Introduction
Pet ownership in the United States has been steadily growing, with 68% of households having at least 1 pet in 2014 (1). Consumer spending on pets has also risen dramatically from $17 billion in 1994 to $58 billion in 2014 (1). A substantial component of this spending has been for pet food, with US consumers having spent an average of $194 per year in 2013 for pet food (2). Concurrently, the pet food industry has expanded to include new retail outlets for pet food, new marketing strategies, and new varieties of pet food. Also, the growing trend of humanization and anthropomorphism of pets has spurred strong marketing messages, ingredient claims, and confusing and often conflicting information on the Internet about the best food for pets (1-3). These factors have made it increasingly difficult for pet owners to make objective pet food purchase decisions. One survey of 900 dog owners found that nearly half responded that choosing the right food for their dog was the most difficult part of pet ownership. In this same survey 52% of dog owners [and 68% of Millennial (ages: 18 to 34) dog owners] responded that their dogs’ nutrition was more confusing than their own, with nearly 25% feeling overwhelmed with the choices available (3).
Several studies have revealed that food characteristics, food recommendation sources, and the relationship between pet and owner seems to be the major factors influencing food purchase decisions (3-10). Food characteristics such as price, ingredients, and quality have been identified by several studies as important considerations for pet food purchasers. Ingredients have been identified in multiple studies to be the most important factor for most pet owners when selecting a food for their pets (4,8). It appears that consumers prefer lower priced pet food, but value natural and organic ingredients (8). While most pet owners feed commercial pet food to their pets, many feed their pets other foods, such as home-prepared foods, table scraps, and raw meat-based diets. This may be in part due to an apparently growing perception that commercial pet foods may not be wholesome, nutritious, and safe, and that other sources of food may be more natural and more nutritious (6). Recommendations for pet food also appear to be important, with research consistently showing that veterinarians are the most common source of information for consumers regarding pet nutrition (6). However, the Internet and social media have become increasingly common sources of pet nutrition information (and misinformation) in recent years (11).
The relationship between a consumer and pet also appears to be an important factor in pet food purchase behavior. A growing trend of anthropomorphism of pets by their owners may also have an impact on pet food selection and purchase (5,12,13). Research has shown that pet owners with the highest anthropomorphism scores placed the most importance on health/nutrition, quality, freshness, and taste of pet food, and also valued taste and variety in their pets’ diets (4). With the humanization of pets, trends in human food and nutrition often spill over into the pet food industry. Some studies have examined whether similarities exist between consumer behavior for themselves and their pets (5,10). One study found that dog owners who are more serious about purchasing healthy food for themselves are more likely to be serious about purchasing healthy food for their dog as well (14). In addition, owners who are price sensitive and loyal to their own food and food brands are also more likely to be price sensitive and loyal to their pets’ food and food brands (5).
The expanding number of pet food options and growing interest among pet owners in feeding their pets the best diets possible have led consumers to struggle to make appropriate pet food purchase decisions (3). Consumers face a dizzying array of pet food choices and a growing wealth of misinformation regarding pet nutrition on the Internet. Understanding how consumers make pet food purchase decisions and what aspects of pet food are most important is essential information for veterinarians to help pet owners make more objective decisions about their pets’ food. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to identify determinants of pet food purchasing decisions.