Comments on: New Study to Examine Shopping Habits of Pet Owners

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:15:25 +0000

If the surveys are done via tradional outlets like pet stores and vet offices (where big advertising budgets & fancy packaging can be found, along with brain-wahed knowledge about pet nutrition), they will miss a huge growing market that is now feeding their pets real or human-grade foods. I subscribe to a number of pet business magazines and they seem to be somewhat oblivious to what is happening in the market place and the change in pet owner attitude and knowledge about nutrition, over-vaccinations, etc. Their editorials and pet articles are designed not to offend the big pet food companies as in “don’t bite the hand that feeds you”. Let’s put “New & Improved” on the pet food packing to continue to fool pet owners.

It is great to see magazines/on-line articles such as “Animal Wellness” and the “Whole Dog Journal” speaking up and helping pet owners learn more about proper pet nutrition and pet health. This is where the real market growth is taking place.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:50:55 +0000

as in: (see prev thread)
“The company is already selling 265 of the 305 products that were recalled, and they anticipate to stock all of the recalled products by the second quarter of 2008.

The CEO said the pet food recalls will lead to a sales shortfall by the end of this year of â€œsome tens of millions of dollarsâ€ for PetSmart.”

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:24:06 +0000

or, maybe the megavendors are looking for another sales avenue, since their image has been so severly tarnished. voila, methinks.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:20:45 +0000

On #5:How often do pet owners actually consult veterinarians about product choices, and where else do they look for information? Who/what has credibility and who doesnâ€™t?

Highly dependent upon who is surveyed. Why don’t they ask people who have bothered to study animal health/healing because they DON”T feel trad. vet practices has credibility? What products do they use and where do they get the information and the products?

The emphasis on veterinary sales and sales from megavendors is meaningless except to an online seller competing with them. This doesn’t mean an online vendor has better information or better products or that the consumer would be better educated when making a selection.

A growing percentage of pet owners are now aware of the, shall we say, “disadvantages” of trad. veterinary protocols and the practice of making “pethealth” purchases from petindustry-preferred vendors such as wmar and vets offices.

what do others think?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:11:20 +0000

I’m ok with the petmed express option, providing petowners are well informed (not always so but more likely now), but does this provide alternatives to vet-only products? Also, some “vet-only” products are completely harmless and should be available without grovelling before the bar, particularly since no one would want them unless there was a known need. Having been in this situation, I can say this.

By: 8tiggers

8tiggers — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:24:38 +0000

I hope I’m one of them, too. Unfortunately, with such a small sample, the odds are that those 1000 surveyed will be “average Joes” — and I *still* run into people with pets that weren’t even aware of the initial pet food recall or who thought that there was only one recall. I’m afraid their responses will simply reinforce the PFI’s lackadaisical attitude toward pet safety.

By: nora

nora — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:28:16 +0000

My thoughts exactly. WHO is doing this and how do they think they will get into my pocketbook again? NOT!!!!

By: catmom5

catmom5 — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:47:54 +0000

Dontcha just wonder who’s behind this? Sounds like the pet food and related industries are trying to figure out how to get more of our money. I hope I’m one of the pet owners they decide to survey, although it doesn’t seem to be a very large sample.