Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: UK retail value sales of prepared meals, 2009-19
- Market factors
- Cooking from scratch holds strong appeal
- Consumer spending is gathering momentum
- The ageing population presents challenges
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Own-label dominates in most segments
- A fall in NPD offers little support for the market
- Decline in adspend continues
- The consumer
- Three in 10 adults are cooking from scratch more
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- Figure 2: Changes in consumer behaviours relating to cooking from scratch at home, eating out and buying takeaways in the last year, February 2015
- 97% have eaten prepared meals in the last three months
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- Figure 3: Frequency of usage of prepared meals, by type, February 2015
- Price is important, but not the be-all and end-all
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- Figure 4: Choice factors for prepared meals (included in respondents’ top five), February 2015
- Concerns linger about “hidden” ingredients
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- Figure 5: Attitudes towards prepared meals, February 2015
- Meal kits have the most positive associations
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- Figure 6: Correspondence Analysis, April 2015
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Prepared meals manufacturers need to focus on the transparency of their ingredients in order to build trust in their products
- The facts
- The implications
- Giving consumers a greater sense of involvement in the cooking process bridges the gap between prepared meals and scratch cooking
- The facts
- The implications
- Ready meals need to overcome poor health perceptions
- The facts
- The implications
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Cooking from scratch holds strong appeal
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- Figure 7: Selected cooking and eating habits, by age, February 2015
- Scratch cooking is seen to offer wide-ranging benefits
- The ageing population presents challenges
- Budgets remain squeezed but consumer spending is gathering momentum
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- A sharp fall in NPD activity over 2012-14
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- Figure 8: Share of NPD in the UK prepared meals market as a percentage of all launches in the food market, 2010-15
- Own-label dominates NPD activity
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- Figure 9: Share of NPD in the UK prepared meals market, top 10 companies in 2014, 2010-14
- Waitrose grew number of launches significantly in 2014
- M&S makes first foray into frozen ready meals and launches the new Taste collection
- Health is a major trend within soups, with a focus on vegetables
- New Covent Garden
- Glorious!
- Soupologie Detox Boost
- Heinz expands its premium range
- “Americana Mania” trends influence NPD
- Companies continue to look to authenticity within the pizza market
- Pies go premium
- Pieminister launches range of Pie Pots
- Square Pie breaks into the retail channel
- Own-label ups the ante
- Brands from other categories move into prepared meals
- Birds Eye presents Stir Your Senses stir-cooked meals
- An uptick in better-for-you launches
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- Figure 10: Share of selected nutritional claims in the prepared meals market, 2010-15
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- The decline in prepared meals sales accelerated in 2014
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- Figure 11: UK retail value sales of prepared meals, 2009-19
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- Figure 12: UK retail value sales of prepared meals, by segment, 2009-19
- The future
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- Figure 13: UK retail value sales of prepared meals, 2009-19
- Forecast methodology
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Ready-to-cook foods grow in 2014 while the decline in ready meals continues
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- Figure 14: UK retail value and volume sales of ready meals and ready-to-cook foods, by category, 2012-14
- Price increases see chilled pizza steal value share
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- Figure 15: UK retail value and volume sales of pizza, by sector, 2012-14
- Value sales of soup tumble
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- Figure 16: UK retail value sales of soup, by sector, 2012-14
- Only pork pies defy the decline in pies and pasties
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- Figure 17: UK retail value sales of pies and pasties, by sector, 2012-14
Market Share
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- Key points
- Own-label dominates across the prepared meals segments
- Bigham’s jumps to the top of the brands in chilled ready meals
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- Figure 18: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK chilled ready meals market, by value and volume, 2012/13-2014/15
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- Figure 19: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK chilled ready meals market, by value and volume, 2012/13-2014/15
- Bisto almost draws level with Weight Watchers in frozen ready meals
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- Figure 20: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK frozen ready meals market, by value and volume, 2012/13-2014/15
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- Figure 21: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK frozen ready meals market, by value and volume, 2012/13-2014/15
- Limited branded presence within ready-to-cook foods
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- Figure 22: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK ready-to-cook chilled meals market, by value and volume, 2012/13-2014/15
- Chicago Town and Goodfella’s bounce back in 2014
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- Figure 23: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK pizza market, by value and volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
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- Figure 24: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK pizza market, by value and volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
- Heinz stays at the top in soup, despite falling sales
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- Figure 25: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK soup market, by value, 2012/13-2014/15
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- Figure 26: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK soup market, by value, 2012/13-2014/15
- Own-label dominates but brands grow their share of pies and pasties
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- Figure 27: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK chilled pies and pasties market, by value and volume, 2012/13-2014/15
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- Figure 28: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK chilled pies and pasties market, by value and volume, 2012/13-2014/15
