Mars Petcare has launched a new range of must-stocks that it claims should form the core of a wholesale customer’s petcare range.
Dream Sixteen aims to capitalise on the increased footfall that many have seen during the Covid-19 pandemic and will also include prodcuts from Pedigree, Sheba and Cesar.
55% of pet owners have previously stated they fail to purchase in the convenience channel due to lack of choice and addressing this head on, Mars has developed this new core range which includes Whiskas Pouches, Pedigree Dentastix, Pedigree Pouches and Dreamies.
Read more: How to make the most of your petcare category
In September, it also launched its first annual category report – The Rising Power of Pets in Pandemic Britain – which highlighted the significant opportunity shoppers with pets represent to retailers. Spending, on average, 26% more on groceries than their non-pet owning counterparts, these consumers have also been shown to shop more categories, further underlining their potential value.
This, coupled with recent growth in the convenience sector, presents a clear sales opportunity for wholesalers who can offer a broader petcare selection in-store. Traditionally playing a small but crucial role in pet food, convenience retailers have seen sales grow by 3.1% nearly twice the rate of the total UK grocery market over the last 12-month period.
Alex Smith, convenience channel director at Mars Petcare UK, said: “After a challenging year for many, coupled with a marked increase in pet ownership as a result of more time being spent at home, we recognise that shopper habits and priorities have changed. Reacting to this, we’re adapting our range and recommendations accordingly, working with retailers in the channel to showcase our new ‘Dream Sixteen’ core range.In addition to rolling out the ‘Dream Sixteen’ we are also launching three PMPs across some of our bestselling SKUs.”
