A look inside: pet ownership

Allison Cullen, Jacqueline Jamison, Chelsea Parker and Jasmine Skelly

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

list of illustrations Table/Figure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page

Table 1 Pet Ownership in the U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Table 2 U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Table 3 Estimated Breakdown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Table 4 Sales within the U.S. Market in 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Table 5 Basic Annual Expenses for Dog and Cat Owners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Table 6 Questions & Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17Figure 1 Types of Pet Ownership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Table 7 Pet Quantity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Figure 2 Pet Quantity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Figure 3 Part of the Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Figure 4 Pet Acquire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Figure 5 Weekly Spending. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Figure 6 Pet Spending. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Figure 7 Category Spending. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Figure 8 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Figure 9 Love vs. Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

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list of illustrations ContinuedFigure 10 Vet Visits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Table 8 Shopping Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Figure 11 Shopping Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Figure 12 Shopping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Figure 13 Payment Method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Figure 14 Limiting Cost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Figure 15 Purchasing New Pets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Figure 16 Gender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Figure 17 Age Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Figure 18 Average Income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Figure 19 Other Types of Pets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Figure 20 Other Acquires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

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Executive Summary Pet owners in the United States contribute to putting billions of dollars into the economy each year and according to American Pet Products Association those dollars spent are only increasing. Pet ownership in the U.S. is a topic that has been researched time and time again because it is always changing. A Look Inside: Pet Ownership looks at a subset of a population that shops at Pet Valu in Jackson, New Jersey to conduct research on pet owners buying and spending habits and how and if the economy has had a positive or negative effect on their pet ownership. Self administered surveys were distributed during Pet Valu’s peak hours of 12pm-4pm on a Saturday, March 3rd, 2012. What can be concluded from A Look Inside: Pet Ownership is that pet owners do consider their pets to be a part of the family and will go to great lengths to care for them. In addition the state of the economy has not deeply impacted the way in which pet owners are purchasing and providing for their pets. Although the economy has not effected the way they are purchasing and providing for their pets they are not likely to go out and purchase a new pet at this time. These pet owners are not considering getting rid of their pets anytime soon and care deeply for them. The pet industry has not been effected at all by the current state of the economy and remains strong in hard economic times.

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table of contentsSection Title. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page

List of Illustrations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-9Research Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11Methodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Population. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-14Sample Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Development of Questionnaire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-18 Data Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19-39Limitations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-43Conclusions & Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45 Appendix A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Appendix B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48-50

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introductionThe purpose of A Look Inside: Pet Ownership is to gather marketing research on pet

ownership through the use of primary and secondary data.

The research was conducted to gain a better understanding

and take an inside look at people whom consider their pets

to be a member of the family, and are willing to do

whatever it takes to care for them. The main goal is to

figure out how the recession has and will affect pet owners and their ability to care for their

pets and how will the recession positively or negatively affect the future of pet owners.

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backgroundSecondary research gathered from a website titled “American Pet Products

Association” (APPA) was used to gain background knowledge on pet ownership. The

information that the website has on it contains 2011 Pet Products Trend Reports. The

website has the breakdown of pet ownership in the U.S. according to the 2011-2012 APPA

National Pet Owners Survey. It encloses different categories of spending and the dollars

spent in each category. In addition the APPA helps to show the growth of the pet industry

over the years. To make the information easier to comprehend the statistics were put into

charts. This research relates to the findings in A Look Inside: Pet Ownership because it

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contains targets the same demographics and reinforces A Look Inside: Pet Ownership’s

situation, problem and objective.

Table 1 Pet Ownership in the U.S. and Table 2 U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures.

