Abstract
Simple SummaryThe objectives of this study were to compare the acceptance of different dry dog food products by consumers, determine consumer clusters for acceptance, and identify the characteristics of dog food that drive consumer acceptance. Pet owners evaluated dry dog food samples available in the US market. The results indicated that appearance of the sample, especially the color, influenced pet owner’s overall liking more than the aroma of the product.The objectives of this study were to compare the acceptance of different dry dog food products by consumers, determine consumer clusters for acceptance, and identify the characteristics of dog food that drive consumer acceptance. Eight dry dog food samples available in the US market were evaluated by pet owners. In this study, consumers evaluated overall liking, aroma, and appearance liking of the products. Consumers were also asked to predict their purchase intent, their dog’s liking, and cost of the samples. The results indicated that appearance of the sample, especially the color, influenced pet owner’s overall liking more than the aroma of the product. Overall liking clusters were not related to income, age, gender, or education, indicating that general consumer demographics do not appear to play a main role in individual consumer acceptance of dog food products.
Highlights
Pet food buyers, despite economic recession challenges and subsequent money-saving trends, seem to be more than willing to spend money on pet food
In the pet food market, this means natural ingredients and a focus on health issues. Factors such as brand and package contribute to the formation of expectation, the selection process, and the purchase intention of a product by consumers [3]. For those products that can be experienced only after purchase and in categories where multiple products are available for the consumer, such as the pet food category, brand represents a signal of quality and can help in the selection process [4]
Overall liking was significantly correlated with appearance, color, and aroma liking of the products
Summary
Despite economic recession challenges and subsequent money-saving trends, seem to be more than willing to spend money on pet food. A recent survey [1] indicated nearly one-third of consumers “preferred to shop at pet product retailers that offer the best products available, even if they are more expensive”. Another survey on pet owners showed that 21% of US dog owners spend an average of US $100 or more per month on their dogs [2]. In the pet food market, this means natural ingredients and a focus on health issues Factors such as brand and package contribute to the formation of expectation, the selection process, and the purchase intention of a product by consumers [3]. For those products that can be experienced only after purchase and in categories where multiple products are available for the consumer, such as the pet food category, brand represents a signal of quality and can help in the selection process [4]
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