Zoomark stands as the biggest pet trade show in Europe, and the sheer size of the exhibition is apparent the moment you set foot inside the BolognaFiere.
As the Western European Pet care market continues to grow, expecting to reach an estimated value of 26.8 billion euros in 2017 it comes as no surprise the show welcomed record numbers of visitors and exhibitors.
As one of our biggest markets, it was a great opportunity to capture a glimpse of the current pet food packaging trends and NPD’S emerging across the Europe that will inevitably impact our customers and service offering.
It seems that pet food products are becoming ever more influenced by human food and drink trends, and at a much faster rate than seen previously. Chances are if you were eating it last year, expect to be buying it for your furry friends in 2017.
Healthy Pets, Happy Owners
In the new product showcase, there were notably more health focused products with emphasis on “holistic food” and “wellness” across packaging and brand marketing.
There was even a superfood favourite Quinoa based, gluten free product from Farmina that promoted digestion and weight management, proving that pet owners are increasingly health conscious consumers.
Veggie Dogs
Vegetarian and vegan foods were also common across the new product development zone, reflecting the rise in consumer demand for these products in FMCG. Brands such a Lily’s Kitchen showcased Veggie Feast recipes as well as Benevo, animal friendly animal foods located in the British Pavilion.
One brand that really caught our eye was Green PetFoods that really had all bases covered in terms of new food trends. Their range was focused on meat free options and even new ‘insect dog’ hypoallergenic dog food embracing new wave of insect proteins.
New products such as edible insects have grown in the human food market accounting for $772.9 million at a CAGR of 6.1% over the forecast period 2016 – 2024. Products such as insect dog maybe signals the start of Pet Foods brands translating emerging human foodie trends into sales in the pet sector.
Snacking still on the menu
As to be expected snacking products were well represented throughout the exhibition. According to Pet Business World the dog treats and chews market is showing robust growth with the value estimated at £434million in the UK alone.
Brands such as Whimzees had stands dedicated to snack based products, emphasising natural, dental benefits with Chew Toothbrushes.
Canagan Biscuit Bakes also featured on the Symply Pet Foods stand. Considering the continuous product innovation from the Symply team it’s no surprise the company recently celebrated winning the Queens Award for Enterprise 2017.
Other valued customers Pooch and Mutt and Applaws exhibited their new miniature sized treats and snack based products, proving that the growth in this sector will continue into 2017 and beyond.
Grain Free
Emphasis on “fresh”, “gourmet” and “grain free” are still ever popular amongst the biggest pet food brands and have become crucial elements of product marketing.
According to Pet Food Industry grain-free pet food now accounts for nearly 30% of pet food sales in the US and it seems Europe is following suit.
Zoomark 2017 has cemented the feeling that it’s an exciting and interesting time in the pet care industry. Our team have returned to the UK full of inspiration. We met some fantastic people, existing customers and new prospects impressed with the diversity of our pet food packaging on display.
