Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
-
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources and methodology
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
-
- Recession proves positive for pasta
- Competition for the food dollar from other “economical” meals
- Market drivers predominately offer positive outlook for market
- Dry pasta overtakes dry pasta-based meals in market share
- Supermarkets command near-total distribution in pasta market
- Highly fragmented supply chain with strong sector dominance
- Brand qualities that define the leading player for each segment
- Innovation driven by attitudes toward health, convenience and flavor
- Marketing to moms
- The pasta and pasta-based meals consumer
- Personal consumption
- Household usage
- Frequency of use and changes in eating patterns
- Reasons for choosing between pasta segments
- Why consumers are eating more pasta
- Why consumers are eating less pasta
- What are consumers looking for in pasta?
- Discovery of race/ethnic pasta usage and attitudes
- Custom consumer groups: Moms/dads versus men and women without kids
Insights and Opportunities
-
- Maximize “rediscovery” period
- Bringing attention to fresh/refrigerated pastas
- Calling all moms
- Stave off boredom
Inspire Insights
-
- Simplicity and Convenience
- What's it about?
- How does it apply to pasta?
- What we've seen
- Specifics
- Implications
- The Fresh Factor
- What's it about?
- How does this apply to pasta?
- What we've seen
- Specifics
- Implications
- Tough Economy, Healthy Lifestyles
- Recession and old values
- Frugality and health-consciousness
Market Size and Forecast
-
- Key points
- Dry pasta prices skyrocket creating a spike in sales—will it stick?
- Fresh/refrigerated pasta and frozen pasta—contributed to market growth
- Sales and forecast of market
-
- Figure 1: FDMx sales and forecast of pasta and pasta-based meals, at current prices, 2003-13
- Figure 2: FDMx sales and forecast of pasta and pasta-based meals, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2003-13
- Walmart sales
Competitive Context
-
- Competition from categories within the retail environment
- Internal competition
- Freezer case
- Shelf-stable meals and side dishes
- Competition for fresh/refrigerated pasta
- The foodservice factor: spinning value and convenience
Segment Performance
-
- Key points
- Increasing wheat prices cause dry pasta sales to soar, supporting market growth
- Segments advance sales growth with pastas carrying healthy halos
- Sales of market, by segment
-
- Figure 3: FDMx sales of pasta and pasta-based meals, by type, 2006 and 2008
- Figure 4: FDMx sales and forecast of pasta and pasta-based meals, at current prices, by segment, 2003-13
Segment Performance—Dry Pasta and Noodles
-
- Key points
- Wheat prices rise to unprecedented levels forcing pasta prices higher
- Healthy pastas with higher retail sales prices fuel growth
- Sales and forecast of dry pasta and noodles
-
- Figure 5: FDMx sales and forecast of dry pasta and noodles, at current prices, 2003-13
Segment Performance—Dry Pasta-Based Meals
-
- Key points
- Kid-centric brands thrive; family meals need BFY and premium choices
- Recession provides opportunity
- Sales and forecast of dry pasta-based meals
-
- Figure 6: FDMx sales and forecast of dry pasta-based meals, at current prices, 2003-13
Segment Performance—Shelf-Stable/Canned Pasta Meals
-
- Key points
- Iconic kids’ pasta meals dependent on number of child consumers
- Innovation limited—few BFY options
- Sales and forecast of shelf-stable/canned pasta meals
-
- Figure 7: FDMx sales and forecast of shelf-stable/canned pasta meals, at current prices, 2003-13
Segment Performance—Frozen Pasta
-
- Key points
- Innovations go healthy/ethnic; competition remains fierce
- Sales and forecast of frozen pasta
-
- Figure 8: FDMx sales and forecast of frozen pasta, at current prices, 2003-13
Segment Performance—Fresh/Refrigerated Pasta
-
- Key points
- Thriving on the “fresh factor,” convenience and premium slants
- Higher-priced pastas provide good value
- Sales and forecast of fresh/refrigerated pasta
-
- Figure 9: FDMx sales and forecast of fresh/refrigerated pasta, at current prices, 2003-13
Retail Channels
-
- Key points
- Pasta is a supermarket staple
- Mass merchandiser/drug growing at the fastest rate
- Sales of market, by channel
-
- Figure 10: FDMx sales of pasta and pasta-based meals, by retail channel, 2007 and 2008
Retail Channels—Supermarket/Food Stores
-
- Key points
- Supermarkets faced with challenges—implementing changes
- Supermarkets finding success in private-label programs
-
- Figure 11: Sales of pasta and pasta-based meals at supermarkets/food stores, at current prices, 2003-08
Retail Channels—Drug Stores and Mass Merchandisers
-
- Key points
- Target hits the bull’s eye in private-label brands and value pricing
-
- Figure 12: Sales of pasta and pasta-based meals at drug stores and other channels, at current prices, 2003-08
Market Drivers
-
- Kids influence pasta sales
-
- Figure 13: Incidence of pasta and pasta-based meals consumption, by gender and presence of children, January 2009
- Pasta for kids
- Household composition is shifting
- Households with children
-
- Figure 14: Households, by presence of children under age 18, 1997-2007
- Size of household
-
- Figure 15: Incidence of household consumption of dry pasta and pasta-based meals, by number of people in household, July 2007-September 2008
-
- Figure 16: Households, by size, 2007
- Rising food prices drive market sales—price hikes will stick
-
- Figure 17: Commodity wheat prices, 2006-08
- What drove this escalation of higher food prices?
