Staying competitive in the pet food industry means more than just keeping up — it means staying ahead. At C&D Foods and its affiliates, we partner with customers at every stage of product development, from concept through to creation, backed by over 50 years of experience and a deep understanding of pet food trends across multiple markets.
We don’t just manufacture high-quality pet food in a variety of recipes and formats — we support our customers throughout the entire development journey. From strategy and concept through to recipe development, ingredient selection, format and packaging, our role is not simply to supply, but to support and advise.
Understanding What Pet Owners Want – Across Markets
Some core elements of pet food development are universal. Pet owners everywhere want to show love and care for their cats and dogs with meals that are both tasty and nutritious. At the same time, several cross-border trends continue to shape the category — such as the humanisation and premiumisation of pet foods, and the growing demand for functional products tailored to support specific health conditions.
As an international business, we also understand that preferences and priorities differ from country to country. That’s why one of the most valuable things we offer to our customers — whether retailers or brands — is insight into how different markets are evolving. These insights can inform product development and unlock new opportunities by highlighting emerging consumer needs and unmet demands.
Real-World Store Insight that Fuels Strategy
While we have access to a wide range of market data and consumer research, our teams go well beyond what’s in the reports. We regularly visit stores across multiple markets to experience the in-market landscape first-hand.
These visits include supermarkets, specialist pet retailers and independent boutique stores, giving us a 360-degree view of the category. We track everything from product formats and pack sizes to merchandising approaches and flavour innovation — always with an eye on what could resonate with local consumers or spark a new idea for a product or range.
Seeing what’s new and different on shelf, understanding how retailers optimise shelf space, and observing cross-category influences in-store allows us to bring rich, real-time context to our customer conversations. It’s this kind of qualitative insight that helps turn data into actionable strategy.
Turning Insight into Innovation
In-market visits across multiple countries happen throughout the year and are a key part of our collaborative approach. They complement our data-led market analysis to provide well-rounded, up-to-date guidance that feeds directly into new product development, range extensions, and concept creation.
As pet food consumers become more discerning and the category continues to evolve, innovation is critical – whether it’s through health-led functionality, more sustainable packaging, lifestyle-based formats, or just bold new flavour ideas. At C&D Foods and its affiliates, we work alongside our customers to combine market intelligence with creative thinking, always aiming to deliver the very best in pet nutrition and product appeal.
