“Smart” pet products such as self-cleaning litterboxes, automated feeders and Bluetooth-enabled collars make up a $400 million a year U.S. market, according to Packaged Facts.
The Rockville, Maryland, market research firm reported in a new report that smart pet products are expected to “play a far greater and more multifaceted role in 2018 and beyond.” The $400 million figure represented 2017 sales.
The popularity of automated products is driven by pet owners’ desire to save time and make life easier, Packaged Facts surveys discovered.
“Americans love their pets, and they love their devices,” research director David Sprinkle said. “Pet tech products satisfy both affections by creating a closer bond between pet and owner, and by using technology to make pet care easier.
“Make no mistake, pet tech is big business, and products that can connect pet owners with their pets, whether via Bluetooth, over Wi-Fi or using a home network, are in high demand.”
Smart products do more than make life easier and save time, Packaged Facts noted. Some devices, such as smart collars, can be lifesavers.
“Packaged Facts expects products that monitor a pet’s activities, vital signs, body functions, location and so on to become a norm among engaged pet owners, enabling them to detect health problems — and spurring them to take action — earlier on,” the firm stated.
More information about the report, “Durable Dog and Cat Petcare Products, 2nd Edition,” is available at http://bit.ly/2EnEQth.