A Smaller Growth Market
Now approaching the $3 billion mark, the “other pet” products market posted sales increases across categories in 2020, such that the resulting 18.5% sales increase surpassed even the unprecedented growth experienced by the retail pet products sector overall. Despite the economic set-backs and uncertainties since COVID-19, Packaged Facts survey results from June 2021 show that only 4% of other pet owners decreased their pet spending in the previous 12 months, while 33% increased it. Product premiumization plays a part in this spending increase, with other pet owners following the pattern of dog and cat owners in seeking out costlier natural foods and more design-conscious and eco-friendly non-food products such as bedding, habitats/enclosures, and toys.
Packaged Facts’ Fish, Small Mammal, Herptile, and Bird Products report examines these and other opportunities for growth in the other pet market, breaking out sales and marketing/new product trends by animal type. The report also covers ownership patterns, product purchasing patterns, and top marketers in the other pet arena by animal type. Changing purchasing channel trends are also covered, including the roles played by pet specialty stores and e-commerce.
Scope and Market Definition
This report analyzes the U.S. market for pets other than dogs and cats, broken out into the following four categories:
Fish and aquarium products – Food, aquariums, filtration products, and aquarium decor for freshwater and saltwater fish.
Small mammal (often termed “small animal”) pet products – Food and treats, enclosures, enclosure accessories, bedding, and toys for small mammals such as mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, sugar gliders, rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas.
Herptile (reptile and amphibian) pet products – Food, enclosures, heating and lighting, décor, and accessories for all types of reptile and amphibian species, including turtles, snakes, geckos, chameleons, newts, iguanas, and bearded dragons.
Pet bird products – Food, toys, cages, and cage accessories for pet birds such as budgies, canaries, and parrots. Although the focus is on pet birds, 2020 sales of wild bird products are also noted.
All food and non-food product sales discussed are for commercial products specifically marketed for other pets and do not include general foods (such as fresh fruits or vegetables) or other general market products used for pets. This report does not cover products for pets outside the description of the animal types listed above, such as farm animals or insects/arachnids kept as pets. Sales figures also exclude sales of live animals.
Methodology
The information contained in this report was obtained from primary and secondary research. Primary research includes national online consumer polls of U.S. adult pet owners (age 18+) conducted on an ongoing basis by Packaged Facts, designed to measure purchasing patterns and attitudes regarding pet products and services. With sample sizes of approximately 2,000 pet owners, these surveys are based on national online research panels that are census representative on the primary demographic measures of age, gender, geographic region, race/ethnicity, and household income. The main surveys used in this report were conducted in February 2021 and February/March 2021. Our primary research also includes interviews with pet market experts; participation in pet industry events including Global Pet Expo, and on-site examination of retail and service provider venues.
Secondary research includes information- and data-gathering from consumer business and trade publications including Pet Age, Pet Business, Pet Product News International, and Petfood Industry; brand and marketer websites; company profiles in trade and consumer publications; annual reports of companies in the pet market; and information culled from Packaged Facts’ extensive pet market research database and report collection.
Our estimates of market size and company performance are based on reported revenues of pet product manufacturers, retailers, and pet services providers; background sales data from syndicated sales-tracking sources; surveys of independent and chain pet store retailers; government data including U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Surveys; and figures from other market research sources. In addition, selected data are featured from the American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2021-2022 National Pet Owners Survey.
VIDEO
More than even in the dog and cat market, demand for products for fish, birds, small mammals, and reptiles surged in 2020, spurred largely by pandemic-related stay-at-home orders.
After years of relatively flat sales, the other pet segment grew by an astounding 18.5% in 2020, one of the largest category growth percentages experienced across the entire pet market. Total sales reached over $2.8 billion in 2020 – up from $2.2 billion in 2016 – resulting in a combined annual growth rate of 6.5% for the five-year period, despite all the years in between showing growth of just 2%-3%.
The report Fish, Small Mammal, Herptile, and Bird Products: U.S. Pet Market Trends and Opportunities, 3rd Edition by Packaged Facts draws on extensive secondary and primary research to pinpoint key opportunities in this growing market.
Use this report to quickly understand:
The pandemic pet population boost
Motivations influencing pet acquisition
Channel trends and consumer trends
Marketing and new product trends