- Recession is good for pasta sales
- Healthy pasta fuels sales
-
- Figure 18: New product launches, by pasta type, 2004-08
Leading Companies
-
- Key points
- Barilla and New World Pasta are fueling growth with dry pastas
- Private label increases category presence
- Company sales
-
- Figure 19: FDMx sales of leading pasta and pasta-based meals companies, 2007 and 2008
Selected Brand Analysis—Dry Pasta and Noodles
-
- Key points
- Barilla Plus and Ronzoni Smart Taste: BFY brands that don’t taste healthy
- Private label highly successful
- Manufacturer and brand sales of dry pasta and noodles
-
- Figure 20: Selected FDMx brand sales of dry pasta and noodles in the U.S., 2007 and 2008
Selected Brand Analysis—Dry Pasta-based Meals
-
- Key points
- Kraft Macaroni & Cheese brands holding strong
- Helper and Lipton brands feeling the pinch of competition
- Manufacturer and brand sales of dry pasta-based meals
-
- Figure 21: FDMx brand sales of dry pasta-based meals in the U.S., 2007 and 2008
Selected Brand Analysis—Shelf-stable/Canned Pasta Meals
-
- Key points
- Chef Boyardee and SpaghettiOs lack health appeal
- Private label and small suppliers gain sales with health claims
- Manufacturer and brand sales of shelf-stable/canned pasta meals
-
- Figure 22: FDMx brand sales of shelf-stable/canned pasta meals in the U.S., 2007 and 2008
Selected Brand Analysis—Frozen Pasta
-
- Key points
- Mrs. T’s Pierogies targets specific niche in pasta market
- Mama Rosie’s providing healthier frozen pasta options
- Manufacturer and brand sales of frozen pasta
-
- Figure 23: FDMx brand sales of frozen pasta in the U.S., 2007 and 2008
Selected Brand Analysis—Fresh/Refrigerated Pasta
-
- Key points
- Buitoni—still the leader in fresh/refrigerated pasta
- Manufacturer and brand sales of fresh/refrigerated pasta
-
- Figure 24: FDMx brand sales of fresh/refrigerated pasta in the U.S., 2007 and 2008
Brand Qualities
-
- Barilla: the premium pasta innovator
- Kraft Macaroni & Cheese: the classic kid favorite
- Chef Boyardee: kid-friendly taste/parent-friendly convenience
- Mrs. T’s Pierogies: A unique ethnic origin
- Buitoni: Bringing premium freshness to pasta
Innovation and Innovators
-
- Health and wellness
- Time
- Flavor
-
- Figure 25: Top 10 pasta product launches, by product claim, 2004-08
Advertising and Promotion
-
- Overview
- Recession fuels need for more advertising to stave off private label
- Targeting moms—activity by manufacturer
- Barilla
-
- Figure 26: Barilla Plus, TV ad, 2008
-
- Figure 27: Barilla Piccolini, TV ad, 2008
- Kraft Foods
-
- Figure 28: Kraft Cheeseasauras spirals, TV ad, 2008
-
- Figure 29: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, TV ad, 2008
- Figure 30: Kraft Easy Mac, TV ad, 2008
- Chef Boyardee
-
- Figure 31: Chef Boyardee, TV ad, 2009
Personal Consumption of Pasta and Pasta-Based Meals
-
- Key points
- Overall incidence of eating
-
- Figure 32: Overall incidence of eating pasta, noodles and pasta-based meals, by gender, HH income and number of people in household, January 2009
- Types of pasta eaten
-
- Figure 33: Types of pasta, noodles and pasta-based meals eaten, by gender, January 2009
-
- Figure 34: Types of pasta, noodles and pasta-based meals eaten, by number of people in household, January 2009
Household Consumption of Pasta and Pasta-Based Meals
