Fresher Ingredients and Purpose-Driven Nutrition Top Demands in Premium Dog Foods – PetProductNews.com

For most pet product retailers, food is the staple category, and premium diets are often the main attraction. Premium dog foods remain steady sellers, according to retailers, with some reporting some growth in this arena.
“We only sell premium foods here,” said Ric Sommons, owner of Dolittle’s Pet Supply, which has four locations in the Charleston, S.C., area. “Sales are pretty steady, as always, if not growing a little bit.”
A significant influence on premium dog food sales is that “people are doing better for themselves and want to do better for their pets,” Sommons said.
Ruth Stedman Marriott, CEO and co-founder of A Pup Above, a manufacturer in Austin, Texas, agreed.
“Pet parents’ desire to feed their pups food that mirrors what they would feed themselves is driving a lot of the trends [in premium dog diets],” Stedman Marriott said. “As a result, what’s trending in human food eventually sees itself in dog food.”
One of these key trends is the rise in preference for fresh foods, Stedman Marriott said.
“Not every pet parent can do 100 percent fresh in their dog’s bowl, but we’re seeing more and more pet parents that understand the value of having some fresh is better than no fresh,” she explained. “As a result, building your dog’s bowl continues to become more popular as pet parents are layering on fresh food and supplements to their dog’s dry food to make the bowl healthier.”
Social media has been helpful in the shift toward fresher foods, Sommons noted.
“I’ve been selling kibble for 25 years, but what’s best is really over in the freezer,” he said. “But you can’t always convince the public. With the way social media has kind of taken the reins and run with presenting beautiful comparison bowls of dog food—fresh versus other—we are watching those social media trends and offering more fresh food.”
Raw remains a harder sell when dealing with customers who are interested in adding fresh premium foods to their dogs’ diets, according to Sommons.
“From the consumer’s perspective, raw is kind of icky, so instead of defining ‘fresh’ as raw, they consider it less processed,” he said.
At Whiskers Holistic Pet Care, which has two locations in New York, freeze-dried foods are the most popular, owner Randy Klein said.
“Since the [pet food] recalls of several years ago, premium dog food is definitely more important to people,” Klein said. “Frozen is hard to take with you, [and] cans can be smelly to some, but freeze-dried is fast, easy and portable.”
Coupled with the focus on fresher foods, consumers are paying close attention to the ingredients included in their pet’s food and want to know the specific nutritional benefits of those ingredients, said Greg Cyr, CEO of Mid America Pet Food, a manufacturer in Mount Pleasant, Texas.
“We’ve seen a substantial increase in consumer demand for purpose-driven nutrition over the past few years,” he said. “Pet parents are looking for purposeful ingredients that deliver a noticeable end benefit to their dog.”
Consumers are better educated now, which has added to their focus on the food’s contents as well as the companies producing the diets, said Jessica Krueger, marketing manager for Ziwi USA, a manufacturer in Overland Park, Kan.
“They understand that cats and dogs are carnivores, so they are looking for high-quality, meat-based recipes that are sourced from a company they trust and feel good about feeding their pets,” she explained. “They want to feed their pets the best, and this pushes us, as manufacturers, to provide diets featuring ingredients to fit their pet’s dietary needs that serve a purpose. This has opened a wide range of product availability to address what consumers are looking for, such as single-ingredient diets, grain-free options and novel proteins.”
Dog foods that meet consumer demands and market trends typically perform best for companies. In the premium diet category, that means fresher ingredients, less processing and purpose-driven nutrition, according to industry insiders.
Ziwi USA reported “tremendous growth” in its air-dried line, because dog owners better understand nutrition and how food affects health, said Jessica Krueger, marketing manager for the Overland, Kan.-based company.
“We are well known for our simple ‘PeakPrey’ recipes, which make the Ziwi Original range a great choice for cats and dogs,” Krueger said.
The company’s Originals air-dried line comes in six recipes that contain up to two protein sources each: Mackerel & Lamb, Venison, Lamb, Beef, Tripe & Lamb, and Free Range Chicken.
Ziwi also recently opened its state-of-the-art kitchen in Napier, New Zealand, and Krueger said the company continues to evaluate trends and “invest in crafting the best products available to meet consumer demand.”
“We’ve placed a priority on R&D [research and development] to provide innovations, so stay tuned for what’s to come,” she said.
Victor Classic Hi-Pro Plus is a “consistently popular” formula for Mid America Pet Food, followed by its Professional, Multi-Pro and Performance options, said Greg Cyr, CEO of the Mount Pleasant, Texas-based manufacturer.
“These formulas offer a variety of protein options, and most of them are all life-stage formulas, which allows pet families to keep their dog(s) on the same formula as they grow if it’s working well for them,” he said. “[They] contain no artificial colors or flavors and are made with our proprietary VPRO Blend of nutrients.”
Victor’s VPRO is a blend of selenium yeast, mineral complexes, prebiotics and probiotics, designed to “help maximize the genetic potential of every dog, regardless of breed, age, or activity level,” company officials said.
A Pup Above reported tremendous growth in its gently cooked, sous-vide line.
“Our top recipes are the beef and turkey in our gently cooked line,” said Ruth Stedman Marriott, CEO and co-founder of the Austin, Texas-based company. “Our chicken and pork follow closely behind. Most of our customers rotate between recipes, so they buy multiple recipes at a time.”
