- Contents
- *Scope and Themes
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
What you need to know
Despite high consumer penetration, sales of condiments have struggled (climbing 3% at current prices from 2009-14, a 7% inflation-adjusted decline). Salad dressing sales followed similar suit.
Such performance results from both categories struggling with relevancy in a dynamic food climate, with increasing competition from sauces, dips, and spreads and a lack of new product innovation.
Encouraging expanded usage, including snack occasions, and developing specialty products with complex flavor profiles; including international flavors and added heat (hot sauce sales continue to be a bright spot in condiments); and healthfulness is in order.
Mintel forecasts continued stagnation in both categories through 2019.
Definition
This report combines two previously separate reports and builds on the analysis presented in Mintel’s Condiments – US, December 2013, August 2012, July 2010, July 2008, December 2006, and earlier reports; and salad dressing analysis in Mintel’s Cooking Sauces, Marinades, and Dressings – US, December 2013.
For the purposes of this report, condiments are defined as prepared sauces or spreads, requiring no preparation (including heating), used as a topping or accompaniment to prepared food. While variation exists, common use of these items is as a finishing topping or enhancement, not as a component in a recipe, and not necessarily considered to be eaten as a standalone item. The condiment should be understood to be an add-on, and not necessarily integral to the dish.
The products covered in this report include:
Pickles, olives, relish: pickles; olives; peppers/pimentos; relish/appetizer relish; marinated vegetables/fruits/egg; chutney
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Ketchup/catsup
“Other” condiments: steak sauce; Worcestershire sauce; Cajun/hot sauce; Hollandaise/Béarnaise/dill sauce; tartar/cocktail/other seafood sauce; chili/hot dog sauce; horseradish and horseradish sauce
Salad dressing
Ethnic sauces, such as salsa and soy sauce, are excluded from this report.
Value figures throughout this report are at rsp (retail selling prices) excluding sales tax unless otherwise stated.
Sales data
Market Size and Forecast: total retail sales based on Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews; US Census Bureau, Economic Census; forecast developed by Mintel
Segment Performance: total retail sales based on Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews; US Census Bureau, Economic Census; forecast developed by Mintel
Retail Channels: based on Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews; US Census Bureau, Economic Census; USDA (US Department of Agriculture) Economic Research Service; except supermarket and drug store sales, which are based on Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews
Leading Companies and Brand Analysis section: based on MULO sales data from Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews. MULO is defined as Multi Outlet, representative of the following channels: total US grocery, mass, total US drug, total Walmart, dollar, military, and club. Note that the values shown in this section differ from the Market Size and Forecast and Segment Performance sections of this report. Companies and brands sales data encompasses only sales through MULO channels, while Market Size and Forecast and Segment Performance sales cover the entire market.
Consumer survey data
For the purposes of this report, Mintel commissioned exclusive consumer research through Lightspeed GMI to explore consumer consumption of and attitudes and behaviors toward condiments and salad dressing. Mintel was responsible for the survey design, data analysis, and reporting. Fieldwork was conducted in September 2014 among a sample of 2,000 adults aged 18+ with access to the internet.
Mintel selects survey respondents by gender, age, household income, and region so that they are proportionally representative of the US adult population using the internet. Mintel also slightly over-samples, relative to the population, respondents that are Hispanic or Black to ensure an adequate representation of these groups in our survey results and to allow for more precise parameter estimates from our reported findings.
Please note that Mintel surveys are conducted online and in English only. Hispanics who are not online and/or do not speak English are not included in the survey results.
Mintel also has analyzed data from Experian Marketing Services, using the Simmons NCS (National Consumer Study).
The Experian Marketing Services/Simmons NCS/NHCS was carried out during April 2013-June 2014, and the results are based on the sample of 24,073 adults aged 18+, with results weighted to represent the US adult population.
While race and Hispanic origin are separate demographic characteristics, Mintel often compares them to each other. Please note that the responses for race (White, Black, Asian, Native American, or other race) will overlap those that also are Hispanic, because Hispanics can be of any race.
Abbreviations
The following is a list of abbreviations used in this report:
| BFY | Better-for-you |
| BOGO | Buy-one-get-one |
| COC | California Olive Committee |
| CPG | Consumer packaged goods |
| CPI | Consumer Price Index |
| GMO | Genetically modified organism |
| GNPD | Global New Products Database |
| HFCS | High fructose corn syrup |
| : | : |
| : | : |
Generations are discussed within this report, and they are defined as:
| World War II/Swing generations | Members of the WWII Generation were born in 1932 or before and are aged 82 or older in 2014. Members of the Swing Generation were born between 1933 and 1945 and are aged 69-81 in 2014. |
| Baby Boomers | The generation born between 1946 and 1964. In 2014, Baby Boomers are between the ages of 50 and 68. |
| Generation X | The generation born between 1965 and 1976. In 2014, Gen Xers are between the ages of 38 and 49. |
| Millennials* | Born between 1977 and 1994, Millennials are aged 20-37 in 2014. |
| iGeneration | Born between 1995 and 2007, members of iGen are aged 7-19 in 2014. |
| Emerging generation | The newest generation born in 2008 as the annual number of births declined sharply with the recession. In 2014 members of this as-yet-unnamed generation are younger than 7. |
* also known as Generation Y or Echo Boomers
In order to provide an inflation-adjusted price value for markets, Mintel uses the CPI to deflate current prices. The CPI is defined as follows:
| CPI | The Consumer Price Index is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. The CPI and its components are typically used to adjust other economic series for price changes and to translate these series into inflation-free dollars. Examples of series adjusted by the CPI include retail sales, hourly, and weekly earnings, and components of the national income and product accounts. In addition, and in Mintel reports, the CPI is used as a deflator of the value of the consumer’s dollar to find its purchasing power. The purchasing power of the consumer’s dollar measures the change in the value to the consumer of goods and services that a dollar will buy at different dates. The CPI is generally the best measure for adjusting payments to consumers when the intent is to allow consumers to purchase, at today’s prices, a market basket of goods and services equivalent to one that they could purchase in an earlier period. It is also the best measure to use to translate retail sales into real or inflation-free dollars. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics definition. |
