(Knowledge and Consumption, November 7, 2023) Nestlé Purina brought a number of innovative global product lines introduced across borders to the 6th China International Import Expo. The exhibits include Guanneng LiveClear Cat Food Series, Merrick Marley's ultra-high-end natural food series, and Guanneng probiotic supplements, and other high-quality products recognized by pet owners around the world, bringing innovative guidance to the continuous upgrading of a better life for Chinese people.

With the escalation of the human-pet relationship, pet consumption has gradually evolved into spiritual consumption and household consumption. The unit price and growth rate of online pet owners have increased rapidly. The potential of the Chinese pet consumer market is being unleashed at an accelerated pace, entering a new milestone of high purchasing levels, rapid growth, and high potential value. According to iResearch data, China's pet consumer market is expected to reach 392.4 billion yuan in 2023, an increase of more than 31% over the previous year.

Changes in pet consumption demand: rationalization, health, and greening

In 37 years of entering the mainland China market, Nestlé Purina has witnessed the rapid growth and vigorous development of the Chinese pet market. While continuing to bring innovative products from around the world to Chinese consumers, Nestlé Purina has accumulated a deep understanding and forward-looking insight into Chinese pet consumers. The trend of rationalization, health, and greening of pet consumption is driving the quality upgrade of China's pet industry, especially the pet food industry.

After the epidemic, there has been a marked rationalization trend in the Chinese pet consumer market. In addition to being cost-effective, products based on scientific evidence and supported by theory and data are more likely to be favored by consumers. At the same time, consumers pay more attention to nutrition and health than before. According to the “China Pet Industry White Paper - 2022 China Pet Consumption Report” data, nutritional ratio (63%) and ingredient composition (55%) have become the top two purchasing decision factors that pet owners are most concerned about in the staple food market. Functional pet food has won the favor of more pet owners, leading a change in the concept of pet feeding. Furthermore, more and more pet owners agree with the green consumption model and expect to share the Earth's green future with their pets.

Global layout, local services: effectively responding to and matching new consumer needs

“Based on evidence-based science” is Nestlé Purina's constant product development philosophy. Through continuous exploration in the field of pet nutrition science, making pets have a higher quality of life is Nestle Purina's relentless insistence. The various series of exhibits presented at the Expo not only fit Nestlé Purina's insight and judgment on pet consumption trends in China, but also stem from its cutting-edge global pet nutrition research, which has been recognized by pet owners around the world as a best-selling formula.

Among them, Merrick Marley, the representative brand of the Nestlé Purina Ultra High-end Natural Food Track, which debuted at the Expo last year, brought a richer product line to the scene this time. For more than 30 years, Merrick Marley has always adhered to the five-star commitment and is committed to finding high-quality ingredients and making more nutritious and tasty pet food. It has been recommended by WDJ, an authoritative magazine in the US pet industry for many years, and is the exclusive dog food partner of K9S in the US.

The world's leading black technology that made an amazing entry to the Expo last year - the LiveClear Cat Food series is still one of the highlights of Nestlé Purina's participation in this exhibition. As a breakthrough nutritional research result of Nestlé Purina, the LiveClear cat food series has won international product awards several times and has helped tens of thousands of cat lovers effectively relieve the symptoms of allergies to cats.

It is worth mentioning that Nestlé Purina also brought a series of probiotic supplements recommended by vets across the United States that reflect Guanneng's cutting-edge nutritional science and protect the intestinal health of dogs and cats - Guanneng probiotics series products. Based on Purina's dedicated research results over many years, Guanneng probiotics series products contain the patented Enterococcus faecalis SF68. Using proprietary microencapsulation technology, it can promote intestinal health in dogs and cats, improve stool quality, and enhance immune system function.

Facing the Chinese market, Nestlé Purina continues to promote the “global layout, local service” strategy. In terms of product innovation, we continue to introduce products from abroad that have advanced scientific ideas and meet the needs of Chinese consumers into the country, leading the development of the high-quality pet food market. In terms of R&D and production layout, the new high-end pet wet food canned production line laid out by Nestlé at the Tianjin factory was officially put into operation this year. Since 2020, Nestlé has continuously increased capital in Tianjin, totaling more than 1 billion yuan. The Tianjin plant has achieved a comprehensive layout of mainstream pet food, including dry staple food, wet staple food, snacks, and prescription food. Nestlé Purina is continuously improving its product and service system for the Chinese market. Based on the concept of “scientific nutrition, lifelong immunity”, Nestlé Purina is presenting more complete nutrition solutions throughout the life cycle to Chinese pet owners.

Strategy in China drives market growth and accelerates to become a leading local brand

According to Euromonitor International statistics, Nestlé Purina has a global market share of more than 20%. As a world-renowned brand with a history of nearly 130 years of industry development, Nestlé Purina continues to deeply lay out the Chinese pet market, explore the long-term potential of the market with a variety of strategic combinations, and is committed to building an innovative model for a better life for Chinese pet owners.

The latest financial report of the Nestlé Group visually shows the growth trend in pet food performance and provides feedback on the progress of Nestlé Purina's strategy in China. In the first nine months of 2023, Nestlé's pet care business in Greater China achieved double-digit growth, and the pet food market share increased. Business data is improving, and market feedback is also impressive. Nestlé Purina's newly launched precious nutritional staple food cans, the newly upgraded Guanneng series products, and the ultra-high-end natural food Merrick Marley have all been widely recognized by the market and well received by consumers.

At the Expo site, Chen Xiaodong, head of Nestlé Purina's pet food business in the Greater China region, said, “Nestlé Purina is honored to participate in the Expo for six consecutive years. The annual CIIE is an important event for the world to listen to China's voices and share China's opportunities. Over the past six years, the Expo has also seen the continuous deepening of Nestlé Purina's presence in China, enabling us to bring more of the world's leading cutting-edge ideas and products to Chinese consumers. The direction of Nestlé Purina is very clear and firm. It continues to be the core growth fulcrum of Nestlé Greater China, and maintaining high growth is the primary target. At the same time, Purina will continue to strengthen its local layout, grow with the Chinese pet industry, and generate deeper exchanges and connections with Chinese consumers.”