The Future of Supplements
Prevention continues to drive sales and growth in the supplements category, especially as the cost of veterinary care for acute health issues continues to climb. Manufacturers are also diversifying their product lines by targeting underserved pet parent segments—felines, in particular—as they continue to innovate ways to support pet households all around. This year has also kept companies on their toes from the sourcing perspective; those who’ve established supply lines domestically are sitting more comfortably, while those who rely on imported ingredients are mitigating ways to keep costs down for pet owners. Ultimately, however, suppliers remind pet owners that preventive health care will always be less costly than curative vet visits—both from a financial as well as an emotional standpoint.
“Terry Naturally has reached out to retailers with a statement to explain the increase of costs,” Stéphanie Lemerond, Division Manager, Terry Naturally Animal Health said. “We do everything we can to keep our products priced competitively but will never compromise on our quality. We take great pride in the fact that you trust our products for your customers, who–in turn–trust them to maintain good health for their family and loved ones. Because of our unwavering commitment to quality, we occasionally need to review our pricing and expenses to make sure we are delivering the best supplements available. We continue to work hand in hand with the NASC to provide the best supplements possible for the animals we care for.”
“With regards to supplements, because we are made in America and we have long-term relationships with our manufacturers and food scientists we are able to keep our costs down—fingers and toes crossed,” Earth Animal Co-Founder Susan Goldstein said. “We just have not had to do that [raise costs] with our supplements. Our mission product is supplements. And the mission is to empower families with the ability to prevent and treat through supplementation. We really tried hard to make it affordable.”
Similarly for Vets Plus, it’s important to provide value for pet owners and their partners alike. “I don’t look at value as just price,” Paul Hays, CEO of Vets Plus said. “It’s also what are the benefits you’re getting per dollar you spend. We are consistently focused on delivering high quality, meeting regulatory requirements and compliance with regulations. We’re also a one-stop shop and we deliver a huge number of different dose forms. Some of our competitors are only capable of offering two or three dose forms and we have a very significant range of dose forms that we’re able to make so that makes us a one-stop for our customers. So that’s a value. That’s what we can deliver from a benefits standpoint. But we obviously are looking at house controls on our side. We’re focused on efficiency—what can we do to be more efficient?”
On top of that, Vets Plus is able to continue its innovation. “The feline area has been underserved and with the cat ownership growing and people humanizing cats just as much as dogs and the demand for feline supplements has been growing,” Hays said. “But how do you give an effective dose to a cat? That’s always been a challenge. You can’t just put it into a hotdog or a piece of cheese like you could for a dog, so feline supplements in general there’s a big need for and again, with this mousse we’ve had a lot of success. It’s a lickable tasty treat we offer in single dose or we put in squeeze tubes you can top dress or feed your cat in your lap. That’s definitely an area where we’re seeing a lot of demand for growth in the feline supplement area.”
Across pet species, the biggest trends in the pet industry remain humanization and premiumization—fundamentally reshaping the way people care for their pets as consumers seek the same quality, care and functionality in pet products as they would for themselves, said Akash Bedi, CEO of H&H Group North America, which oversees the Solid Gold and Zesty Paws brands. “At Solid Gold and Zesty Paws, we’ve been embracing and capitalizing on these trends—tapping into new, innovative categories such as healthy aging, while leveraging the [H&H] Group’s adult nutrition and care brands to develop pet wellness solutions that mirror the standards of human health, grounded in science, backed by research and crafted with purposeful ingredients.”
For Earth Animal, the spotlight is currently on pets’ mental health. “One of the things that we are dedicated to is spreading the awareness about the importance of taking care of the emotions and the importance of healing the emotions,” said Susan Goldstein. “Since everything is interconnected, I share with people that [if you’re giving your pets] the best food, the best supplement, but if the animal is suffering from emotional imbalance, then all of the efforts of the nutrition and the supplements, they get challenged. Families are more inclined to acknowledge the importance of emotional wellness. Dr. Bob has reformulated Earth Animal Emotional Balance and we expect to launch that in the summer.”
The pet supplement category continues to show strong growth, driven by pet owners who are able to see beyond the short term price tags of today, ahead to the long term savings of the future.
