9/15/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergDog treats have come a long way over the past few decades just in sheer number and variety. During the same period, treats moved from being an occasional indulgence or training aid to a daily functional delivery system. This change has come as people’s attitudes toward pets shifted towards more humanization. Pets are more often valued family members and COVID coworkers than working animals or guardians. All this preamble is to say -- the dog treat segment of the petfood market is dynamic and enjoying brisk sales...READ MORE
8/5/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergAs I’ve noted before in this space, the pet food segment continues to be robust despite the pandemic and the economic stresses it introduced. Part of the reason is the increase in sales of premium pet foods. Market analysts attribute the uptick in sales to more availability through broader distribution of these premium products, and they also say certain favorable demographic trends in the U.S. population are keeping demand strong. In fact, shifting age distributions are expected to keep the premium pet food market growing significantly through 2025...READ MORE
7/21/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergA recent analysis of the pet industry suggested it was recession proof. The reasoning given was that overall sales remained robust despite the economic recession caused by the pandemic last year. Take for instance dog food sales in the U.S last year. Retail sales of dog food had their strongest growth (6.8%) in more than two decades, according to Sundale Research. Last year total retail sales rose to $19.3 billion, following a solid 4.2% increase in 2019. Sundale attributed the category growth to the COVID-19 pandemic, which boosted dog adoptions and had more people spending time at home forging bonds with their four-footed friends...READ MORE
6/16/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergIt’s not often that I get to write about breaking news in this blog, so I’m delighted to be able to share with you that Tree Top is adding dried pumpkin flake powder to its fruit ingredient lineup. You heard it here first. As I write this, our growers are planting this year’s pumpkin crop in the fertile soil of Washington just a few hours from Tree Top headquarters in Selah. When the crop is harvested this fall, it will be pureed and drum dried in our nearby processing facility in Woodburn, Oregon. So, it will be grown, harvested, and processed in a fairly compact geographic footprint... READ MORE
4/12/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergThe pet food topper and mix-in segment are gaining momentum fueled by new product activity and consumer interest. Toppers and mix-ins give pet parents the ability to add that something extra to their everyday kibble. While I honestly don’t think most dogs and cats look at their food and think, “oh no, not kibble again.” I do believe pet parents are concerned about feeding their pets the same thing day in and day out, and this is part of the reason why the topper/mix-in market is starting to gain traction...READ MORE