While sales of dog and cat food appear to be less vulnerable to the adverse effects on consumption of a recessionary economic environment, the current steep and prolonged economic downturn in Italy showed only negligible growth in 2012 as well as slightly altered purchasing habits. Private label share has grown slightly over the past several years, while there has been a modest shift towards the economy end of the price spectrum as economically battered consumers seek to save money on their shopping bills. Italians overwhelmingly prefer wet dog and cat food to dry varieties, a pattern that has not been altered by the current recession, despite the fact that dry pet food is generally more inexpensive. In terms of packaging, this preference has made aluminium/plastic pouches the biggest form of packaging type, accounting for over 40% of volume sales of dog and cat food in Italy in 2012. In fact, over the review period, the importance of aluminium/plastic pouches in dog and cat food grew more pronounced, coinciding with the precipitous decline in the use and purchasing of metal packaging, particularly aluminium trays, for wet dog and cat food. Consumers increasingly prefer stand-up pouches and flexible plastic packaging as they offer greater ease of use and convenience and are resealable.