Companies and Products
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- Private label
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- Figure 29: Own-label ready meal sub-brands, by top grocery retailers, 2014/15
- Asda
- Marks & Spencer (M&S)
- Morrisons
- Sainsbury’s
- Tesco
- Waitrose
- Branded ready meals
- Heinz (Weight Watchers)
- Product range and innovation
- Birds Eye
- Product range and innovation
- Promotion and advertising
- Pizza
- Dr. Oetker (Chicago Town and Dr. Oetker)
- Product range and innovation
- Promotion and advertising
- 2 Sisters Food Group (Goodfella’s, San Marco)
- Product range and innovation
- Promotion and advertising
- Soup
- Heinz
- Product range
- Product innovation
- Promotion and advertising
- New Covent Garden
- Product range and innovation
- Pies and pasties
- Ginsters
- Product range and innovation
- Promotion and advertising
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- A steady fall in adspend since 2011 high
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- Figure 30: Main monitored advertising expenditure in the UK prepared meals, pizza, soup and pies and pasties categories, 2010-14
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- Figure 31: Main monitored advertising expenditure in the UK prepared meals, pizza, soup and pies and pasties categories, 2010-14
- 2014 marks a five-year high in adspend for market leader Heinz
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- Figure 32: Total media advertising expenditure on prepared meals, by top 10 advertisers (sorted by 2014), 2010-14
- An uptick in advertising for Mars and Weight Watchers
- Only M&S and Asda feature in the top 10
The Consumer – Changes in Cooking and Dining out Behaviour
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- Key points
- Three in 10 adults are cooking from scratch more
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- Figure 33: Changes in consumer behaviours relating to cooking from scratch at home, eating out and buying takeaways in the last year, February 2015
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- Figure 34: Consumers who are cooking from scratch at home, eating out and buying takeaways more in the last year, by age, February 2015
- 42% of adults are eating out and ordering takeaways less
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- Figure 35: Consumers who are cooking from scratch at home, eating out and buying takeaways less in the last year, by financial situation, February 2015
The Consumer – Usage of Prepared Foods
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- Key points
- 97% have eaten prepared meals in the last three months
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- Figure 36: Types of prepared meals eaten in the past three months, by category, February 2015
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- Figure 37: Frequency of usage of prepared meals, by type, February 2015
- Under-35s are the core users
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- Figure 38: Usage of prepared meals at least once a week, by type, by age, February 2015
- ABs tend to be the most frequent users
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- Figure 39: Usage of prepared meals at least once a week, by type, by socio-economic group, February 2015
- Brands, premium own-label and standard own-label are most popular
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- Figure 40: Types of prepared meals bought, February 2015
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- Figure 41: Types of prepared meals bought, by financial situation, February 2015
The Consumer – Choice Factors
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- Key points
- Price is important, but not the be-all and end-all
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- Figure 42: Choice factors for prepared meals (included in respondents’ top five), February 2015
- Fillingness holds more sway than nutritional factors
- Authenticity looks to be a stamp of quality
- Low fat is the most appealing nutrition claim
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- Figure 43: Nutrition-based choice factors for prepared meals, by age, February 2015
- Five-a-day is most important to under-35s
- New dishes can help to drive engagement
The Consumer – Attitudes towards Prepared Meals
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- Key points
- Concerns linger about “hidden” ingredients
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- Figure 44: Attitudes towards prepared meals, February 2015
- 30% think prepared meals contain too much sugar
- Customisation is popular among a quarter
The Consumer – Ready Meal Packaging Associations
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- Key points
- Methodology
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- Figure 45: Correspondence Analysis, April 2015
- Meal kits have the most positive associations
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- Figure 46: Qualities associated with ready meals in different types of packaging, February 2015
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- Figure 47: Qualities associated with ready meals in different types of packaging, February 2015 (continued)
- Tinned ready meals have a negative reputation to contend with
- All meals have the strongest associations with convenience
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 48: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of prepared meals, by value, 2014-19
- Chilled ready meals
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- Figure 49: Forecast of UK retail sales of chilled ready meals, by value, 2009-19
- Figure 50: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of chilled ready meals, by value, 2014-19
- Frozen ready meals
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- Figure 51: Forecast of UK retail sales of chilled frozen meals, by value, 2009-19
- Figure 52: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of frozen ready meals, by value, 2014-19
- Ready-to-cook foods
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- Figure 53: Forecast of UK retail sales of ready-to-cook foods, by value, 2009-19
- Figure 54: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of ready-to-cook foods, by value, 2014-19
- Pizza
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- Figure 55: Forecast of UK retail sales of pizza, by value, 2009-19
- Figure 56: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of pizza, by value, 2014-19
- Soup
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- Figure 57: Forecast of UK retail sales of wet soup, by value, 2009-19
- Figure 58: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of wet soup, by value, 2014-19
- Figure 59: Forecast of UK retail sales of dry soup, by value, 2009-19
- Figure 60: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of dry soup, by value, 2014-19
- Pies and pasties
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- Figure 61: Forecast of UK retail sales of pies and pasties, by value, 2009-19
- Figure 62: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of pies and pasties, by value, 2014-19
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