According to report details, the shopper base for pet products continues to move into the more costly pet specialty channel, with discount stores and supermarkets seeing a decline in their pet product shopper base. Pet food as a whole seems to remain resistant to private labeling, with store brands important across the consumer good packaged domain.

Packaged Facts publisher, David Sprinkle, reported that dogs appearing in Super Bowl  commercials is a sign of the times, with the humanization and merging of pets as family members not just a trend but an overall shift in society’s view of pets in general.  In fact, nine out of ten pet owners agreed that pets are part of their family, as revealed in a March 2012 Packaged Facts’ Pet Owner Survey.

Markets and products that continue to show advancement in the pet product world include natural and organic, eco-friendly, pet health products, services, medications, insurance, and supplements. People are more willing to partake in services and purchase products that mirror the ones that want and need for themselves. Examples include hip replacements and MRIs, chemotherapy and supplements, human-grade pet foods, and luxury travel accommodations.

Brands that make human products are also committing to the pet market, with companies such as Wahl, Conair, and Bissell attending the 2012 Global Pet Expo, held earlier this year in Orlando, Florida. At Global, The Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) was announced. HABRI is a national non-profit foundation consisting of animal-oriented business, organizations, and people with a shared goal of widespread recognition and awareness of the positive role that animals play in the well-being and overall health of humans, families, and communities.

Packaged Facts is located in Rockville, Maryland, and publishes market intelligence about consumer market topics. For more information, visit their website at www.packagedfacts.com.