Putting pets first
Warmly regarded as furry family members, Ireland’s pet owners are determined not to serve their pampered pooches and comfortable cats anything less than first-rate fare. Fortunately manufacturers have come up trumps, creating carefully formulated ranges that ensure all-round health, as well as catering to specific health needs, writes Gillian Hamill
Print18 June 2015
AT A GLANCE: PET FOODS
Ireland is a nation of dog lovers; there over 400,000 dogs in Ireland which equates to nearly one million meals each day
66% of dog owners say that they think treats make their pet happy
98% of dog owners say they give their dog a treat at some point and 42% give their dog a daily treat
Bakers is the fastest growing brand in dog snacks*
Dog snacks are growing at +3.3% MAT and now represent 28.5%* of the total dog category sales in Ireland*
40% of Ireland’s dog population are small dogs
Mars Ireland maintains leadership of the Irish pet care sector, with a 28% value share**
20% of Irish households have a dog and 14% own a cat***
*(Source: AC Nielsen MAT Data to 17 May)
**(Source: AC Nielsen Scantrack MAT April 2015)
***(Source: European Pet Food Industry Federation)
Ireland’s pet foods and snacks sector continues to record an impressive performance. For example, Nielsen statistics show the dog care and treats sector grew by 2%* last year. Furthermore, with 66% of dog owners believing treats make their dog happy, dog snacks are currently growing at +3.3% MAT**. This can be explained by a mind-set prevalent among many pet owners, that their pet is a beloved member of their family, and they are therefore unwilling to compromise on quality. Products that target particular requirements, such as dental care, continue to perform. In fact, four out of five dogs over the age of three have gum disease. Importantly, pet owners are loyal to their preferred brand, flavour and format. If a product is unavailable, 73% will leave the store without an alternative, potentially taking the rest of their basket spend with them, which is why it is vital to ensure you stock the top sellers.
*(Source: AC Nielsen MAT value sales growth W/E 26 Mar 2014)
**(Source: AC Nielsen MAT Data to 17 May)
Strong performance
2015 has been a very busy sales year to date for local pet food manufacturer Mackle Petfoods, which states that both its flagship brands, Cat Club and Brandy, are performing extremely well.
Cats love their Cat Club!
Cat Club provides cats with all the essential vitamins and minerals needed to ensure all-round good health
When it comes to meal times our feline friends can be fussy creatures, so product quality and palatability is key. Prepared using high quality Irish meats, Cat Club cat food is fully traceable from farm to bowl. Since its recent re-launch, Cat Club has experienced impressive double digit sales growth, which according to the brand, demonstrates that cats love its new improved recipes. Prepared using high quality Irish meats, Cat Club canned cat food is fully traceable from farm to can. Cat Club’s carefully prepared natural meaty chunks in appetising jelly and gravy have all the nourishment and essential vitamins and minerals to ensure all-round good health and lively energy, so consumers know they are feeding their cats a tasty, nutritious meal they’ll love.
Sales have been driven by the brand’s new variety three packs, each price-marked at €2. These include Cat Club Variety Chunks in Jelly Three Pack and Cat Club Variety Chunks in Gravy Three Pack.
The company says the Irish consumer has clearly embraced these high quality, value for money offerings. Both packs are ideal for the convenience trade and offer the retailer strong margin.
A new Poultry Selection Chunks in Gravy Pack has also been added to complement the current Cat Club Variety Chunks in Jelly Six Pack and 12 Pack range.
The re-launch of Cat Club was supported by a highly successful digital campaign and will continue to be supported by strong promotional activity throughout 2015. For more information about Cat Club, visit facebook.com/catclubcatfood.
Brandy…because they’re 100% family!
Brandy is the only dog food that uses 100% Irish meat
Brandy has a strong local heritage dating back to 1971. Brandy is made using only 100% Irish meat sourced from across the island of Ireland. The use of 100% Irish meat is unique to the brand. Brandy is also fully traceable from farm to bowl. Irish consumers are concerned about the provenance and quality of the product they feed their dogs and they have really embraced the fact that Brandy uses only 100% Irish meat and has full traceability. Dog owners view their dog as a key member of the family so they want to feed them the best. Consumers are also looking for value and Brandy offers customers high quality products at a value price.
Brandy’s two promotional variety three packs, Brandy Variety Traditional Loaf and Brandy Variety Chunks in Jelly, both price marked at €2, offer the customer value for money while offering the retailer strong margin. Both packs continue to perform exceptionally well and have proven to be key selling lines particularly for the convenience sector, due to their keen €2 value price message.
