Report Buyer, the online destination for business intelligence for major industry sectors, has added a new report on the rapidly expanding range of automated products for pets. Convenience and emotional factors propel owners to buy, says the study.

Pet Travel and Convenience Products finds that the most overriding consideration while purchasing products is consumer convenience. In fact, 85% of mass market shoppers bought products that possessed features that would make looking after their pets easier.

Perhaps that’s why there has been a 20% increase in pet convenience lines from 2005 to 2006. These lines included products like self-cleaning litter boxes, automatic feeders, and automatic pet doors.

Interestingly, there was also an amazing 586% increase in pet convenience product lines, that were labeled and marketed as elitist in just four years. They rose in number from seven to 41 from 2002 to 2006. Pet Travel and Convenience Products projects that the total market potential for pet travel, home assistance and on-the-go products will exceed $11 billion in the next two years.

The study demonstrates that shoppers can now choose from a range of pet products that are becoming increasingly similar to human products. These include grooming brushes designed for easy hair removal, stand-on-the-cap shampoo bottles, quick-cleansing pet wipes, pet strollers and calming supplements. The report suggests that pet owners, being emotionally attached to their pets, choose products for them that they would prefer to use themselves.

The report which states that two-thirds of pet owners travel with their pets,also charts travel trends of pet owners in the US. It also provides case histories illustrating key trends in product development and marketing.

Report Buyer product ID: PKF00067