Breakdown of Pet Ownership in the U.SBreakdown of Pet Ownership in the U.SBreakdown of Pet Ownership in the U.SBreakdown of Pet Ownership in the U.SNumber of U.S. Households that Own a Pet

(millions)Total Number of Pets Owned in the U.S. (millions)

Bird 5.7 Bird 16.2Cat 38.9 Cat 86.4Dog 46.3 Dog 78.2

Equine 2.4 Equine 7.9Freshwater Fish 11.9 Freshwater Fish 151.1Saltwater Fish 0.7 Saltwater Fish 8.61

Reptile 4.6 Reptile 13Small Animal 5 Small Animal 16

Total U.S. Pet Industry ExpendituresTotal U.S. Pet Industry ExpendituresTotal U.S. Pet Industry ExpendituresTotal U.S. Pet Industry ExpendituresTotal U.S. Pet Industry ExpendituresTotal U.S. Pet Industry ExpendituresYear Billion Year Billion Year Billion

1994 $17 2003 $32.40 2008 $43.201996 $21 2004 $34.40 2009 $45.501998 $23 2005 $36.30 2010 $48.352001 $28.50 2006 $38.50 2011 $50.962002 $29.50 2007 $41.20 2012 $52.87 (Estimate)

"Industry Statistics & Trends." Welcome to the American Pet Products Association (APPA). Web. 16 Mar. 2012. <http://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp>.

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Table 3 Estimated Breakdown, Tables 4 Sales within the U.S. Market in 2011 and Table 5 Basic Annual Expenses for Dog & Cat Owners

Estimated BreakdownEstimated BreakdownFood $20.46 BillionSupplies/OTC Medicine $12.5 BillionVet Care $13.59 BillionLive Animal Purchases $2.15 BillionPet Services:Pet Services:Grooming & Boarding $4.11 Billion

Actual Sales within the U.S. Market in 2011Actual Sales within the U.S. Market in 2011Breakdown:Breakdown:Food $19.85 BillionSupplied/OTC Medicine $11.77 BillionVet Care $13.41 BillionLive Animal Purchases $2.14 BillionPet Services:Pet Services:Grooming & Boarding $3.79 Billion

Basic Annual Expenses for Dog and Cat Owners in DollarsBasic Annual Expenses for Dog and Cat Owners in DollarsBasic Annual Expenses for Dog and Cat Owners in DollarsDog Cat

Surgical Vet Visits $407 $425Routine Vet $248 $219Food $254 $220Kennel Boarding $274 $166Vitamins $95 $43Travel Expenses $78 $48Groomer/Grooming Aids $73 $34Food Treats $70 $41Toys $43 $21

"Industry Statistics & Trends." Welcome to the American Pet Products Association (APPA). Web. 16 Mar. 2012. <http://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp>.

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research objectivesA Look Inside: Pet Ownership addresses three research objective the situation, the

problem and the objective. The situation that is addressed through the primary research is

that “People consider their pets to be part of

their family, and are willing to go to great

lengths to care for them.” The problem that is

trying to be resolved is “How will the

recession positively or negatively affect the

future of pet ownership?” Lastly, the objective

that is the primary research will determine is “How the recession has affected pet

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ownership, and the ability for owner to care for them.” Both primary and secondary data is

used to meet the above research objectives. Primary data was collected through the use of

questionnaires. The questionnaires were distribute to both men and women who shop at

Pet Valu located in Jackson, New Jersey. The Primary data was then analyzed to help

understand and meet our objective.Through the use of secondary research on various

websites as cited throughout A Look Inside: Pet Ownership, provided background

information which reinforced the situation, problem and objective of A Look Inside: Pet

Ownership. Through the use of the research objectives, primary and secondary data a

better understanding of the important pets to people in the United States became even

clearer.

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methodology If it weren’t for the consumers that shop for their pet’s there would be no pet industry.

Pet parents are not all the same, some have different buying behaviors, or shop at different

pet stores to buy different kinds of merchandise that

their pet’s need, but one thing they do have in

common is the love that they have for their animal.

The methodology that will be covered in this section

will include the sample plan, sample size, and the determination of method gathering of

data and how the specific data was analyzed for A Look Inside: Pet Ownership.

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population The population that was studied for A Look Inside: Pet Ownership were males and

females who are pet parents between the ages of

21-52 years old that shop at Pet Valu a small

franchise pet store based out of Canada that

offers high premium animal products for a

range of animals not just cats and dogs but also

for birds, fish and small animals. Pet Valu is in

the town of Jackson New Jersey, which is located in Central New Jersey with a population

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of 54,392 however

30% of the

population owns an

animal. The time

that was chosen to

conduct the

marketing research

was done on

Saturday March 3rd 2012. During the hours of 12pm-4pm based on store sales during

proved that this time was the best time gap to gain market research on this topic.

