Table of Contents
Introduction
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- Definition
- Abbreviations
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Pasta
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- Figure 1: UK retail value sales of pasta, by sector, 2011
- Rice
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- Figure 2: UK retail value sales of rice, by sector, 2011
- Noodles
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- Figure 3: UK retail value sales of noodles, by sector, 2011
- Forecast
- Pasta
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- Figure 4: UK retail value sales of pasta*, 2006-16
- Rice
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- Figure 5: UK retail value sales of rice, 2006-16
- Noodles and instant hot snacks
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- Figure 6: UK retail value sales of noodles*, 2006-16
- Market factors
- Commodity inflation hits pasta and rice
- Brits have a taste for foreign food
- Weak consumer confidence continues to support pasta, rice and noodles
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Own-label’s share of NPD climbs in 2011
- Advertising support continues to grow in 2011
- Napolina, Uncle Ben’s and Pot Noodle lead branded sales efforts
- Pasta
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- Figure 7: Brand shares in value sales of pasta, 2011
- Rice
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- Figure 8: Brand shares in value sales of rice, 2011
- Pot Noodle’s success stands out in noodles
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- Figure 9: Brand shares in value sales of noodles (including hot snacks), 2011
- The consumer
- Pasta and rice are used by around nine in ten adults while noodles suffer from lack of engagement with over-55s
- Ambient variants are most commonly used
- Attitudes towards pasta
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- Figure 10: Attitudes towards pasta, January 2012
- Attitudes towards rice
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- Figure 11: Attitudes towards rice, January 2012
- Attitudes towards noodles and instant hot snacks
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- Figure 12: Attitudes towards noodles, January 2012
- What we think
Issues in the Market
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- What can leading manufacturers learn from smaller entrants in the instant noodles sector?
- How can manufacturers increase usage of wholewheat pasta?
- How much potential is there for more premium innovation in pasta?
- How is the lack of cooking skills affecting the pasta and rice markets?
Future Opportunities
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- Trend: Boomerang Generation
- Trend: Moral Brands
Internal Market Environment
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- Key points
- India’s return to the export market eases global rice inflation...
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- Figure 13: Monthly global average raw prices of Thai white 100% B second-grade rice, January 2010-December 2011
- …as rising durum wheat costs push up pasta prices
- Exotic palates: The majority of Brits enjoy eating foreign foods
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- Figure 14: Agreement with the statements ‘I enjoy eating foreign food’, and ‘I like to try out new food products’, 2008-12
- Fibre is of decreasing, but still major, importance
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- Figure 15: Agreement with the statement ‘I try to include plenty of fibre in my diet these days’, 2008-12
- Convenience continues to hold sway with two in five adults
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- Figure 16: Agreement with the statements ‘I don't have time to spend preparing and cooking food’, and ‘Convenience often plays a part in my purchase decisions’, 2007-11
Broader Market Environment
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- Key points
- Older population set for fastest growth
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- Figure 17: Projected trends in population growth, by age, 2011-16
- Britain’s ethnic population aids rice sales
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- Figure 18: The UK population, by ethnic group, 2009
- Consumer confidence remains shaky
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- Figure 19: Monthly Consumer Confidence Index, January 2007-December 2011
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Britain’s love of pizza shows no sign of diminishing
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- Figure 20: UK retail value sales of pizza, 2006-11
- Strong performance from soup poses competition to pasta, rice and noodles
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- Figure 21: UK retail value sales of soup, 2006-11
- Potatoes
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- Figure 22: UK retail value sales of potatoes, 2006-11
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- Definition
- Pasta accounts for highest share of overall NPD
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- Figure 23: Product launches within the UK pasta, rice and instant noodle, pasta and rice market as share of total new products launched in the UK food market, 2007-11
- Own-label dominates in rice and pasta NPD
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- Figure 24: Product launches within the UK rice market, by private label and brands, 2007-11
