Distribution and Warehouse Challenges for the Pet Care Industry in 2023

In the last couple of years, the pet care industry has seen considerable growth for a couple of reasons. First, there was a significant increase of pet adoptions during the pandemic, and two, for existing pet owners, their attention and disposable income went toward their pets during a time of limited human interaction. According to the Nielsen Pet Trend Report released in 2022, “In the 52 weeks ending March 27, 2021, U.S. shoppers spent nearly $60 billion on total pet care products, up 15.7% compared to 2020.”

Although pets have long been an essential part of family life, the pandemic certainly increased owners’ desires of spoiling them with care, food, toys, etc., unleashing an influx of orders for producers and distributors of pet products.

The challenges that have arisen in storage, material handling and distribution of the pet care industry are increasingly complex, leading companies to seek and implement new alternatives for material handling and automation of their distribution centers.

One such challenge is the consumers’ want of the omnichannel experience. Whether someone owns one pet or multiple, people want the same shopping experience and choices. From physical stores, to e-commerce, pop-up stores and curbside pickup, retailers must be ready to fulfill customer orders and deliver the desired experience. In fact, in the Nielsen report, 40% of pet owners said they are more likely to shop online to find better prices for food and supplies.

In addition to providing an omnichannel experience, pet-care companies have recently had to improve efficiencies in their planning, manufacturing, storage, stock, and distribution activities. Many of their efforts are tied to rising wages and fuel costs as well as simply finding and retaining labor. These direct and indirect costs are squeezing margins, pushing organizations to implement automation at a faster rate than originally planned.

At Honeywell Intelligrated, we specialize in taking distribution centers and warehouses to the next level of automation. We offer high-speed conveyors and sortation, autonomous robots, labor productivity software and much more to help companies achieve impressive results – getting more products to more people faster. Contact us to see which solutions might be right for your organization.

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