Astra, the black shorthair cat, is one of millions of pets acquired during the epidemic COVID-19 pandemic Last year, I had to give up the salmon-flavored Wisca that was sold out in stores in New Orleans this month.
Loki is an Alaskan malamute from Ontario, Canada. His food bowl does not contain his usual royal dog grind food.
Pet owners in North America are trying to track certain foods from major retailers, such as Amazon, Target Corp and PetSmart, because the industry is struggling to cope with increasing demand and supply chain pressures.
cost pet food According to data from the Pet Food Institute, a US industry organization, raw material prices have risen by 8% to 20% since the pandemic began, surpassing the 5.4% increase in consumer prices in the 12 months to June.
As the US economy recovers, the price of basic foods such as corn, soybeans, and meat, coupled with rising transportation and labor costs, is affecting all food supplies-including animal and human food supplies.
“The pet supply chain is no different from the food supply chain,” said Coye Nokes, partner at OC&C Strategy Consultants. “Obviously, COVID really emphasizes this point-whether it’s ingredients, raw materials, processing or downtime in different facilities.”
The prices of corn and soybeans in the United States, a key ingredient in many pet foods, reached their highest point in eight years this spring, putting pressure on manufacturers using these crops.
According to the Pet Food Institute, pet food manufacturers are also facing increasing competition for animal and vegetable oils as more animal and vegetable oils enter the renewable fuel supply.
The institute warned U.S. agricultural officials in a June letter: “The unprecedented increase in the price of ingredients and equipment jeopardizes the ability of U.S. pet food manufacturers to plan and execute strategies to ensure that U.S. dog food and cat food are filled. .”
Supply restrictions have surprised pet owners. Since the pandemic began, there have been more and more pet owners. According to the American Pet Products Association, approximately 12.6 million American households stated that they purchased a new pet between March and December 2020.
In New Orleans, 39-year-old Aura Bishop searched the local store for several weeks to find her cat Astra’s favorite snack, made by Mars Petcare. The company, the world’s largest producer of pet food, declined to comment.
The shortage has caused inconvenience to writers and actresses, and she said Astra helped her cope with anxiety and depression during the pandemic.
“I hope she is not so picky and eat more food with other flavors,” Bishop said. “It really feels a bit silly to keep looking for kibble and snacks with specific flavors.”
The limited supply provided additional work for animal charities such as the South Bank Pet Food Store near Boston.
Co-founder Kristen Clancy (Kristen Clancy) said that she checks the online wish list of pet food on sites such as Amazon and Target about every two weeks, instead of every two to three months before, because the products are more Sold out frequently. She manually updates the list to provide replacement items for donors to purchase.
During the American Independence Day holiday weekend, Clancy said she updated all the items on her target list because they were not available.
“This can be time-consuming because we are looking for alternatives that are good for animals, but also cost-effective for donors,” she said.
Target declined to comment.
Amazon said that due to increased demand, pet food manufacturers are prioritizing best-selling products over niche products. According to the company, as more and more people treat animals as family members, pet snacks and food brands that focus on health and wellness are popular.
Retailers are working with suppliers to keep up with customer needs and changes in shopping patterns, so as not to lose business.
According to data from NielsenIQ, from July 2020 to July 2021, US consumers spent nearly US$26 billion (C$32 billion) on pet food, a year-on-year increase of 4.7% and an increase of 7.8% from two years ago.
The company said that supply shortages reduced online retailer Chewy’s net sales by US$40 million (C$49 million) in the quarter ended May 2, but it still increased by 31.7% from the same period last year to US$2.1 billion. (2.6 billion Canadian dollars).
In the fiscal year ended May 30, the operating profit of General Mills’ pet division increased by 6% to 415 million U.S. dollars (516 million Canadian dollars) because the increase in net sales outweighed the increase in input costs. The company that sells Blue Buffalo pet food recently acquired Tyson Foods’ pet food business for US$1.2 billion (1.5 billion Canadian dollars).
Bethany Quam, President of General Mills’ pet department, said of the changes in people’s shopping places: “Everything is fine, because there are more pets and more high-end, but you see that people are changing faster than we’ve ever been. quick.”
In Ontario, 20-year-old Mariella Garcia said she found no one in June when she searched for Royal Canin dog food made by Mars on Amazon and PetSmart. At that time, due to COVID-19 restrictions, she could not enter the pet retail store to buy the dog Loki named after the Marvel comics.
“I was just shocked,” Garcia said. “It is usually always in stock.”
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