- Figure 25: Product launches within the UK pasta market, by private label and others, 2007-11
- Asda leads the charge in pasta NPD
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- Figure 26: Product launches within the UK pasta market, by brand, 2011
- Figure 27: Product launches within the UK pasta market, by ultimate company, 2007 and 2011
- Chilled pasta NPD gains in prominence
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- Figure 28: Product launches within the UK pasta market, by storage, 2007-11
- Saclà and PizzaExpress add big brand weight to the chilled pasta market
- Stronger branded presence in rice NPD
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- Figure 29: Product launches within the UK rice market, by brand, 2011
- Figure 30: Product launches within the UK rice market, by ultimate company, 2007 and 2011
- Asda also leads in instant noodles, pasta and rice NPD
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- Figure 31: Product launches within the UK instant noodle, pasta and rice market, by brand, 2011
- Figure 32: Product launches within the UK instant noodle, pasta and rice market, by ultimate company, 2007 and 2011
- Figure 33: Product launches within the UK instant noodle, pasta and rice market, by private label and other, 2007-11
- Healthy and upmarket lines hit shelves
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- Figure 34: Share of selected claims among new launches in the UK instant noodle, pasta and rice market, 2010 and 2011
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Steady increases across the board in pasta, rice and noodles
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- Figure 35: UK retail value sales for pasta, rice and noodles*, 2006-16
- Figure 36: UK retail volume sales for pasta, rice and noodles*, 2009-11
- Pasta
- Rice
- Noodles
- The future of the pasta, rice and noodles market
- Market forecasts
- Pasta
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- Figure 37: UK retail value sales of pasta*, 2006-16
- Rice
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- Figure 38: UK retail value sales of rice, 2006-16
- Noodles and instant hot snacks
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- Figure 39: UK retail value sales of noodles*, 2006-16
- Forecast methodology
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Ready meals and dry pasta drive growth
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- Figure 40: UK retail value and volume sales of pasta, by sector, 2009-11
- Volume sales of ambient rice climb faster than value
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- Figure 41: UK retail value and volume sales of rice, by sector, 2009-11
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- Figure 42: Value versus volume sales growth in rice, by segment, 2010-11
- Instant pot snacks drive growth in noodles
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- Figure 43: UK retail value and volume sales of noodles and instant hot snacks, by sector, 2009-11
Market Share
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- Key points
- Napolina leads branded pasta efforts but own-label is booming
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- Figure 44: Brand shares in value sales of pasta, 2009-11*
- Figure 45: Brand shares in pasta, 2011
- Uncle Ben’s puts the squeeze on own-label
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- Figure 46: Brand shares in rice, 2011
- Figure 47: Brand shares in value sales of rice, 2009-11
- Pot Noodle sales soar in 2011, driving overall sector growth
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- Figure 48: Brand shares in value sales of noodles and instant hot snacks, 2009-11
- Figure 49: Brand shares in noodles (including instant hot snacks), 2011
Companies and Products
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- De Cecco
- Heinz
- Mars
- Napolina
- Premier Foods
- Tilda
- Unilever
- Veetee
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Total adspend climbs
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- Figure 50: Main monitored media advertising expenditure in total pasta, rice and noodles (including instant noodles, rice and pasta) market, 2009-11
- Figure 51: Advertising expenditure in the pasta, rice and noodles (including instant noodles, rice and pasta) market, by highest-spending brands, 2009-11
- Investment in TV and outdoor advertising leaps in 2011
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- Figure 52: Main monitored media spend on pasta, rice and noodles (including instant noodles, rice and pasta) market, by media type, 2009-11
Channels to Market
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- Key points
- Supermarket giants dominate sales
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- Figure 53: Estimated retail distribution of pasta, rice and noodles, 2009-11
- Independents are squeezed by multiples and discounters
Consumer Usage of Pasta, Rice and Noodles
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- Key points
- Pasta is widely used but room for growth among over-65s
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- Figure 54: Types of pasta, rice and noodles used, January 2012
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- Figure 55: Frequency of usage of pasta, rice and noodles, January 2012
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- Figure 56: Usage of pasta, by gender and age, January 2012
- Frequency of usage