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sample size The sample size is the subset of the population that shops at Pet Valu which is a small

franchise Canadian pet store that carries high premium animal products that is located in

Jackson, New Jersey a town that is

located in the Central part of New

Jersey. Based on sales history the time

that was chosen to conduct the

research was Saturday’s during the hours of 12pm-4pm. A total of 25 people were surveyed

to collect data for A Look Inside: Pet Ownership.

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development of the questionnaire

Every marketing research topic has it’s own aspect in data collection and the way it’s

done. For A Look Inside: Pet Ownership self-administered surveys were handed out. Each

survey contained questions that pertained to the overall subject matter of pet ownership,

the questionnaire provided questions from our secondary research that would specifically

be able to provide a cohesive answer for A Look Inside: Pet Ownership. The questions

that were provided were about demographics, psychographics and frequent buying

behaviors of the customer. There were also some psychological questions about the feeling

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they have for their animals. Each of the questionnaires that were answered had an overall

impact on the marketing research topic as a whole.

Listed below is each one of the questions that was conducted in the survey and will tell

what format was used to conduct each question.

Questions Format

1. What types of pet/s do you own? Open Ended/Unaided

2. How many of each type of pet do you own? Open Ended/Unaided

3. Do you consider your pet/s a member of your family? Open Ended/Aided

4. How did you acquire your pet/s? Metric/Natural

5. How much do you spend on your pet/s per week? Metric/Synthetics

6. Which type of pet/s do you spend the most money on? Categorical/Multiple Choice

7. Which category you spend the most money on for your pet/s? Categorical/Multiple Choice

8. Has the economy had an effect on your purchasing habits for your pet/s? Categorical/Dual Choice

9. Have you considered in the past getting rid of your pet/s because it was too expensive? Categorical/Dual Choice

10. How many times a year do you take your pet/s to a veterinarian? Metric/Natural

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11. Rate the following categories. Place a checkmark in the box that states how frequently you shop for each category for your pet/s each week.

Categorical/Multiple Choice

12. Where do you do the majority of your shopping for your pet/s? Categorical/Multiple Choice

13. Where do you do the majority of your shopping for your pet/s? Categorical/Multiple Choice

14. Do you plan to purchase a new pet/s in the next 6 months? Categorical/Dual Choice

15. Is there anything you can do to limit the cost that you spend on your pet/s? Example: Cut down on how many toys you buy

Open Ended/Aided

16. Gender Categorical/Dual Choice

17. Age Range Categorical/Multiple Choice

18. Average Income Categorical/Multiple Choice

Table 6 Questions & Format

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data collection The data collection for A Look Inside: Pet Ownership was collected through self-

administered surveys based on an a questionnaire made up of 18 listed on Table 6

questions & format. The survey was administered to pet owners who shopped at Pet Valu

in Jackson, New Jersey. A total of 25 pet owners were surveyed. The data was then

analyzed into cross tabulation tables and pie and bar graphs. Under each table and graph

are brief descriptions of the results from the data collection. A Look Inside: Pet Ownership

used the data collected to help research pet owners buying and spending habits and gain

knowledge on how and if the economy has had a positive or negative effect on their pet

ownership.

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What Types of Pet/s Do you own?

Figure 1 Types of Pet Ownership

When asking pet owners which types of pets do they own the data revealed that 42% of the sample size said they own a dog. While 31% own a cat and 5% own a bird. The remaining 22% had said they owned another type of pet. Refer to Figure 19 Other Types of Pets for more detailed statistics on the other different types of pets the sample size owns.

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

22%5%

31%42%

Dog Cat Bird Other

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how many of each type of pet Do you own?

