Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer data
- Advertising clips
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- Frozen meals multi-billion dollar business but not growing
- Consumers eating more individual frozen meals than a year ago
- Frozen meals can meet Americans’ desire to eat better
- Families more interested in meal solution products than frozen
- More than half of consumers enjoy cooking from scratch
- Private label a small part of frozen meals business
- Single-serve frozen meals remain largest segment
- Supermarkets still favored channel for frozen meal purchases
- Nestlé and ConAgra Foods largest name brand frozen food operators
- New products focused on convenience
- Value edges out health concerns when considering new frozen meal concepts
- Frozen meals shoppers driven by convenience and price
- International/ethnic food interest and usage by race/Hispanic origin
Insights and Opportunities
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- More aggressive co-branding between restaurant and retail brands
- Developing more international/ethnic varieties
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- Figure 1: Persons obtaining legal permanent resident status, by region and country of birth, 2006-09
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- Figure 2: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2004-14
- Retail products from food channels
- Cross-promote with other complementary food products
- Increase emphasis on breakfast frozen meals
Inspire Insights
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- Trend: Simplicity and convenience
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Frozen meals is large category but may be missing opportunities
- Sales trends even worse when accounting for inflation
- Sales and forecast of frozen meals
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- Figure 3: FDMx sales of frozen meals, at current prices, 2005-15
- Figure 4: FDMx sales of frozen meals, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2005-15
- Walmart sales
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Ingredient costs making it tough for manufacturers to maintain retail prices
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- Figure 5: Consumer Price Index: all food, food at home and food away from home, 2006-11
- Consumers eating more individual frozen meals than a year ago
- Frozen meals can tap into Americans’ desire to eat better
- Families consume more meal solution products than frozen
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Popularity of cooking from scratch reduces frozen meal opportunities
- Dining out is down but still a threat
- Convenience of shelf-stable and ready-made meals is appealing
- Frozen meals’ quality issues holding back category
- Expenditures eating in versus eating out
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Single-serve frozen meals remain largest segment
- Multi-serve frozen meals only segment to grow
- Frozen pot pies left out in the cold
- Sales of frozen meals in FDMx
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- Figure 6: FDMx sales of frozen meals, by segment, 2008-10
Segment Performance—Single-Serve Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- Recession drives consumers away from single-serve frozen meals
- Consumer interest in smaller frozen meals could reverse segment’s fortunes
- Sales and forecast of single-serve frozen meals
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- Figure 7: FDMx sales of single-serve frozen meals, 2005-15
Segment Performance—Multi-Serve Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- Segment continues trend of modest annual increase
- On-the-go families prime target group
- Sales and forecast of multi-serve frozen meals
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- Figure 8: FDMx sales and forecast of multi-serve frozen meals, at current prices, 2005-15
Segment Performance—Frozen Pot Pies
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- Key points
- Pot pies well off their peak of 2006
- Males may hold key to future growth
- Sales and forecast of frozen pot pies
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- Figure 9: FDMx sales and forecast of frozen pot pies, at current prices, 2005-15
Retail Channels
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- Key points
- Traditional supermarkets’ grip on frozen meals slipping slightly
- Non-supermarket outlets seeing sales growth
- Sales of frozen meals, by channel
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- Figure 10: Total U.S. FDMx sales of frozen meals, by channel, 2008 and 2010
Retail Channels—Supermarkets
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- Key points
- Supermarkets’ sales declines growing larger
- Variety and product assortment are key supermarket strengths
- Supermarket/food stores’ sales of frozen meals
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- Figure 11: Supermarket/food stores’ sales of frozen meals, at current prices, 2005-10
Retail Channels—Other Outlets
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- Key points
- Mass merchandisers making presence felt
- Signs of a maturing market
- Other FDMx outlet sales of frozen meals
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- Figure 12: Drug and other stores’ sales of frozen meals, at current prices, 2005-10
Restaurant Menu Trends
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- Key points
- Overview
- Entrées
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- Figure 13: Average price of entrées on restaurant menus, by restaurant type, 2007-10
- Figure 14: Top entrées on restaurant menus, 2007-10
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- Figure 15: Geographic (ethnic) foods claims on restaurant menus, 2007-10
- Figure 16: Nutritional claims on restaurant menus, 2007-10
Leading Companies
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- Key points
- Frozen meal sales concentrated among Nestlé and ConAgra Foods
- Pinnacle Foods growing but still far from the top
- Private label small share despite price advantage
- FDMx sales of frozen meals by manufacturer
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- Figure 17: Manufacturer FDMx sales of frozen meals in the U.S., 2009-10
Brand Share—Single-Serve Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- Lean Cuisine feeling weight of sales declines
- ConAgra’s diverse portfolio features many growing brands
- Diet-centric single-serve meals facing perception issue by consumers
- Manufacturer and brand sales of single-serve frozen meals
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- Figure 18: Selected FDMx brand sales of single-serve frozen meals, 2009-10
Brand Share—Multi-Serve Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- Nestlé remains on top despite sales decline
- Pinnacle Foods generates highest growth
- Less dining out creates opportunity for multi-serve frozen meals
- Manufacturer and brand sales of multi-serve frozen meals
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- Figure 19: Selected FDMx brand sales of multi-serve frozen meals, 2009-10
