Welcome to our insightful survey report, which delves into the behaviors, preferences, and purchasing habits of pet owners. This study, conducted with 458 participants between February and March 2024, spans a variety of topics including pet food choices, popular brands, and the impact of digital platforms on purchasing decisions.
General facts
Dogs
- 38% of Dog Owners surveyed have multiple dogs
- 1 in 3 Dog Owners own a Small Dog; 2 of 5 Dog Downers own a Large Dog
- Over half of Dog Owners purchase Dental Treats for their dogs
- 42% purchase Wet Food for their dogs
- Purina, Blue Buffalo, Pedigree, Hill’s, The Farmer’s Dog, Nature’s Recipe, and Royal Canin are the most popular dog food brands, followed by Beneful, Rachael Ray, Iams
Cats
- 42% of Cat Owners have multiple cats
- 2 of 3 Cat Owners serve their cats wet food
- 31% serve them cat food toppers & complements
- 1 in 5 serves natural cat food
- Purina, Friskies, Meow Mix, Iams, and Royal Canin are the most popular cat food brands, followed by Blue Buffalo, Hill’s, Wellness, and 9 Lives
Path to purchase
- 63% of pet owners discover new pet products through social media content. The next most popular approach is browsing in-store
- Instagram is the most popular social media platform to discover new pet products, followed by TikTok and Facebook, then YouTube and Pinterest
- Most pet owners (56%) need to see a new pet product be featured in at least 3 pieces of social media content before making a purchase
- 3 of 4 pet owners will read product reviews before purchasing a new pet product. Pet owners also seek more content and read product description on the brand website
Shopping Habits
- 1 in 4 pet owners is looking for grain free recipes when choosing a food product to purchase for their pet(s)
- 3 of 4 pet owners consider higher quality ingredients to be very important when choosing a food product for their pets
Shoppers by retailer
Amazon
- Shop at Amazon for best prices and large selection of products, making it easy to find what they want
- Discover new products through reviews
- Need to see lots of content (5+ pieces) broadly across platforms, including Facebook, before purchasing
- Highlight Natural, Organic, Real Whole Foods
- Have Creator review the product in content and talk about natural elements balanced with value and convenience.
Chewy
- Shop at Chewy because it’s a one-stop shop for all their pet products and has a good loyalty program
- Chewy is a retailer for owners who want to spoil their pets. Quality, Crafted, No Preservatives are important
- Prioritize Instagram as your social platform and highlight attractive pack visuals
- Describe the product and its quality/crafted attributes, how it’s delivering the
very best for your pet - Product review driven
PetSmart
- Shop here because it’s a relaxed shopping experience
- Like to discover new products through social media content and browsing in-store.
- Care about health benefits delivered for their pet (if not quite as committed to quality as the Chewy shopper)
- Promotion/Sales driven
- Populate Instagram AND TikTok with content for the shopper who wants to learn more about a product before purchasing
- Highlight product visuals and description/details
Walmart
- Shop here because it’s a one-stop shop where they’re shopping for other items
- Discover new products by browsing in-store and will compare to other products for best prices
- Not so concerned with health benefits and quality so need to focus more on good value
- Make comparisons to similar products and have the Creator position themselves as a friend making a recommendation
- Need to see lots of content (5+ pieces), covering TikTok and Facebook
