Mars petfood prices have soared by as much as 35% in recent weeks – while its brands remain notably absent from Tesco shelves.
The price of Chappie Adult Wet Dog Food Tins Favourites in Loaf 24x412g rose from £15.49 to £15.99 in Asda on 22 June, and again to £21 on 8 July – a 35.6% increase – according to research by The Grocer using Assosia data.
Fellow Mars brand Whiskas also saw price hikes in Asda. Its Adult Wet Cat Food Tins Meaty in Gravy 6x400g rose 25% from £5 to £6.25 on 20 June.
In Morrisons, meanwhile, the price of Mars’ Pedigree Adult Wet Dog Food Tins Mixed in Gravy 12x400g, rose 31.2% over the same period – from £8 to £9.50 on 20 June, to £9.75 on 12 July, and again to £10.50 on 19 July.
Pet owners have taken to Twitter to complain of the price hikes – particularly those affecting Chappie, which is often recommended by vets for dogs that struggle to digest their food.
One shopper tweeted that after years of buying the brand, the recent price increases had “put an end to further purchases”.
Another shopper tweeted she was “disappointed in the price increase of Chappie dog meat tins”, adding that she “might have to reconsider” her options.
Tesco shelves have been left empty of Mars petfood over recent weeks as the result of a pricing dispute between the two parties.
However, petfood inflation certainly isn’t exclusive to Mars brands.
Assosia data reveals almost 1,300 SKUs – spanning dogfood, catfood and treats – have risen in price across the big four supermarkets in recent weeks.
This includes own-label products, some of which have almost doubled in price in the last 12 weeks. The price of Morrisons Dog Food Chicken Pâté 150g, for instance, rose from 35p to 60p on 9 August.
The Grocer contacted Mars for comment.
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