As people spend more time at home, a tighter bond is being formed between pets and owners, and the desire for more ‘humanised’ pet products within the petrol and convenience channel is growing.
One brand that has observed this trend is Doggylicious, producer of dog cookies and dog peanut butter, with its five variants of cookies – Probiotic, Rainbow, Calming, Protein, and Hip, Joint and Coat – currently stocked in 65 OTR convenience stores across South Australia.
Ben Whyatt, Founder of Doggylicious, agreed with the trend of humanisation and capitalised on this mindset by producing a range of Easter eggs designed for dogs over the Easter period.
“We were looking at what a human is after and how can we let them share that experience with their dog. So over Easter we produced an Easter egg pack, which was really responsive, because when your dog is happy, everyone seems happy.”
Whyatt also emphasised the importance of retailers ensuring consumers are aware that pet products are available in store, something he believes OTR have done a great job of.
“OTR have signs on the floor and a doggy station, they’ve made it really clear that dogs are welcome and that dogs are catered for in their store, so if your dog is in the car, you might just want to get it a little treat.”
The idea of getting your dog a treat is something Nestlé Purina has identified with their research that 70 per cent of Australians described their pet as a beloved member of the family.
“Owners are seeking more opportunities to bond with and spoil their pets. These shoppers are willing to spend more on premium and high-quality food and treats to enable this,” said Nestlé Purina.
This is evident with their best performing treat, Lucky Dog Bones Originals 800g, which is also the top performing SKU in the Dog Treat snack segment, highlighting owners’ desires to indulge their pet as if they were a family member.