It is no secret that the pet industry is booming and will continue to rise. Pets today are considered more and more as family members and pet owners want to purchase only the best for their beloved animal companions.
Locally, the U.S. has the largest pet care market and growth continues about 4 percent per year. The average US household spends about $355 annually on pet care. This is a huge amount compared to the global household average which is only a mere $50/year.
Pet food packaging is no longer regarded as an afterthought, as trendy, user-friendly packaging is quickly taking over the pet food market. Increasing consumer demands are motivating the specialty pet food market to expand and diversify its packaging options. Traditionally, animal food and associated products have been packaged in large boxes, flimsy bags, or rigid canisters. Innovations in flexible packaging solutions such as re-closeable bags and pouches, have propelled the pet food packaging market substantially.
Flexible pet food packaging, like stand pouches for pet treats, is still a relatively new concept in the United States. New developments overseas have pushed flexible packaging to the forefront, making it the preferred choice for highly influential modern brands across the globe. Companies that utilize intriguing, fashionable packaging that is sleek and highly functional are drawing in new customers and reshaping the marketplace in exciting ways.
More and more pet businesses are using unique packaging styles for their food and treats because they stand out from the competition and draw in consumers. New pouch styles can be custom tailored to fit nearly any size product while keeping air out, prolonging the shelf life and freshness of the food inside. Utilizing these inventive types of all-in-one packaging cuts down on waste while providing a strong but pliable barrier that maintains the quality and integrity of the pet food. Stand-up pouches help the consumer fill their kitchen pantries with product that can be stacked neatly in a row for easy access and reuse at a moment’s notice.
As pet food store shelves become more and more crowded, having stand-out and convenient packaging is more of a necessity than an option. New advancements in pet food packaging coupled with high-end, attention-grabbing graphics, are making purchasing pet food fun in a growing market.
Hudson Sharp's pouch machines feature a modular design for versatile machine configurations that are capable of producing a wide variety of pouch styles in both large format side gusset and stand up pouches with recloseable options including inline zipper, slider, hook style, magnetic, adhesive and proprietary Inno-Lok®, Pour & Lok™, and Zip360.