Sustainability, nutrition, convenience among top trends for pet industry consumers

LAS VEGAS — Today’s pet parents are focused on buying products that are sustainable, nutritious and convenient, according to NielsenIQ’s (NIQ) “Pet Retail 2025: Navigating Industry Emerging Trends on the Show Floor” presentation during SUPERZOO 2025. 

“The focus is how brands can stay relevant,” said Andrea Binder, vice president of Retail Account Development for NIQ, in an exclusive interview with Pet Food Processing. “So, we organized the insights into three trends pet parents are trying to put their dollars behind: products that are good for the planet, that they believe are better for pets and that ease being a pet parent.”

NIQ identified 10 growing trends within the pet food industry, including:

• Sustainable packaging
• Zero waste and upcycled ingredients
• Sustainable fishing
• Dye-free
• Fresh
• Human-grade
• Alternative proteins
• DIY pet food
• Electronic enhancement
• Health monitoring

On the sustainability side, packaging, ingredients and sourcing are taking the spotlight in consumer priorities. Products using upcycled ingredients have grown more than 30% and alternative proteins such as salmon, liver and exotic proteins are seeing year-over-year sales growth. In regard to sourcing, sustainably fished dog and cat food products have seen 9.2% year-over-year sales growth, and those with a certified sustainable seafood badge, such as that from the Marine Stewardship Council, are especially seeing success.

NIQ explained how pet nutrition companies are benefiting from highlighting sustainability aspects or certifications on their packaging; however, many companies are not displaying these features effectively or at all, resulting in lower purchasing numbers of these products in comparison to labeled ones.

Pet care products featuring sustainable packaging continue to see success, and companies are taking notice, with these products growing 18.6%, compared to 2024. But, again, many companies are not claiming this feature or use unclear wording on packages. The research company identified 162 total sustainable packaging claims in dry dog food alone, with many unclear claims such as “Please dispose of thoughtfully” or “Good For Earth,” leaving consumers unaware of the recyclability of the products’ packaging. 

“Claims like that are very confusing to the consumer and probably causes more frustration than it informs the consumer of its sustainability,” Binder said.

This labeling can also be seen within the dye-free trend, as many products that are dye-free do not explicitly display this on the packaging to attract the consumers’ attention. According to NIQ, 47% of pet food products do not contain color additives, but only 18% are claiming to be artificial color- or dye-free on their packaging.

“Just as consumers are in their own food, we are seeing them leaning towards pet food products with these certifications,” Binder added.

This consumer interest in dye-free stems from a clear growing trend toward natural pet food products that supports pets’ overall health and wellbeing, which is seeing a boom in demand for fresh and human-grade products. 

While it’s still a small category, fresh pet food has seen significant growth of 18.2%, which is more than any other format, according to NIQ. On a similar note, while products that are claimed to be human-grades only make up 1% of total pet food products, they are growing in sales at nearly 20% year-over-year. 

The fresh pet food category does have some competition though, as more pet parents are opting for DIY fresh food at home, with 23% of dog owners feeding their pups homemade food with human ingredients, according to NIQ. This rise can even be seen on social media, with “petfluencers” sharing numerous DIY pet food and treat recipes. 

It’s crucial that pet food processors keep an idea not just on the consumer product purchasing trends, but also where and how these purchases are made. Online shopping for pet products continues to grow, amounting to 44% of total pet care purchases, a 12.1% increase year-over-year, according to NIQ. As more categories continue to see declines in-store, growth in online shopping persists.

This isn’t to say that in-store shopping is dying, but instead being slowly overtaken by omnichannel shopping, where consumers are making their purchases both online and in-store. According to NIQ, true omni-shopping pet parents now make up 82% of all dollars in pet care. 

As the pet industry continues to evolve, pet food and treat manufacturers can work with these trends to enhance their current products, as well as take them into account when developing new innovations to support their sales and growth.

Keep up with the latest pet food trends on our Trends page.