Exploration of the New Zealand pet food market

New Zealand has a large and growing pet population, but little previous research has examined owners and their pet food purchasing behaviour. This study used a structured questionnaire and intercept interviews to collect data from cat and dog owners. Owners are influenced by their pets liking for a food and by its nutritional value, they primarily purchase pet food at supermarkets, and they are brand loyal. Children were found to have little involvement with feeding pets; this suggests that socialisation skills may not be gained from pet ownership in families. Evidence of pet humanisation was found, but this had no significant influence on pet food purchasing behaviour. This study has identified the importance of various pet food attributes and the high degree of brand loyalty among pet owners; there are also practical implications from the results of this study for pet food manufacturers or marketers.