What Consumers Really Think About Pet Care Packaging

With the pet care industry witnessing exponential growth, this is the time that companies should strive to have their packaging match the customer’s high expectations. Read on to find out exactly what kinds of pet care packaging delight and frustrate pet owners in today’s consumer market.

Just a few years ago, the global pet care industry was estimated to be worth over $190 billion, with pet food constituting around $81 billion in sales. It is estimated that the industry should experience further growth of about 5.2% every year until 2025 according to Global Market Research.

With pet care products experiencing a big boom in demand, it’s crucial that manufacturers understand pet owners’ expectations – both the positive and negative. This way, they can identify opportunities for improvements and keep their customers coming back for more.

To get a better comprehension of the specific main concerns in a customer’s shopping experience, Amcor assessed over 3 million online comments and reviews about 3,249 pet care products across Poland, Germany, Italy, France, U.K, and the U.S to spot their main likes and dislikes in regards to packaging.

Read on to learn more about the concerns and trends pet owners consider most critical when it comes to pet care packaging.

1. Reducing odour and maintaining freshness with resealable pet food packaging

For customers, one of the most crucial things they care about is resealability, where the packaging can be easily opened and closed when needed. Many pet owners are left frustrated with pet products packaging that cannot be properly resealed after opening repeatedly. Resealability affects the shelf-life and freshness of the product, not to mention the odour that can fill an entire room if the products are not closed properly.

2. Mess-free pet product packaging

Having packaging that is difficult to use and causes messes easily and as a consequence leads to wastage of food continues to be one of the main frustrations for customers.

Our state-of-the-art stand up pouches include an easy peel feature that ensures the package opens conveniently and is mess-free when using, offering a better experiencing for pet owners.

3. Better packaging for my pet and the planet

Our research indicated customers’ need for more recyclable and sustainable pet care packaging. This has resulted in many retailers and manufacturers actively looking for ways to reduce packaging waste across the pet products market.

AmLite HeatFlex is our premier range of high barrier metal-free packaging for retort use like storing wet pet food. Its sturdy coating forms a lightweight material that is not only 6% lighter weight with 6% lower carbon compared to stand pouches but also protects the product during its entire shelf-life.

4. BPA-free packaging for animals too

Because pets are considered more and more like family members, many pet owners are conscious of the well-being of their precious pets and this extends to the question of the chemical bisphenol A or BPA they are exposed to due to the type of packaging used.

On top of using stand-up pouches to store wet pet food, aluminium packaging solutions that are BPA-free include the easy-peek lid AluFix Retort Classic for metal cans, Canny, and the wrinkle-free premium bowl. All these are BPA-free and appropriate for pet foods, offering peace of mind for customers while maintaining a long shelf-life for pet products.

5. Claw and teeth-proof packaging

Pets love treats, and according to our extensive research, packaging break-ins and treat theft from hungry pets occur very often. Therefore, scratch-proof and robust packaging to withstand the efforts of even the most excited and famished pets will put pet owners’ mind at ease.

Beyond excited pets, pet care products also need maintain their integrity and quality during long transit journeys and arrives undamaged and intact to customers. Online shopping for pet food is gaining immense popularity in Europe based on research by Euromonitor, and this growth is expected to continue in coming years.