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- Figure 57: Frequency of usage of pasta, by age, January 2012
- Rice enjoys a relatively broad appeal across the age groups
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- Figure 58: Usage of rice, by gender and age, January 2012
- Noodle consumption is divided by gender and age
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- Figure 59: Usage of noodles (including fresh/dried and pot formats), by gender and age, January 2012
- Types of noodles used
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- Figure 60: Types of noodles used, by gender, January 2012
Consumer – Types of Pasta Used
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- Key points
- Pasta shapes trump spaghetti
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- Figure 61: Types of pasta used, January 2012
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- Figure 62: Usage of other dry pasta and dry spaghetti, by gender, 2012
- Less than two fifths of users have eaten fresh pasta in past six months
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- Figure 63: Usage of fresh pasta, by gender and age, January 2012
- Instant packet pasta boasts strong female appeal
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- Figure 64: Usage of instant packet pasta, by gender and age, 2012
- Younger users show high use of wholewheat pasta
Types of Rice Used
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- Key points
- Despite its higher price, basmati is Britain’s preferred rice
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- Figure 65: Types of rice used, January 2012
- Figure 66: Usage of basmati rice, by age, January 2012
- Usage of microwaveable rice peaks among the less confident cooks
Consumer – Attitudes Towards Pasta
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- Key points
- In these austere times, pasta benefits from being perceived as a good value option
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- Figure 67: Attitudes towards eating pasta, January 2012
- However, three in ten are prepared to pay out for better quality
- Pasta has health appeal for eight in ten
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- Figure 68: Agreement with the statement ‘Pasta makes a healthy and nutritious meal’, by age, January 2012
- Own-label is deemed good quality
- Opinions are divided over which is better – fresh or dry
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- Figure 69: Agreement with the statement ‘Fresh pasta is better quality than dry pasta’, by gender and age, January 2012
- Men and 16-24s appreciate convenience and quality of fresh pasta
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- Figure 70: Agreement with the statements ‘Fresh pasta is easier to prepare than dry pasta’, and ‘It is difficult to cook pasta to the correct texture’, by gender and age, January 2012
- Demand for functional pasta peaks among 16-24s
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- Figure 71: Agreement with the statement ‘I would like to see pasta with functional benefits (eg omega-3, added fibre)’, by age, January 2012
Consumer – Attitudes towards Rice
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- Key points
- Rice has strong appeal as an emergency food supply
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- Figure 72: Attitudes towards eating rice, January 2012
- Rice is a good value food, but price hikes have been noted
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- Figure 73: Agreement with the statements ‘The price of rice has become noticeably more expensive over the past year’, and ‘Rice is a cheap meal accompaniment’, by age, January 2012
- There’s a question mark over rice’s health superiority to potatoes and pasta but it boasts a strong overall health image
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- Figure 74: Agreement with the statements ‘Rice makes for a healthy and nutritious meal’, and ‘Rice is healthier than potatoes and pasta’, by age, January 2012
- Younger users show interest in healthier lines
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- Figure 75: Agreement with the statement ‘I would like to see a bigger variety of healthy, wholegrain rice’, by age and gender, January 2012
- Rice is difficult to cook for nearly one in four, taste image holds back convenience variants
Consumer – Attitudes towards Noodles
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- Key points
- Noodles boast convenience and health appeal – especially among women
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- Figure 76: Attitudes towards noodles, January 2012
- 16-24s regard instant noodles as unhealthy and want more nutritious alternatives
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- Figure 77: Agreement with the statements ‘Instant packet noodles and pot noodles are unhealthy’ and ‘I would like to see a wider variety of healthy pot and instant noodles’, by age, January 2012
- Healthy NPD opportunities in instant noodles
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- Figure 78: Agreement with the statement ‘I would buy noodles with added vegetable bits inside to make them healthier’, by age and presence of own children, January 2012
Consumer – Target Groups
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- Key points
- Four target groups
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- Figure 79: Target groups, January 2012
- Undecideds (15%)
- Fresh Fans (26%)
- The Health Aware (32%)