-
- Key points
- Trended household usage of pasta and pasta-based meals
- Overall incidence of eating
-
- Figure 35: Trended incidence of household consumption of pasta and pasta-based meals, 2002-08
- Dry packaged pasta
- Incidence of household consumption
-
- Figure 36: Incidence of household consumption of dry packaged pasta, by race/Hispanic origin and number of people in household, July 2007-September 2008
- Incidence of household consumption, by types of pasta
-
- Figure 37: Incidence of household consumption of dry packaged pasta types, by race/Hispanic origin, HH income and number of people in household, July 2007-September 2008
- Brand usage
-
- Figure 38: Top 10 brands of dry pasta, by household usage, July 2007-September 2008
- Complete packaged pasta dinners
- Incidence of household consumption
-
- Figure 39: Incidence of household consumption of complete packaged pasta dinner mixes, by race/Hispanic origin and number of people in household, July 2007-September 2008
- Incidence of household consumption, by types of pasta
-
- Figure 40: Incidence of household consumption of complete packaged pasta dinner types, by race/Hispanic origin, HH income and number of people in household, July 2007-September 2008
- Brand usage
-
- Figure 41: Top 10 brands of complete packaged pasta dinners, by household usage, July 2007-September 2008
- Can/Jar packaged dinners
- Incidence of household consumption
-
- Figure 42: Incidence of household consumption of can/jar complete packaged pasta dinners, by race/Hispanic origin and number of people in household, July 2007-September 2008
- Brand usage
-
- Figure 43: Top five brands of can/jar complete packaged pasta dinners, by household usage, July 2007-September 2008
Frequency and Change in Eating Pasta and Pasta-based Meals
-
- Key points
- Overall frequency of eating pasta, by type of pasta
-
- Figure 44: Frequency of eating pasta, noodles, or pasta-based meals, by type of pasta, January 2009
- Eating more or less pasta than last year
-
- Figure 45: Changes in pasta consumption, by number of people in household, January 2009
Reasons for Choosing Between Pasta and Meal Types
-
- Key points
- Dry pasta compared to refrigerated or fresh pasta or pasta-based meals
-
- Figure 46: Reasons for choosing dry pasta over refrigerated or fresh, by number of people in household, January 2009
- Refrigerated or fresh pasta compared to dry pasta or pasta-based meals
-
- Figure 47: Reasons for choosing refrigerated or fresh pasta over dry, by number of people in household, January 2009
- Frozen pasta-based prepared meals compared to dry pasta or refrigerated or fresh pasta
-
- Figure 48: Reasons for choosing frozen pasta-based prepared meals over dry pasta or refrigerated/fresh pasta, by age, January 2009
-
- Figure 49: Reasons for choosing frozen pasta-based prepared meals over dry pasta or refrigerated/fresh pasta, by number of people in household, January 2009
Reasons for Eating More or Less than Last Year
-
- Key points
- Why do people eat more pasta and pasta-based meals?
-
- Figure 50: Reasons for eating more pasta and pasta-based meals, by gender, January 2009
-
- Figure 51: Reasons for eating more pasta and pasta-based meals, by HH income, January 2009
- Why do people eat less pasta and pasta-based meals?
