Report Overview
A driving force in the success of the pet litter and cleanup market is the central role that pets play in most households.
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Pet owners need products that make dealing with pet messes easier and less stressful.
Pet Litter, Cleanup, and Odor-Control Products in the US, 4th Edition, provides a deep dive into the cat litter, puppy/training pads, dog waste bags, and pet cleanup and odor control preparations market. The report presents valuable insights into what factors are most important for consumers considering purchases in this market and what marketers and retailers can do to satisfy consumer expectations and demands.
With expected 2023 US sales of $6.4 billion, the market achieved a 6% increase over 2022, with cat litter the largest category at $4.8 billion. Although this growth is greater than the market was experiencing pre-pandemic, it can be at least partially attributed to price inflation. The overarching pet market trend of “pets as family” also influences pet owner purchasing decisions and preferences for pet litter and cleanup products. Other factors impacting this market include a pandemic-related focus on homecare and comfort, environmental concerns, and pet population trends. Online sales account for approximately 40% of the market, with e-commerce, autoship, and direct-to-consumer services having become more popular among pet owners during the pandemic.
The report provides detailed analysis of the major brands and marketers in each category, as well as the innovations and marketing strategies they employ to attract and retain customers. The report also explores the consumer behavior and attitudes of pet owners towards pet litter and cleanup products, and identifies the key demographic and psychographic indicators for purchasing and using different types of products, as well as the most important features that pet owners are looking for in these products. With a market outlook that projects the US retail sales of pet litter, cleanup, and odor-control products to reach $8.9 billion in 2027, for a CAGR of 6.8%, this market is poised for continued moderate growth for the foreseeable future.
Building on the analysis of the previous editions of this report, Pet Litter, Cleanup, and Odor Control Products: U.S. Market Trends, 4th Edition analyzes this market in depth across four categories: cat litter and non-durable accessories, puppy/training pads, dog waste bags, and pet cleanup and odor control preparations. The report covers historical and projected retail sales estimates from 2017 through 2027, competitive strategies of key players including social media, and trends in new product development including dozens of tables, figures, and product images. The report also examines retail trends including the impact of direct-to-consumer sales and consumer purchasing preferences and demographics by product type and brand.
Report Methodology
The information contained in this report was obtained from primary and secondary research. Our consumer analysis draws mainly on two sources:
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Packaged Facts data, primarily our proprietary Survey of Pet Owners; it has an online sample of approximately 1,500 pet owners that are census representative on the primary demographic measures of age, gender, geographic region, race/ethnicity, presence or absence of children in the household, and incomes through the $100K+ bracket. This discussion features data from the December 2023 iteration of that survey.
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MRI-Simmons data drawn from their booklet-based surveys that are fielded on an ongoing basis. The releases cited in this discussion represent roughly 12-month data roll-ups; survey releases are named based on the season in which the fielding ended rather than calendar years or standard seasonal periods. Field dates for the most current Summer 2023 survey were May 2022 through July 2023. Therefore, as reflected in textual discussion and in the corresponding table or figure titles, MRI-Simmons’ Summer 2023 survey release data are best described as 2022/23 figures (the same is true of all their historically trended data). MRI-Simmons’ survey releases account for exceptionally large sample sizes that are representative of the national population. For their Summer 2023 study release, the sample size was 51,028 adults – including 25,595 dog or cat owners, 19,439 dog owners, and 12,211 cat owners.
Our primary research also includes interviews with pet market experts and participation in pet industry events like the American Pet Products Association’s Global Pet Expos, Petfood Industry/Watt Publishing’s Petfood Forums, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council’s Pet Industry Leadership Summit, and the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) VMX Veterinary Conferences and Media E-Commerce Summits. The analysis also reflects on-site examination of retail and service provider venues and online canvassing.
Secondary research includes information- and data-gathering from consumer business and trade publications like Pet Age, Pet Business, Pet Product News International, Petfood Industry, and Veterinary Practice News; 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 US Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Surveys); and figures from other market research sources.