DOG-WITH-BOWL

Own label and brands have been at it like cat and dog in the past year as both have sharpened their promotional claws.

Featured space allocated to petcare in the big four and Waitrose has increased 41.3% in the past year. Asda has more than doubled its allocation to 2.3% of total featured space. The only decline was at Waitrose, which has run no featured space promotions on petcare in the past year [Assosia 52 w/e 31 August].

The resulting 45.4% leap in featured space deals by the category’s five most promoted brands (only Whiskas has scaled back its activity, by 15.9%) is in part a consequence of increased promotional activity by own label. Following a 1,785.7% hike in deals, the retailers’ own-label lines are now the sixth most promoted as a group in the category. There have been a total of 132 deals on own label in the past year, compared with fifth most promoted brand Go Cat’s 187 (up 274%).

Petcare brands are promoting the hardest in Asda, which tops the chart with a 130.2% rise in deals, perhaps as a result of the growth the retailer claims its own brand Tiger is experiencing.