Growing pet population to fuel packaging growth

Growth will be based on the use of higher-value, more-sophisticated packaging, it said, plus continued strength in pet food shipments fuelled by an expected rebound in the pet population. 

The proliferation of premium pet food brands providing healthier, more nutritious alternatives, corresponding to the continuing humanization of pets by their owners, will also spur packaging demand growth.

Of the various types of pet food packaging, pouches will record the strongest growth over the coming years, in part due to features that are ‘inherently convenient’ for consumers, Freedonia said, including zippered closure mechanisms and a light weight. 

Freedonia analyst Joe Pryweller said: ‘Plastic pouches will be the primary beneficiary of the trend toward more advanced pet food packaging. Pouch demand in pet food packaging will rise 8.3 percent per year to 540 million USD in 2018, the fastest pace of growth among pet food packaging types.’ 

Demand for tubs and cups will benefit from the need for convenience features and light weights in pet food packaging. As a result, tubs and cups will continue to supplant metal containers in wet food, growing in popularity due to peelable lids that are easier to open and allow the consumer to avoid cuts from metal edges. 

However, dry food will continue to represent the largest food segment in pet food packaging, with a share of 49 percent in 2018. Bags are by far the largest packaging type in this segment due to the dominance of bulk items – those weighing 16lbs or more – in dry pet food. 

Multiwall paper bags are the preferred packaging type in the dry food packaging category, but woven polypropylene bags are gaining favor, with demand expected to expand 8.6 percent annually through 2018. 

Chilled and frozen pet food products offer another area of opportunity for pet food packaging growth.  This category has developed from a small base and is expected to more than double in size through 2018, boosting demand for pouches, bags, tubs and cups and chubs.  Freedonia said consumer interest in raw pet food products with prolonged shelf life will fuel growth in this category as retail stores increase freezer and refrigerator shelf space. 

In numbers, overall demand for pet food packaging has risen from 1.6 billion USD in 2008 to an expected 2.5 billion USD in 2018. Pouches will be the biggest winner in the period from 2013 to 2018, recording annual growth of 8.3 percent from 362 million USD to 540 million USD, with folding cartons to fall one percent to 80 million USD over this period. In comparison, between 2008 and 2013, the role of folding cartons in growing pet food packaging demand was negligible, 0.2 percent, while the annual growth for pouches was even higher than predicted for the coming years, at 9.6 percent.