Brandy Six Pack is available in three variety options, Loaf, Chunks in Jelly and Chunks in Gravy. Meanwhile the Brandy Variety 12 Pack range enables consumers to trade up to larger multi-packs.
Throughout 2015 Brandy will continue to be supported by strong promotional activity and an extensive advertising campaign. Visit facebook.com/brandydogfood.
Healthy choices in Purina portfolio
The Bakers range of healthy low-fat treats are packed with protein, omega oils, vitamins and antioxidants
Ireland is a nation of dog lovers, there are over 400,000 dogs in Ireland which equates to nearly one million meals per day. 66% of dog owners say that they think treats make their pet happy (with 98% of dog owners giving their dog a treat at some point and 42% giving their dog a daily treat). It is therefore no surprise that dog snacks are growing at +3.3% MAT*.
The Purina dog snacks portfolio offers a range of snacks from biscuits to treats to dog chews. The company’s functional treats range includes Bakers Dental Delicious and Bakers Joint Delicious which help to support a dog’s health with just one tasty treat per day. Bakers Meaty Twists help occupy dogs while maintaining well-being and keeping them satisfied. When pet owners want to treat or train their dog, they can indulge their pet with a healthy low-fat treat such as Rewards, Allsorts, Sizzlers or Whirlers which are packed with protein, omega oils, vitamins and antioxidants. As well as an impressive treats range, Bakers has brand heritage dating back to 1851.
The Bonio brand offers crunchy, oven baked biscuits that support healthy teeth and gums, all enriched with vitamins and minerals
Also within the Purina snacks range is Bonio; tasty, wholesome and traditional, oven baked biscuits with different sizes and shapes of crunchy biscuits to support healthy teeth and gums, all enriched with vitamins and minerals.
The Purina Adventuros range reacts to the pet shoppers who are looking for more variety in indulgent snacks with flavours from Boar to Venison
Adventuros is the latest innovation from Purina, inspired by the spirit of the wild, a meaty range of unconventional and instinctively tasty treats. This new exciting proposition reacts to the pet shoppers who are looking for more variety in indulgent snacks with flavours from Boar to Venison.
“Dog snacks now represent 28.5%* of the total dog category sales in Ireland and provide a real moment of bonding between owners and their pet,” says Kieran Conroy, country category manager for Nestlé Purina.
“Bakers is the fastest growing brand in dog snacks* and we are excited by the launch of the new Purina Adventuros range which delivers fantastic innovative flavours that are low in fat and rich in meat.”
*(Source: AC Nielsen MAT Data to 17 May)
Of outstanding Pedigree
Mars Ireland is committed to the health and well-being of Irish pets, and maintains leadership of the Irish pet care sector, with 28% value share (Source: AC Nielsen Scantrack MAT April 2015).
This summer Mars Petcare is re-launching its iconic Whiskas pouch brand with the introduction of best ever recipes tailored for each cat’s life stage. The newly redesigned Whiskas pouch range will deliver more choice, value and quality for consumers, as well as driving category growth and boosting profits for retailers. This re-launch will be supported by a major through-the-line (TTL) marketing campaign including new TV advertising, sampling and great in-store promotions.
Pedigree dog care and treats, including functional treats such as Pedigree Dentastix and Pedigree Dentaflex are a strong source of incremental sales growth for retailers as this is one of the fastest growing sub-categories within the category.
Pedigree is significantly investing behind a TV, press and online campaign to tackle the serious issue of gum disease in dogs. Pedigree Dentastix are available in trial packs of three, weekly packs of seven or monthly packs of 28 – and with the ‘Vets Recommend’ flash on pack, retailers should ensure they stock up and site this great product alongside their existing dog care range.
With 40% of the dog population now being small dogs, Pedigree has launched a brand new dry food offering that is available in both adult and puppy formats. Since small dogs have a longer lifespan, as well as different needs to larger dogs, the newly developed Pedigree small dog offering is tailored to meet the nutritional needs of these dogs with antioxidant vitamin E, zinc, Omega 6 and B vitamins. Stocking up on this range offers a greater variety of tailored products for shoppers to choose from and gives retailers a great opportunity to capture shoppers in this growing segment.
Other market leading brands in the Mars Petcare range include Cesar, Sheba, Pal, Kitekat and Dreamies.
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