Non-rawhide dog chew wins Pet Food Category

DreamBone’s non-rawhide, healthy, and highly digestible dog chew has won the Pet Food Category in the Grocer New Product Awards 2015. The Grocer leads the market as the UK’s only paid-for online service and weekly magazine with coverage of the whole fast-moving consumer goods sector.
Each year, The Grocer New Products Awards celebrate and reward outstanding innovation in the UK FMCG sector in both non-food and food categories. A group of expert judges test a huge array of new products entered, across 34 different categories.
Tested by a panel of dog owners, this “novel and healthy” chew resulted in plenty of happy pooches. Ninety-six percent of testers rated their dog’s enjoyment of it as good or excellent, with many commenting that it kept their dog entertained and had a great taste and texture dogs seemed to find easier to chew. Made with vegetables, grains and chicken, the chew does not contain rawhide.
DreamBone was shortlisted through two stages before making it to the final. The 2015 Pet Food Finalists included: Purina Gourmet Mon Petit – Fish, DreamBone, Pooch & Mutt, Calm & Relaxed, Grain-Free Dog Food, Vets Kitchen Adult Sensitive Grain-Free Pork & Potato.
“We are honored DreamBone has won the Grocer New Product Awards this year,” said Dreambone Vice President of Marketing Maggie Marchese. “It’s a wonderful feeling to hear the incredible feedback from the panel of testers. We’re thrilled to know both pet owners and canines in the UK are embracing the many benefits of our innovative, non-rawhide chew brand.”
DreamBone is the next generation dog chew that has all the benefits of a rawhide chew without the rawhide. Although rawhide chews are one of the most common types of chews for dogs, many veterinarians and pet owners have health and safety concerns with these types of chews. DreamBone dog chews, on the other hand, are made with wholesome vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and peas, in the place of rawhide, and chicken.

Investments grants available to eligible pet companies

The PetQuip association has announced that eligible British firms will have the opportunity to receive cash grants to help them exhibit at Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Florida, USA, to be held March 16-18, 2016, after PetQuip secured British government funding for eligible UK exhibitors. The exhibiting companies can benefit from GBP2,000 (US$3,046) investment grants, which are subject to UKTI terms and conditions. Details of the grants and other information on the association’s support package are available from PetQuip.
After the success of the PetQuip-organized British group at the past five editions of Global Pet Expo, the association is expecting considerable demand and, as stand space is limited, interested companies are urged to apply early.
The director general of PetQuip, Amanda Sizer Barrett, highlighting the importance of the show, said: “The sheer size of the North American market for pet products makes Global Pet Expo a very attractive proposition for UK suppliers. This is highlighted in The American Pet Products Association (APPA) estimate that the total U.S. pet industry expenditure is more than $60 billion, and in the 2015-16 APPA National Pet Owners Survey that states that 65 percent of US households own a pet, equating to 79.7 million homes. The survey further estimates there are more than 85 million cats and more than 77 million dogs. In addition to the huge scale of the US market, another significant consideration for UK suppliers is that in 2015, 29 percent of visitors to Global Pet Expo were from outside the US, representing around 82 countries.”
UK exhibitors in the PetQuip-organized group will be located in a prime position within a British-branded and -themed pavilion area as part of the organizer’s international pavilion. The position is close to The Boutique and What’s New areas, which lead onto the very popular New Product Showcase. The location of the pavilion is expected to attract significant footfall in 2016.
PetQuip’s comprehensive support package for the British exhibiting companies will include advice and information about how to prepare for and how to maximize a company’s presence at the show; support from an industry information stand organized and manned by the experienced PetQuip team; press editorial and promotion on exhibitor’s products prior to, during and after the show; preview marketing material distributed to named buyers in advance of the show; and help with freight, travel and accommodation and other logistics.

Pets at Home revenue up 9.6%

British pet specialty retailer Pets at Home saw total revenue rise 9.6% to GBP729.1 million (US$1.12 billion) since a year ago, the company said.
Revenues were driven by strong performance in the advanced nutrition, health and hygiene, and VIP Club membership. The company said focus on services and omnichannel performance also helped results.
Merchandise like-for-likes rose 3.7%, while like-for-like sales of services grew 10.7%. Income from joint venture veterinary practices soared 30.7% to GBP28.2 million.
In the past year, the retailer added 25 stores, bringing its total to 400, and it opened 61 veterinary practices, bringing its total to 338.
Pets at Home added 270,000 members to its VIP Club in the fourth quarter, bringing the total number of members for the fiscal year to 3.2 million.
 “We are delighted to be delivering on expectations in our first year as a publicly listed company,” said Pets at Home chief executive Nick Wood. “We have seen strength across both merchandise and services, demonstrating the broad range of levers through which we will successfully deliver further profitable business growth.”