1 2 3 4 5+

Dog 42% 38% 0% 0% 27%

Cat 31% 31% 0% 0% 27%

Bird 5% 8% 0% 0% 9%

Other 22% 23% 0% 0% 36%

Table 7 Pet Quantity

! Above is a cross tabulation chart which represents the data collected on the question as to how many of each type of pets does the sample size own. The data revealed that 42% of the pet parents own a 1 dog, while 38% said they own 2 dogs. In June 2011 in The Harris Poll indicated that of the 2,184 adult surveyed online that 63% owned 1 dog while 25% owned 2 dogs. Closely following in the data collection was that 36% of pet owners own 5 or more other pets. Refer to Figure 19 Other Types of Pets for more detailed statistics on the other different types of pets the sample size owns. Lastly the results revealed that 0% of the sample size owned between 3 or 4 pets. This also proved to be low in The Harris Poll with results ranging from 2% to 11%.

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how many of each type of pet Do you own?

Figure 2 Pet Quantity

Figure 2 Pet Quantity represents the same data as in Table 7 Pet Quantity only in a bar graph format.

1

2

3

4

5+

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

36%

0%

0%

23%

22%

9%

0%

0%

8%

5%

27%

0%

0%

31%

31%

27%

0%

0%

38%

42%

Dog Cat Bird Other

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do you consider you pet/s a member of your family?

Figure 3 Part of the Family

Upon asking the sample size whether or not they considered their pets to be a member of the family 100% indicated yes! In June 2011 in The Harris Poll indicated that 91% of pet owners consider their pet/s to be a member of the family.

100%

Yes No

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how did you acquire your pet/s?

Figure 4 Pet Acquire

When asking pet owners how they acquired their pets 42% said that they acquired their pets from somewhere other than a shelter or a pet shop. Refer to Figure 20 Other Acquires for more detailed statistics on how pet parent acquired their pets.

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

42%36%22%

Shelter Pet Shop Other

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how much do you spend on your pet/s per week?

Figure 5 Weekly Spending

Above is a pie chart represents how much the sample size spends on their pet per week. The results revealed that 40% of the sample size spends between $0 and $20.00 on their pets per week, while 28% spends between $20.00 and $30.00 per week.

20%

12%

28%

40%

$0-$20 $20-$30 $30-$50 $50+

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which type of pet/s do you spend the most money on?

Figure 6 Pet Spending

Upon asking pet parents which pets do they spend the most money on, the data revealed that 54% of pet owners spend the most money on their dog. On the other end of the spectrum 0% of pet parents said that they spend the most money on their bird.

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

21%0%

25%

54%

Dog Cat Bird Other

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which category do you spend the most money on for your pet/s?

Figure 7 Category Spending

When asking pet owners which category they spend the most money on for their pets 55% said food, while 26% said medical. Only 13% of pet owners said they spend the most on toys and 6% said they spend the most money on other items.

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

6%13%

55%

26%

Medical Food Toys Other

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Has the economy had an en effect onyour purchasing habits for your pet/s?

Figure 8 Economy

Above is a pie chart which represents how much the sample size feels the economy has effected their spending habits for their pets. The data revealed that 60% said no, the economy has not had an effect on their purchasing habits for their pets, while 40% said yes, it has had an effect on their purchasing habits for their pets.

60%

40%

Yes No

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have you ever considered getting rid of your pet/s because it was too expensive?

Figure 9 Love vs. Money

This pie chart reveals the results as to whether or not pet parents have ever considered getting rid of their pets because it was too expensive. The data collected indicated that 96% have never considered getting rid of their pets because it was too expensive, while 4% has considered getting rid of their pets because it was too expensive.

96%

4%

Yes No

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How many times a year do you take your pet/s to the veterinarian?

Figure 10 Vet Visits

When asking pet owners how many times a year do they take their pets to the veterinarian 29% said they take their pet twice a year. Closely following 21% said they only take their pets to the veterinarian once a year, while 18% take their pet/s 4-5 times a year and 14% only take their pets 3 times out of the year.

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

18%18%14%29%21%

1 2 3 4 5+

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how frequently do you shop for each category for your pet/s each week?