Brand Share—Frozen Pot Pies
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- Key points
- ConAgra Foods’ uses two-prong strategy to dominate pot pie business
- Despite bad economy, private label not much of a factor
- Manufacturer and brand sales of frozen pot pies
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- Figure 20: Selected FDMx brand sales of frozen pot pies, 2009* and 2010*
Brand Qualities
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- Amy’s Kitchen
- Influence on the category
- Weight Watchers Smart Ones
- Influence on the category
- Heinz’ restaurant-based frozen meals
- Influence on the category
Innovations and Innovators
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- Key points
- Trends with new product innovation in frozen meals sector
- Leading claims and companies
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- Figure 21: Top 20 product/packaging claims across frozen prepared foods, 2005-10
- Figure 22: Top five companies/top three brands, across frozen prepared foods, 2005-10
- Private label innovations
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- Figure 23: Private label and name brand launches across frozen prepared meals, 2005-10
- Figure 24: Private label versus name brand product launches across frozen prepared foods, 2005-10
- Product innovations
- International/ethnic
- Natural/organic
- Healthy
- Private label
Marketing Strategies
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- Key points
- Stouffer’s campaign calls families to dinner
- Marie Callender’s encourages consumers to slow down
- Bertolli’s largest marketing investment includes webisodes
- Social media allows brands to put on their best Facebook
- Television advertising
- Stouffer’s Easy Express
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- Figure 25: Stouffer’s easy express/”let’s fix dinner”, March 2010
- Kid Cuisine
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- Figure 26: Kid Cuisine, “Shrekified,” May 2010
- Wanchai Ferry
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- Figure 27: Wanchai Ferry, “restaurant quality at home,” September 2009
- El Monterey
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- Figure 28: El Monterey, “buying smarter made easy,” September 2009
Attitudes Towards Food and Cooking
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- Key points
- Women (and men) confident about their cooking and enjoy its therapeutic benefits
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- Figure 29: Attitudes towards food and cooking, by age, July 2010
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- Figure 30: Attitudes towards food and cooking, by presence and number of children, July 2010
Meal Consumption and Preparation
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- Key points
- Type of meal/meal preparation most used in household
- Men opting for convenient meal solutions
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- Figure 31: Type of meal/meal preparation most used in household, by gender, July 2010
- Figure 32: Type of meal/meal preparation most used in household, by age, July 2010
- Types of meals eaten, by specific family members
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- Figure 33: Types of meals eaten by specific family members, July 2010
- Frequency of shelf-stable and frozen meals usage
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- Figure 34: Mean number of shelf-stable and frozen meals eaten in household in past month, by type, by age, July 2010
- Frozen complete TV dinner usage
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- Figure 35: Frozen complete TV dinners usage, by age, February 2009-March 2010
- Frozen main course usage
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- Figure 36: Frozen main courses usage, by age, February 2009-March 2010
- Impact of the recession on consumption of shelf-stable and frozen meals, by type
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- Figure 37: Impact of recession on consumption of shelf-stable and frozen meals, by type, July 2010
Interest in New Frozen Meal Concepts
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- Key points
- Overall level of interest in new frozen meal concepts
- Cost-conscious edges out health-conscious for desired new frozen meal concepts
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- Figure 38: Overall level of interest in new frozen meal concepts, July 2010
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- Figure 39: Overall level of interest in new frozen meal concepts, by age, July 2010
- Willingness to pay more for interesting new concepts
- Consumers willing to pay a premium for premium products
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- Figure 40: Willingness to pay more for interesting new concepts, July 2010
- Types of international/ethnic meals consumers are interested in seeing in food stores
- Consumers most intrigued by Chinese, Mexican and Italian frozen dishes
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- Figure 41: Types of international/ethnic meals consumers are interested in seeing in food stores, shelf-stable vs. frozen, July 2010
- Figure 42: Types of international/ethnic frozen meals consumers are interested in seeing in food stores, by gender, July 2010
Outlets Where Consumers Buy Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- Buying occasions concentrated in supermarkets and mass merchandisers
- Frozen and shelf-stable meal purchases, by outlet
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- Figure 43: Retail outlets where frozen and shelf-stable meals are normally purchased, July 2010
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- Figure 44: Retail outlets where frozen meals are normally purchased, by age, July 2010
Frozen Meal Brand Perception
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- Key points
- Frozen meals earn high marks from consumers
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- Figure 45: Frozen meal brand perception, by brand, July 2010
- Top five most common answers
- Offers variety
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- Figure 46: Frozen meal brand perception; “offers variety,” by brand, by age, July 2010
- Tasty
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- Figure 47: Frozen meal brand perception; “tasty,” by brand, by age, July 2010
- High quality food
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- Figure 48: Frozen meal brand perception; “high quality food,” by brand, by age, July 2010
- Filling
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- Figure 49: Frozen meal brand perception; “filling,” by brand, by age, July 2010
- For women
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- Figure 50: Frozen meal brand perception; “for women,” by brand, by age, July 2010
Drivers and Deterrents Among Frozen Meal Users
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- Key points
- Convenience and price major considerations for frozen meal consumers
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- Figure 51: Drivers and deterrents among frozen meal users, July 2010