British pet food market value up US$15 million in 2014

The value of the British pet food market grew GBR10 million (US$14.8 million) in 2014 to GBP2.8 billion, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA), whose 67 members account for more than 90% of the UK market.
However, the PFMA said, the total volume of the pet food market fell slightly to 1,476,000 tonnes.
The PFMA’s data is based on actual production figures and are consistent with falling pet ownership, it said.
The treats category has seen strong growth, with dog treats growing 5% in volume and 7% in value to reach GBP395 million. Cat treats saw a 17% increase in value to GBP120 million.
Dog food market volume fell slightly to 830,000 tonnes, with value holding steady at GBP1.3 billion. This results in average spending of GBP150 per dog per year, with 35% of dogs fed wet food and 50% fed dry food.
Cat food market volume dropped 2% to 405,000 tonnes, with the value holding steady at GBP1 billion. This results in average spending of GBP130 per cat per year, with 75% of cats fed wet food and 22% fed dry food.
Multi-serve wet cat food saw the largest drop, at 7% of volume to 102,000 tonnes, while single-serve cat food grew 1% in volume to 209,000 tonnes.
 In the small animal market, the rabbit category remains dominant at 53,000 tonnes with a value of GBP52 million. Total volume for rabbits, guinea pigs and rodents was about 75,000 tonnes. Value fell 2% to GBP73 million.

Canidae hires Umpf to launch brand in UK market

Canidae has hired UK communications agency Umpf to help it as it enters the UK market at the Crufts dog show March 5-8, 2015.

The company will launch its Grain Free Pure dog and cat food brands with trade and consumer public relations, social media and event activation, leading into a bigger campaign that will use traditional and digital channels to play up the products’ quality and grain-free attributes.
Canidae is working with Pedigree Wholesale, the UK’s largest pet and aquatic wholesaler. The distributor also will handle day-to-day marketing of Grain Free Pure, along with Umpf.
Steve Brown, managing director of Pedigree Wholesale, said the foods would benefit from a “fantastic distribution network.”
"There is a huge potential in the UK for what is, for the moment at least, a challenger brand and we have some really exciting campaigns lined up to raise the profile of Canidae in the UK," Brown added.
Texas-based Canidae was founded 18 years ago. It is available in more than 10,000 stores in the US, and sells nearly 100 formulated dry and canned petfoods, plus treats.

Petfood entrepreneur invests informer UK plant site

Roger Skinner, of dog food manufacturers Roger Skinner Ltd. in Stradbroke, England, UK, has purchased the 12-acre former site of Tenza Technologies in Saxmundham with plans to regenerate the area. Tenza went into administration in November 2014 and more than 70 people lost their jobs.

"What I have tried to do is to try and make sure we get people back to work," said Skinner. He initially purchased two industrial units from Tenza in 2006, where he operates Salter Pet Nutrition and Skinner Salter Partnership. On November 21, 2014, he completed the purchase of the Carlton Park site housing Tenza, but the company went into administration at the same time and he lost his tenants. Skinner said he plans to bring employment back to the buildings that housed Tenza, and so far has attracted two companies—Frimpeks, a Turkish firm, and Ryco, of Ireland—providing around 15 jobs, which are due to take up occupation by February. He hopes to find other tenants to occupy other parts of the site and says he has interest from various other parties.
Skinner said he hopes to become an incubator for new business. “There are more and more houses being built, but no jobs,” he said. “The idea is I can create a business park for start-ups. At the end of the day, it’s about creating employment.”

UK pet care spending to surpass US$7 billion in 2015

Total spending on pet care in the UK is set to reach a record high of US$7.16 billion (£4.6 billion) in 2015, a 3% increase on 2014’s US$6.92 billion and a growth of 25% since 2010, according to reports.
Of the near-US$7 billion spent in 2014, UK consumers allocated US$5.57 billion to petfood and US$1.5 billion to non-food items such as grooming, day care, clothes and toys—expenses that speak to the ongoing trend of pet humanization. “Pet owners are increasingly treating their cats, dogs and even small mammals like members of their family,” said Gina Westbrook, director of strategy briefings at Euromonitor, during an interview with The Telegraph. “The opportunity to commercialize this trend into a vast range of goods and services—from dog beer to cat counseling, from pet weddings to 'social petworking'—is staggering for the company that can position itself to gain credibility among this growing demographic.”
According to Westbrook, there are three kinds of pet owners: mainstream humanizers, who account for roughly two-thirds of pet owners and opt for reliable premium pet brands; anti-humanizers, who make up 20%–30% of pet owners and choose smaller, ethical brands over the large corporations (and are also more likely to put their pets on wild, raw or organic diets); and extreme humanizers, who make up 5% of pet owners and tend to see their pet as an accessory or child substitute, spending money on designer outfits, exercise activities and extreme grooming treatments.
There are a number of reasons for this humanization, said Westbrook. "On the one hand, people are single and increasingly lonely, living in more 'dehumanized' societies," she said. "On the other hand, there is also the DINKS: Double Income No Kids. Couples delay marriage and the first child so pets are often the choice for their love and affection. In many emerging markets splashing on pets is a way to flaunt status and also a reflection of westernization."
Two-thirds of animal owners see their pets as beloved family members, according to Euromonitor data, and the humanization trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