Very Often Often Sometimes Rarely Never

Vet Bills 7% 15% 23% 56% 50%

Food 47% 33% 23% 6% 0%

Luxury 19% 15% 33% 33% 25%

Necessities 27% 37% 21% 5% 25%

Table 8 Shopping Frequency

Above is a cross tabulation chart which represents the data collected on how frequently the sample size shops for each category for their pets each week. The results indicated that 56% rarely spend money on vet bills, while 47% very often shop for food each week.

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how frequently do you shop for each category for your pet/s each week?

Figure 11 Shopping Frequency

Figure 11 Shopping Frequency reveals the same data as in Table 8 Shopping Frequency only in a bar graph format.

Very Often

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

25%

5%

21%

37%

27%

25%

33%

33%

15%

19%

0%

6%

23%

33%

47%

50%

56%

23%

15%

7%

Vet Bills Food Luxury Necessities

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where do you do the majority of your shopping for your pet/s?

Figure 12 Shopping

Upon asking pet parents where they do the majority of their shopping for their pets 89% said they shop in store, while 7% shop online and 4% shop through a catalog.

4%

89%

7%

Online In Store Catalog

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what type of payment do you use when buying things for your pet/s?

Figure 13 Payment Method

The bar graph above represents the payment method that pet owners use when buying things for their pets. The results show that 58% of pet owners pay with a credit card, 38% pay with cash and 4% pay with a check.

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

4%

38%58%

Credit Card Cash Check

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How can you limit the cost you spend on your pet/s?

“Stay out of store and online websites.”

“Limit the toys we buy.”

“Grooming appointments, change from 6 weeks to 8-10 weeks.”

“I don’t mind on how much I spend on them, I love them so much that I would spend any mount on them.”

“No, I want them happy so I’ll buy whatever they need :).”

“Groom him at home, take care of ticks frequently at home, keep trips to the vet to twice per year.”

“Try to find coupons for Frontline & dog food when available.”

“Keep an eye on weight gain at home so dog doesn’t acquire additional medical problems.”

“Offer less wet food at a time, to make the can last longer.”

“Clean my own stalls.”

“My cat is on a prescription diet for crystals, but I’m sure there are cheaper diets that target that issue. I could switch to a

cheaper brand.”

“I use Arm & Hammer cat litter, I could switch to a generic brand which is cheaper.”

“If I’m missing a hair clip and suspect the cat could of been playing with it, I could wait before rushing him in for an x-ray.”

Figure 14 Limiting Cost

Listed above are some of the responses received from pet parents as to how they could limit the cost they spend on their pets.

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do you plan to purchase a new pet/s in the next 6 months?

Figure 15 Purchasing New Pets

When asking the sample size whether or not they planned on purchasing a new pets within the next 6 months 92% said no, while 8% said yes.

92%

8%

Yes No

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gender

Figure 16 Gender

Above is a pie graph which shows the gender demographic of the sample size surveyed. Of the 25 people surveyed 88% were females and 12% were male.

88%

12%

Male Female

37

age range

Figure 17 Age Range

The bar graph above represents the age range demographic of the sample size surveyed. Of the 25 people surveyed 32% were between the age of 21 and 25 and 32% were age 52 or older. Closely following shows that 16% were between the age of 43 and 52.

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

32%16%12%8%

32%

21-25 26-32 33-42 43-52 52+

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average income

Figure 18 Average Income

The bar graph above reveal the average income demographic of the sample size surveyed. Of the 25 people surveyed 44% make and average income of $25,000 to $50,000 a year. Closely following 32% make an average income of $0 to $25,000 a year. Closely following shows that 16% were between the age of 43 and 52.

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

12%12%

44%32%

$0-$25,000 $25,000-$50,000 $50,000-$75,000 $75,000+

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limitations During our research we faced a few limitations that had a possible negative effect on

the quality of our findings. Firstly, many surveys needed to be issued in order to collect all

the data needed, especially when we were receiving incomplete surveys or Pet Valu

consumers who were not interested in completing the survey at all. Secondly, time was an

issue. We only had about five weeks to distribute surveys and conduct our research, when

in reality the full eleven weeks of the quarter would have better suited the research and the

researching process. Lastly, because of the small sample size of, twenty five, the results may

not be carried on to other types of research, or be generalized. The sample was drawn

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from the small and very specific population of Pet Valu customers in Jackson, New Jersey.

