ROCKVILLE, MD -- (Marketwire) -- 11/05/12 -- Big changes are underway in the market for pet goods, according to "Natural, Organic, and Eco-Friendly Pet Products in the U.S.," a just-released study from market research firm Packaged Facts.

Among recent developments, Hill's is reformulating Science Diet as a natural product line, Nestlé Purina is coming on strong with Purina One Beyond, and Walmart has launched Pure Balance as its first natural store brand.

"With pet specialty and mass-market brands increasingly looking alike, product differentiation is key," says David Sprinkle, the Research Director for Packaged Facts. In the natural pet food aisles, the hottest product trends include grain-free and human grade, taking superpremium natural pet food to new heights (and price points). On the pet care side, eco-friendly products abound, with various companies increasing their commitment to sustainable packaging and production processes.

U.S. retail sales of natural pet products totaled $4.1 billion in 2012, Packaged Facts estimates, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 17% over the 2008-2012 period. Despite the economic downturn, annual sales growth has consistently been in the double digits.

Helping underpin this steady advance in sales is consumer demand for products perceived to be safer, a pet owner priority spurred by the spring 2007 pet food recalls, which continue to define the way marketers formulate and position pet products.

As indicated by Packaged Facts' August 2012 Pet Owner Survey, 38% of pet owners believe that natural/organic brand pet products are often better than standard national brand products, and 63% are very concerned about the safety of the pet products they buy.

For more information on "Natural, Organic, and Eco-Friendly Pet Products in the U.S.," please visit MarketResearch.com or http://www.packagedfacts.com/Natural-Organic-Eco-6820295/

About Packaged Facts - Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer demographics and shopper insights, consumer financial products and services, consumer goods and retailing, consumer packaged goods (including foods and beverages, health and beauty care, and household products), and pet products and services. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. To learn more, visit: www.packagedfacts.com. Follow us on Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and http://packagedfacts.blogspot.com/.

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