Pooch & Mutt treats among new pet product award finalists

Pooch & Mutt’s Calm & Relaxed dog treats are one of the finalists in the New Product Awards of UK-based The Grocer Magazine. The New Product Awards represent new products sold in the UK’s supermarkets.

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The Calm & Relaxed treats were launched in March 2013 and have been a bestseller since then, according to Pooch & Mutt. They are available across the whole of the UK at Waitrose, Pets at Home, Pet’s Corner, Pampered Pets and many other independent pet stores and vets. 

Report looks at trends in UK pet ownership

There has been nearly a 10 percent increase in the number of pet shops in the UK over the past two years, according to a report.

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Euromonitor says the amount spent on petfood and pet products is up 4 percent from last year, and it expects that growth to continue at the same pace for the next five years.
As pet owners are spending more on food, treats, fashion, grooming, walking services and pampering services for their pets, vendors are cashing in. New pet websites are popping up, selling anything from gourmet petfood to bargain products.
"More people treat their pets as a member of the family and are willing to give them nothing but the best," says Paula Flores, head of pet care research at Euromonitor. "There is a trend towards humanizing pets and wanting premium products so the market is still strong."
Flores said as pet ownership increases, so is the trend of keeping smaller pets. The number of French Bulldogs registered in the UK was up nearly 50 percent, Boston Terriers were up 11 percent, and Chihuahuas and Pugs were up nearly 5 percent.

Burns Pet Nutrition wins in magazine poll

UK-based petfood manufacturer Burns Pet Nutrition has been voted as winner in a poll conducted by the dog magazine Your Dog Magazine in three categories: best dry dog food, best wet dog food and best specialist food.

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The readers of the magazine had the opportunity to nominate their favorite products in various categories. Burns products are hypoallergenic, and free from additives, preservatives and colorants, according to the company. The company also says that all Burns diets are formulated without ingredients which commonly cause food intolerance such as wheat, soy, dairy and flavorings.

Brit petfood brand receives 2014 Global PETS Award

Brit, a petfood brand of Vafo Praha, received the 2014 Global PETS Award during the recent Global PETS Forum in Amsterdam. PETS International General Director Corine van Winden presented the award to Vafo Praha Managing Director Pavel Bouska.

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Throughout its 20-year history, Vafo Praha has consistently increased the quality of its products, introducing innovative petfood solutions to the market, opening new product categories, and communicating the principles of healthy nutrition and related care to consumers. Good cooperation with suppliers and customers is considered a win-win principle and a great value.
The Global PETS Award is awarded yearly to a company from the international pet industry that has shown above-average performance in the theme of that year's Global PETS Forum. 

UK group studies ethical quality of petfood companies

The UK-based Ethical Company Organization has researched the ethical quality of the dog and cat food sector and published its findings in The Good Shopping Guide.

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A large percentage of petfood brands received high index scores, making the petfood sector one of the highest ranking sectors for ethics.
Lily's Kitchen scored highest, with an index score of 100, followed by Yarrah (95) and Burns Pet Nutrition (91). Other brands evaluated include Mars' brand, Whiskas; Eukanuba and Iams from P&G Petcare; and Friskies, Felix and Bakers Complete from Nestlé.

Skinners Pet Foods adds production lines at dog food mill in UK

A recent article in Grain & Feed Milling Technology features Skinners Pet Foods and the company's new production lines at its dog food mill, which has been in operation since 1688.
Challenged with recent increases in demand for its petfood products, the family owned company automated its manual bagging operation with equipment designed and installed by Pacepacker Services. Following, two additional packaging lines further increased throughput to nearly 2,000 bags of petfood per hour, an almost 70 percent increase from manual bagging.
The new lines, installed after the introduction of a new extruder, consist of a C21 MultiPile Sack Placer and a Total Bag ControlSystem. The installation of the first line allowed the company to introduce a range of petfood products in plastic bags. Two out of the three lines are designed to handle bags weighing up to 15 kg, running at speeds of up to500 bags per hour. In total, the three lines handle 36 different types of products.
The final line was installed due to an increase in demand for smaller petfood bags. So, Pacepacker designed this third line as a miniature version of the initial two lines. It is capable of handling 2.5 kg bags at a throughput of 800 bags per hour. 