-
- Figure 52: Reasons for eating less pasta and pasta-based meals, by HH income, January 2009
What Consumers Want in Pasta and Sauce Options
-
- Key points
-
- Figure 53: What consumers would like to see more of in dry pasta and sauces, January 2009
-
- Figure 54: What consumers would like to see more of in dry pasta and sauces, by gender, January 2009
-
- Figure 55: What consumers would like to see more of in dry pasta and sauces, by age, January 2009
Impact of Race/Hispanic Origin
-
- Key points
- Types of pasta eaten
-
- Figure 56: Types of pasta, noodles and pasta-based meals eaten, by race/Hispanic origin, January 2009
- Eating more or less pasta than last year
-
- Figure 57: Changes in pasta consumption, by race/Hispanic origin, January 2009
- Dry pasta compared to refrigerated or fresh pasta or pasta-based meals
-
- Figure 58: Reasons for choosing dry pasta over refrigerated or fresh, by race/Hispanic origin, January 2009
- What consumers want in other pasta and sauce options
-
- Figure 59: What consumers would like to see more of in dry pasta and sauces, by race/Hispanic origin, January 2009
Cluster Analysis
-
- Speedy, wide-eating, flavor seekers
- Egg-averse, frequent budgeters
- Low variety, infrequent, and no-fun unchangers
- Cluster characteristics
-
- Figure 60: Home pasta eater clusters, January 2009
- Figure 61: Overall incidence of eating pasta, noodles and pasta-based meals, by home pasta eater clusters, January 2009
-
- Figure 62: Frequency of eating pasta, noodles, or pasta-based meals, by type of pasta, by home pasta eater clusters, January 2009
-
- Figure 63: Reasons for choosing dry pasta over refrigerated or fresh, by home pasta eater clusters, January 2009
- Figure 64: Changes in pasta consumption, by home pasta eater clusters, January 2009
-
- Figure 65: What consumers would like to see more of in dry pasta and sauces, by home pasta eater clusters, January 2009
- Cluster demographics
-
- Figure 66: Home pasta eater clusters, by gender, January 2009
- Figure 67: Home pasta eater clusters, by age, January 2009
- Figure 68: Home pasta eater clusters, by HH income, January 2009
-
- Figure 69: Home pasta eater clusters, by race, January 2009
- Figure 70: Home pasta eater clusters, by Hispanic origin, January 2009
- Cluster methodology
Custom Consumer Groups
-
- Men, women and the presence of children
-
- Figure 71: Incidence of pasta and pasta-based meals consumption, by gender and presence of children, January 2009
-
- Figure 72: High frequency of pasta and pasta-based meals consumption, by gender and presence of children, January 2009
-
- Figure 73: What consumers would like to see more of in dry pasta and sauces, by gender and presence of children, January 2009
IRI/Builders—Key Household Purchase Measures—Spaghetti, Macaroni, Pasta and Noodles
-
- Overview of pasta
- Spaghetti/macaroni/pasta (no noodles)
- Consumer insights on key purchase measures—spaghetti/macaroni/pasta (no noodles)
- Brand map
-
- Figure 74: Brand map, selected brands of spaghetti/macaroni/pasta (no noodles), buying rate by household penetration, 2008*
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
-
- Figure 75: Key purchase measures for the top brands of spaghetti/macaroni/pasta (no noodles), by household penetration, 2008*
- Noodles
- Consumer insights on key purchase measures—noodles
- Brand map
-
- Figure 76: Brand map, selected brands of noodles, buying rate by household penetration, 2008*
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
-
- Figure 77: Key purchase measures for the top brands of noodles, by household penetration, 2008*
IRI/Builders—Key Household Purchase Measures—Frozen Pasta
-
- Overview of frozen pasta
- Frozen ravioli
- Consumer insights on key purchase measures—frozen ravioli
- Brand map
-
- Figure 78: Brand map, selected brands of frozen ravioli, buying rate by household penetration, 2008*
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
-
- Figure 79: Key purchase measures for the top brands of frozen ravioli, by household penetration, 2008*
IRI/Builders—Key Household Purchase Measures—Dry Packaged Dinners
-
- Overview of dry packaged dinners
- Dry macaroni and cheese mixes
- Consumer insights on key purchase measures—dry macaroni and cheese mixes
- Brand map
-
- Figure 80: Brand map, selected brands of dry macaroni and cheese mixes, buying rate by household penetration, 2008*
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
-
- Figure 81: Key purchase measures for the top brands of dry macaroni and cheese mixes, by household penetration, 2008*
- Dry salad/side dish mixes
- Consumer insights on key purchase measures—dry salad/side dish mixes
- Brand map
-
- Figure 82: Brand map, selected brands of dry salad/side dish mixes, buying rate by household penetration, 2008*
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
-
- Figure 83: Key purchase measures for the top brands of dry salad/side dish mixes, by household penetration, 2008*
- Dry dinner mixes (add meat)
- Consumer insights on key purchase measures—dry dinner mixes (add meat)
- Brand map
-
- Figure 84: Brand map, selected brands of dry dinner mixes (add meat), buying rate by household penetration, 2008*
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
-
- Figure 85: Key purchase measures for dry dinner mixes (add meat), by household penetration, 2008*
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
-
- Types of pasta eaten
-
- Figure 86: Types of pasta, noodles and pasta-based meals eaten, by age, January 2009
-
- Figure 87: Types of pasta, noodles and pasta-based meals eaten, by HH income, January 2009
- Changes in pasta consumption
-
- Figure 88: Changes in pasta consumption, by gender, January 2009
- Reasons for choosing each pasta type
-
- Figure 89: Reasons for choosing dry pasta over refrigerated or fresh, by age, January 2009
-
- Figure 90: Reasons for choosing refrigerated or fresh pasta over dry, by age, January 2009
-
- Figure 91: Reasons for eating less pasta and pasta-based meals, by gender, January 2009
Appendix: Trade Associations
Back to top