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- Figure 52: Drivers and deterrents among frozen meal users, by gender, July 2010
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- Figure 53: Drivers and deterrents among frozen meal users, by household income, July 2010
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- Figure 54: Drivers and deterrents among frozen meal users, by presence of children, July 2010
Kid and Teen Consumption Habits and Behavior with Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- Parents do not see frozen meals as healthy or filling
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- Figure 55: Parental attitudes towards frozen meals, among 18-54s, July 2010
- Frozen dinner usage among kids and teens
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- Figure 56: Frozen dinner usage among kids, November 2008-December 2009
- Figure 57: Frozen dinner usage among teens, November 2008-December 2009
Impact of Race and Hispanic Origin
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- Key points
- Asians’ lack of cooking confidence may present frozen meal opportunity
- Type of meal/meal preparation most used in household
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- Figure 58: Type of meal/meal preparation most used in household, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2010
- Types of meals eaten, by specific family members
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- Figure 59: Mean number of shelf-stable and frozen meals eaten in household in past month, by type, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2010
- Frozen complete TV dinner usage
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- Figure 60: Frozen complete TV dinners usage, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2009-March 2010
- Frozen main course usage
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- Figure 61: Frozen main courses usage, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2009-March 2010
- Types of international/ethnic meals consumers are interested in seeing in food stores
- International/ethnic food interest
- Outlets where frozen meals are purchased
- Drivers and deterrents among frozen meal users
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- Figure 62: Drivers and deterrents among frozen meal users, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2010
Cluster Analysis
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- Healthy Varieties
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Augmenters
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Contenteds
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Cluster characteristics
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- Figure 63: Frozen meal clusters, July 2010
- Figure 64: Overall level of interest in new frozen meal concepts, by frozen meal clusters, July 2010
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- Figure 65: Drivers and deterrents among frozen meal users, by frozen meal clusters, July 2010
- Figure 66: Attitudes towards food and cooking, by frozen meal clusters, July 2010
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- Figure 67: Frozen meal consumption, by shelf-stable clusters, July 2010
- Cluster demographics
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- Figure 68: Frozen meal clusters, by gender, July 2010
- Figure 69: Frozen meal clusters, by age group, July 2010
- Figure 70: Frozen meal clusters, by household income group, July 2010
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- Figure 71: Frozen meal clusters, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2010
- Cluster methodology
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Key points
- From-scratch cooking interest highest among women over 55
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- Figure 72: Type of meal/meal preparation most used in household, by gender and age, July 2010
- Overall level of interest in new frozen meal concepts
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- Figure 73: Overall level of interest in new frozen meal concepts, by gender and household income, July 2010
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- Figure 74: Overall level of interest in new frozen meal concepts, by gender and age, July 2010
- Willingness to pay more for interesting new concepts by gender/age
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- Figure 75: Willingness to pay more for interesting new concepts, by gender and age, July 2010
- Drivers and deterrents among frozen meal users
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- Figure 76: Drivers and deterrents among frozen meal users, by gender and household income, July 2010
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- Figure 77: Drivers and deterrents among frozen meal users, by gender and age, July 2010
IRI/Builders—Key Household Purchase Measures
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- Overview of frozen dinners/entrées
- Frozen multi-serve dinners/entrées
- Brand map
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- Figure 78: Brand map, selected brands of frozen multi-serve dinners/entrées, buying rate, by household penetration, 2009*
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
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- Figure 79: Key purchase measures for the top brands of frozen multi-serve dinners/entrées, by household penetration, 2009*
- Single-serve frozen dinners/entrées
- Brand map
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- Figure 80: Brand map, selected brands of single-serve frozen dinners/entrées, buying rate, by household penetration, 2009*
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
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- Figure 81: Key purchase measures for the top brands of single-serve frozen dinners/entrées, by household penetration, 2009*
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Restaurant menu trends
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- Figure 82: Top flavors associated with entrée proteins on restaurant menus, 2007-10
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- Figure 83: Top sauces associated with entrées on restaurant menus, 2007-10
- Consumer data
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- Figure 84: Attitudes towards food and cooking, by level of education, July 2010
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- Figure 85: Type of meal/meal preparation most used in household, by region, July 2010
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- Figure 86: Overall level of interest in new frozen meal concepts, by gender, July 2010
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- Figure 87: Types of international/ethnic frozen meals consumers are interested in seeing in food stores, by age, July 2010
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- Figure 88: Overall level of interest in new frozen meal concepts, by household income, July 2010
Appendix: Trade Associations
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