail space as well as online.

Trend three: Custom-made pet food

In response to the previous trend, we’re witnessing increasing interest in personalized pet food plans delivered straight to pet owners’ doors.[6] In Italy, almost half (49%) of pet owners are interested in buying a personalized food plan for their pet from a brand.

11% of US shoppers who purchase dog or cat food are interested in seeing more freshly-made pet meals delivered to their home. And 47% of Polish pet owners would buy custom-made pet food that’s tailored to their pet’s needs.[7]

As a result, companies like British pet food subscription service Butternut Box have flourished. Butternut Box creates fresh, natural and handmade meals to help improve pet health issues. Its competitor, Tails.com, marries digital technology and food innovation to provide tailored and affordable home delivered food. The fact that this start-up was purchased by Nestle Purina PetCare in 2018 goes to show the potential of personalized pet nutrition subscription services.

Who is driving the trend for these subscription services?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, its millennials. Their preference for subscription-based services (33% of millennials report being members of at least one retail subscription service[8]) extends to their pets as well. In the US, pet owners aged 18-34 are more likely (17%) than older pet owners (2% in 55+ pet owners) to express interest in the home delivery of freshly made pet meals.[9]

This offers brands an opportunity to meet consumer’s on-line expectations with ecommerce-ready packaging. Amcor’s e-commerce ready pouches and bags for pet food are conceived to be more convenient, more sustainable and endure the complexities of the ecommerce supply chain.

Amcor can help pet care brands ensure that their packaging is ecommerce ready and provides support through the ecommerce packaging testing and certification process.

If you want to know more, download our ebook: Packaging Innovation – Winning with ecommerce.

Trend four: Awareness of ingredients

The clean pet food label trend[10] means that owners are scrutinizing pet food labels to ensure they are feeding their pets the most natural and nutritious ingredients possible without any unnecessary extras. Pet owners are keener than ever to know exactly what the food contains, and how it has been prepared_._

Amcor’s support allows brands to explore the most effective ways of demonstrating transparency and greater detail about ingredients. Innovations like the MaXQ provide a range of on-pack tools to build digital relationships (and trust) with consumers through personalized, targeted, two-way conversations. A quick scan of the **MaXQ **pack immediately connects the consumer to a wealth of information about origin, ingredients and even whether the product is genuine versus counterfeit.

_Amcor is committed to developing all our packaging to be recyclable and reusable by 2025. We already offer high-quality recyclable products for the pet food market including _AmLite Ultra Recyclable, a unique line of ultra-high metal-free high barrier packaging. It is a lightweight packaging solution that maintains product freshness while allowing the freedom for creative design.

That’s our view on the four trends to watch for the pet care industry. How will your brand capitalize on them?

To find out more about how you can transform your pet care packaging strategy, contact us and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your options.

Learn more about our full range of petcare packaging solutions.

[1] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-pet-care-market
[2] https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/report/2018/unpacking-the-sustainability-landscape/
[3] https://globalpets.community/article/european-sustainability-survey-among-pet-parents-the-outcomes
[4] Mintel: UK Pet food market report
[5] Euromonitor International: Premiumization in Pet care: An evolving industry trend [6] https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/petcare/petfood-is-a-huge-opportunity-for-brands-and-the-futures-personal/597207.article
[7] Mintel: The future of pet food: 2019
[8] https://www.martechadvisor.com/articles/ecommerce/how-millennials-are-shaping-the-future-of-retail/
[9] Mintel: The future of pet food: 2019
[10] Mintel: The future of pet food: 2019