UK private-label petfood sales growing rapidly, report says

Private-label petfood sales in the UK are growing rapidly, according to a report from Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) that quotes the market research institute IRI.
According to the report, retailer brand sales have risen 6.5 percent, compared with only a 2.8 percent increase in the entire category. The growth is partly due to a massive hike in featured space deals on private-label petfood and due to price rises, experts claim.

GA Pet Food Partners receives top rating from British Retail Consortium

GA Pet Food Partners received a grade "A" rating from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) for implementing best practices in its petfood manufacturing process. 
BRC audits the whole chain, from the sourcing of raw materials through to being able to trace product from the retail shelf back the origin of the ingredients.
James Lawson, GA's joint managing director responsible for nutrition and food safety, said, "Being awarded the BRC's top grade is welcome recognition for GA's hard work and commitment to producing pet food to the very highest standards of manufacturing. The BRC award is now recognized and demanded globally and this confirms to our customers around the world that they are in partnership with a high performing team at GA."

Private-label petfood sales rising despite other drops in spending

Sales of private-label petfoods are rising in the UK as shoppers cutting back on spending on pets in other areas, The Grocer reports.
Private-label petfood brand sales have risen 6.5 percent compared with 2.8 percent in the overall category. The growth is partially driven by a hike in featured-space deals for private labels. In 2013, through August 31, the "big four" petfood companies ran 132 such deals compared to seven the previous year. 

Grants for 2014 pet industry trade shows to be given by UK government

Government funding has been secured for two major international pet industry trade shows to be held in 2014, as a result of successful bids by the PetQuip association.
Exhibitors at both Interzoo and Global Pet Expo will be funded with grants thanks to PetQuip, the nonprofit UK organization that works to help UK pet care firms grow business internationally. For 2014, grants of £2,000 (US$3,222.56) for eligible Global Pet Expo exhibitors and £1,500 (US$2,416.92) for eligible Interzoo exhibitors are available. 
Global Pet Expo will be held in Florida, USA, in March 2014 and Interzoo in Nuremberg, Germany, in June 2014. For more information, please email theresa@petquip.com or emma@petquip.com.

PATS pet industry trade show attracts record number of exhibitors

The pet industry trade show, PATS, has attracted a record number of exhibitors for the sold-out show, taking place September 15-16 at Harrogate International Center in Yorkshire, UK.
With 160 exhibitors, the show will cover three halls of the exhibition center with new pet products. Companies exhibiting will include Beaphar, Sharples & Grant, Burgess Pet Care, Mars Petcare, Eurostitch, Vitakraft and Trixie. 

MPM Products set to expand further into global petfood market

UK petfood producer MPM Products has received a new loan and trade finance package to accelerate product development and expansion in the Asia Pacific and US petfood markets.
The company already exports to 33 countries, accounting for 51 percent of orders, but the funding from HSBC's international SME fund will help the company further extend its reach. MPM's turnover of £17 million (US$26 million) in 2012 is projected to grow to £24 million (US$36.8 million).
"Wherever you see a Starbucks opening up, a market for quality petfood is not far behind," says MPM's managing director, Julian Bambridge, commenting on changes that have shaped MPM's brands. "Consumers have a greater understanding now of the importance of nutrition and that trend is translating to their pets."
According to Bambridge: "Britain's foodie revolution, concern about responsible sourcing and quality, took off a decade ago. Now that has extended to dogs and cats. Pets are considered part of the family so get the same treatment as we give ourselves.
"Because of that, even in hard-pressed times, it seems customers are still willing to put their hands in their pockets for their animals.
"We are now selling in Korea and Kuwait, places where traditionally there have been different attitudes to dog owning from in the West."
MPM also recently expanded its workforce to 50. "Being a smaller company working with partners is an advantage," Bambridge says. "Our production processes are nimble."

Research and Markets adds two new petfood market reports

Research and Markets has added two new pet market reports to its offerings.
A report entitled Global Pet Food Market 2012-2016  from TechNavio projects the global petfood market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.35 percent from 2012-16. The report covers the market for petfood in the Americas, EMEA and APA regions, including market landscape and growth prospects.  
Research and Markets also added the Pet Market Market Report 2013 to its offerings. The report's authors predict the UK pet market will grow by 12.6 percent from 2013-17, with the majority of growth seen in the pet insurance and petfood sectors.
This market report focuses on petfood, pet accessories and pet insurance in the UK. The report says petfood is the largest of the three categories of focus in the report, accounting for more than two-thirds of the market in 2012. The petfood sector's growth is attributed to rising commodity costs and premiumization linked to new product development , centered around trends in human food like organic and environmentally friendly.