In March, A Pup Above released an updated version of the line to include freshly made bone broth in each recipe, Stedman Marriott said.
“The bone broth in our recipes is gently simmered for several hours, providing a nice flavor boost to the recipes, in addition to numerous health benefits of bone broth,” she said. “By adding bone broth to the A Pup Above recipes, it made it much easier for us and other pet parents to incorporate bone broth into their dog’s diet on a daily basis.”
Though today’s dog owner is typically more informed about nutrition and the impact food has on health, consumer education remains an important part of the specialty pet retailer’s role.
“When it comes to answering consumer questions on pet nutrition, local pet food retailers are the front line of pet nutrition education,” said Jessica Krueger, marketing manager for Ziwi USA, a manufacturer in Overland Park, Kan.
According to industry insiders, this education falls into two closely linked categories: the actual foods and the brands.
“The ingredients matter,” said Ruth Stedman Marriott, CEO and co-founder of A Pup Above, a manufacturer in Austin, Texas. “If you’re buying a premium food but that premium food is loaded in carbs, that doesn’t make it a much healthier food. Focus on premium foods that can deliver a high-meat, low-carb meal.”
Greg Cyr, CEO of Mid America Pet Food, a manufacturer in Mount Pleasant, Texas, agreed, noting that sourcing matters as well.
“Today’s pet parents want food with quality ingredients from a trusted brand that they can feel good about doing business with,” he said. “One of the most important things for pet parents to look into when selecting a premium dog food is the quality of ingredients and how they are sourced.”
To help customers evaluate the premium foods they are feeding their dogs, Cyr recommended that retailers talk about how these foods affect the animal.
“When you’re feeding premium food, like Victor, you’ll likely notice the impact these ingredients have on your pet and see things like improved stool quality, shiny coats, stronger paw pads and sustained energy—all great indicators that the food you’re feeding is delivering,” he explained.
Retailers said that taking time to communicate with customers is the best method for education.
Randy Klein, owner of Whiskers Holistic Pet Care, which has two locations in New York, said staff members ask a lot of questions to help educate shoppers about premium dog diets.
Connecting with customers is the first priority for Ric Sommons, owner of Dolittle’s Pet Supply, which has four locations in the Charleston, S.C., area. He also recommended not telling the dog owner that they are doing anything wrong with their feeding choices, but to “suggest where there may be improvements.”
Understanding the company behind the brand is another important part of today’s consumer education, insiders said.
“One of the biggest trends over the past few years that continues to be very important to consumers is supporting brands and products that are ethically and sustainably sourced,” Krueger said. “Consumers want to support a brand whose practices help support maintaining our planet’s natural resources.”
Manufacturers also play an important role in education by assisting their retail partners with training and educational resources.
Mid America Pet Food makes sure that the marketing for Victor products, both on the company’s website and on product packaging, conveys to consumers the payoff and functional benefits of its foods, Cyr said.
Ziwi works with industry partners to educate dog owners on what to look for in their pet’s food and how diet can bolster their dog’s health.
“Ziwi also has an online training module to help provide retailers with the training they need to better educate customers on the nutritional benefits,” Krueger said.
The company keeps its store locator updated, as well, and highlights services such as home delivery and curbside pickup.
“As we’ve seen retailers make a greater shift into the digital space, Ziwi has also provided e-commerce and social media kits to provide retailers with pre-developed content,” she added.
Pet food cost remains a consideration for dog owners, especially for those who have not yet committed to feeding a premium diet. Add to that the current economic challenges, from inflation to shortages, and rising prices have affected consumers across the board, industry insiders said.
“[Price] really depends on the category,” said Ruth Stedman Marriott, CEO and co-founder of A Pup Above, a manufacturer in Austin, Texas. “For fresh, gently cooked food, the price point generally ranges from $7 to $12 per pound.”
Ric Sommons, owner of Dolittle’s Pet Supply, which has four locations in the Charleston, S.C., area, said he is seeing premium kibble prices range from nearly $3 a pound now up to $125 a bag.
“We’re lucky in our community; people are a little less concerned with those numbers,” Sommons said. For many, however, “the choice to feed premium or not can come down to budget.”
To combat pricing concerns, insiders offered several strategies. First, avoid all-or-nothing thinking.
“Many people often feel that price is a variable in providing their pets with top-of-the-line products,” said Jessica Krueger, marketing manager for Ziwi USA, a manufacturer in Overland Park, Kan. “[But] there are accessible options for premium nutrition for every budget. With Ziwi’s versatility to be used as a treat, topper or complete and balanced meal, there are many options in which you can provide your pets with peak nutrition at different levels.”
Sommons recommended emphasizing how even small changes can go a long way toward improving pet health.
“Maximize that budget,” he said. “Go with kibble for the budget and use the amount they are saving on beneficial extras like premium treats, toppers and supplements. If I change X percent of the diet and increase health by X percent, the little improvement makes a big difference.”
Similarly, healthier pets require fewer vet visits, saving money year-over-year, insiders agreed.
“We also know that your pet’s health is an investment, and many owners are willing to pay premium prices knowing that their nutrition will positively affect their health in the long run, which, in turn, means less money spent on care rather than prevention,” Krueger said.
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