However if more time allowed and more resources, the survey would have potentially

reached a larger sample size including all Pet Valu’s across America.

Due to some of the content of the survey, a number of those surveyed, chose not to

participate in the research, or attempted to turn in their survey incomplete. Many

participants went through the survey and then when they reached the demographics section

they did not want to answer the income question. The survey even put the income into

brackets so that the participant was not filling in an exact number, but this did not help in

some cases. The time of day that the survey was issued contributed to this limitation. It was

a congested time of day and busy store hours for Pet Valu in Jackson, New Jersey,

41

therefore many consumers felt overwhelmed, overcrowded, and too rushed in order to

participate or take the time to complete the survey, inadvertently flawing our research and

causing us to issue more surveys. Referring back to the limitation of time, had we been able

to use the full eleven weeks to conduct our research and issue and evaluate surveys, we

potentially would have increased the sample size which would increase the confidence level

of our results and increased the accuracy of the research study.

The preceding statement rests on the fact that the sample size of only 25 consumers is

not enough to generalize, and makes the population too specific. Looking forward, if we

were con conduct this research again, we would make sure we had sufficient time to put

together the survey questions and survey, conduct the survey, take it to a larger sample size

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possibly increase the population, and then include more time to evaluate the results and

put together the market research. It would be really interesting to increase the sample size

and increase our confidence level for this survey. If we were able to get results from a larger

population or sample size and make generalizations this study could really be useful for pet

boutiques and shops to use when determining what merchandise to buy and carry in their

stores. Also, if we were to redo this we would choose a different time of day to conduct the

survey because we conducted it at the stores most busy hours. However choosing the time

we chose, helps in the fact that there was a large amount of consumers available to take the

survey. Perhaps if we did it at another time participants would not feel so rushed or

congested and we would get back more complete surveys in a shorter amount of time.

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conclusions & recommendations

What you can conclude from A Look Inside: Pet Ownership is that pet owners do

consider their pets to be a part of the family and will go to great lengths to care for them.

You may also conclude that the state of the economy has not deeply impacted the way in

which pet owners are purchasing and providing for their pets. Although the economy has

not effected the way they are purchasing and providing for their pets they are not likely to

go out and purchase a new pet at this time. These pet owners are not considering getting

rid of their pets anytime soon. In addition you could conclude that the target customer that

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shops at Pet Valu in Jackson, NJ is a female, between ages 21-25 and 52 and older who

makes $25,000-$50,000 a year and own a at least 1 dog. When it comes to

recommendations although the research does convey that having a pet can be costly, there

are definitely ways to cut back and limit costs. If you refer to Figure 14 Limiting Costs these

are all excellent examples for how pet owners can budget. In addition pet shops to offer in

store coupons on food which is the result of where the majority of pet owners spend their

money to keep customers happy and coming back. Another recommendation would be for

stores to offer a discount when purchasing with their credit card since this the most popular

payment method. In conclusion the pet industry has not been effected at all by the current

state of the economy and remains strong in hard economic times.

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appendix a other types of pets

Figure 19 Other Types of Pets

The above pie chart represents the other types of animals that the sample size own. These pets were indicated next to the “other” selection on the questionnaire. The results showed were horses, donkeys, goats, hamster, fish, chickens and rats. Of those animals 46% of the sample size own horses and 15% own hamster.

8%8%

8%

15%

8% 8%

46%

Horse Donkey Goat Hamster Fish Chicken Rat

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appendix bother acquires

Figure 20 Other Acquires

The above pie chart represents the other types of acquires of pets that the sample size owns. These acquires were indicated next to the “other” selection on the questionnaire. The results showed were breeder, stray/no home, rescue, private adoption and a friend. Of those answers 27% of the sample size acquired their pets through a breeder or a rescue. Closely following 18% acquired their pets through a friends or they were a stray or did not have a home. Only 9% were acquired through private adoption.

18%

9%

27%18%

27%

Breeder

Stray/No Home

Rescue

Private Adoption

A Friend

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