- Microwavers (27%)
Appendix – Internal Market Environment
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- Figure 80: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, by demographics, 2011
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Appendix – Broader Market Environment
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- Figure 81: Trends and projections in the UK population, by age, 2006-16
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Appendix – Competitive Context
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- Figure 82: UK retail value sales of potatoes, 2006-16
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Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 83: Best- and worst-case forecasts for UK retail value sales of pasta, by value, 2011-16
- Figure 84: Best- and worst-case forecasts for UK retail value sales of rice, by value, 2011-16
- Figure 85: Best- and worst-case forecasts for UK retail value sales of noodles*, by value, 2011-16
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Appendix – Usage of Pasta, Rice and Noodles
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- Figure 86: Types of pasta, rice and noodles used, by demographics, January 2012
- Figure 87: Usage of pasta and noodles (fresh or dried), by demographics, 2011
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Appendix – Frequency of Usage of Pasta, Rice and Noodles
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- Figure 88: Frequency of usage of pasta, by demographics, January 2012
- Figure 89: Frequency of usage of rice, by demographics, January 2012
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- Figure 90: Frequency of usage of noodles, by demographics, January 2012
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Appendix – Types of Pasta Used
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- Figure 91: Types of pasta used, by demographics, January 2012
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Appendix – Types of Rice Used
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- Figure 92: Most popular types of rice used, by demographics, January 2012
- Figure 93: Next most popular types of rice used, by demographics, January 2012
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Appendix – Types of Noodles Used
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- Figure 94: Types of noodles used, by demographics, January 2012
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Appendix – Attitudes towards Eating Pasta
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- Figure 95: Agreement with the statements ‘Pasta is a cheap meal solution’ and ‘Fresh pasta is better quality than dry pasta’, by demographics, January 2012
- Figure 96: Agreement with the statements ‘Fresh pasta is easier to prepare than dry pasta’ and ‘Pasta makes a healthy and nutritious meal’, by demographics, January 2012
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- Figure 97: Agreement with the statements ‘Own-label pasta is just as good as branded pasta’ and ‘It is difficult to cook pasta to the correct texture’, by demographics, January 2012
- Figure 98: Agreement with the statements ‘I would like to see pasta with functional benefits’ and ‘Regular pasta is tastier than wholewheat pasta’, by demographics, January 2012
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- Figure 99: Agreement with the statement ‘It's worth paying more for high-quality pasta’, by demographics, January 2012
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Appendix – Attitudes towards Eating Rice
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- Figure 100: Agreement with the statements ‘I find it hard to cook rice properly’ and ‘Rice is a cheap meal accompaniment’, by demographics, January 2012
- Figure 101: Agreement with the statements ‘I feel I should always keep a stock of dry rice in my kitchen cupboard’ and ‘Microwave rice is more convenient than dry rice’, by demographics, January 2012
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- Figure 102: Agreement with the statements ‘The price of rice has become noticeably more expensive over the past year’ and ‘Rice makes for a healthy and nutritious meal’, by demographics, January 2012
- Figure 103: Agreement with the statements ‘Rice is healthier than potatoes and pasta’ and ‘Dry rice cooked properly tastes better than microwaveable or frozen rice’, by demographics, January 2012
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- Figure 104: Agreement with the statements ‘I would like to see a bigger variety of healthy, wholegrain rice’ and ‘I would like to see a wider variety of heritage grains, such as quinoa and couscous’, by demographics, January 2012
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Appendix – Attitudes towards Eating Noodles
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- Figure 105: Most popular types of noodles used, by demographics, January 2012
- Figure 106: Next most popular types of noodles used, by demographics, January 2012
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Appendix – Target Groups
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- Figure 107: Target groups, by demographics, January 2012
- Figure 108: Attitudes towards eating pasta, by target groups, January 2012
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- Figure 109: Attitudes towards eating rice, by target groups, January 2012
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