Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer data
- Advertising creative
- Acronyms and terms
- Acronyms
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- Frozen meal market isn’t seeing sales heat up
- Pot pies fastest-growing segment
- Census figures add up to opportunities and challenges
- Competition present in and outside the home
- Supermarkets remain format of choice for frozen meals
- Name brands dominate but sector may show signs of fragmentation
- 2012 could be better year if new innovation is an indicator
- Traditional and online marketing both have a place in frozen meals
- Today’s frozen meals consumer
Insights and Opportunities
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- Restaurant-to-retail branding
- Reposition pot pies to create more usage occasions
- Reduce emphasis on “diet” in weight management product names
- Expand into refrigerated meals
- Frozen meals through vending in offices, schools, and other foodservice channels
Inspire Insights
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- Trend 1: Prove It
- Trend 2: Cool Vending
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Frozen meals industry having tough time sustaining meaningful growth
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- Figure 1: Total U.S. retail sales of frozen meals, at current prices, 2006-16
- Figure 2: Total U.S. retail sales of frozen meals, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2006-16
- Fan-chart forecast
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- Figure 3: Fan chart forecast of frozen meals, 2006-16
- Walmart sales
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Food-at-home prices rising faster than food away from home
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- Figure 4: Changes in food price indexes, 2009-12
- Hispanics average highest weekly consumption; Asians favor BFY
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- Figure 5: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2006-16
- Shrinking household size creates potentially larger target audience
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- Figure 6: Household size, 2001-11
- A return to dining out could eat into frozen meal usage occasions
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- Figure 7: Real disposable income, January 2007-January 2012
- Manufacturers need to adapt to lower number of households with children
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- Figure 8: Households, by presence of children, 2001-2011
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- QSRs’ aggressive pricing, retail prepared food departments may appeal
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- Figure 9: Impact of the recession on dining out, by age, October 2011
- Majority of weekly meals are made from scratch
- Leftovers stretch family budget and reduce potential frozen meals usage
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Single-serve frozen meals account for two thirds of frozen meals’ sales
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- Figure 10: Total U.S. retail sales of frozen meals, by segment, 2009-11
Segment Performance—Single-serve Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- Segment’s sales below 2006 levels
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- Figure 11: Total U.S. retail sales of single-serve frozen meals, 2006-16
Segment Performance—Multiserve Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- 2011 sees sales pull back slightly
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- Figure 12: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of multiserve frozen meals, at current prices, 2006-16
Segment Performance—Frozen Pot Pies
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- Key points
- Frozen pot pies rise but barely above peak mark set in 2008
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- Figure 13: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of frozen pot pies, at current prices, 2006-16
Retail Channels
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- Key points
- Supermarkets generate largest share of frozen meal sales
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- Figure 14: Total U.S. retail sales of frozen meals, by channel, 2009 and 2011
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- Figure 15: Supermarket/food stores sales of frozen meals, at current prices, 2006-11
- Figure 16: U.S. drug store sales of frozen meals, at current prices, 2006-11
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- Figure 17: U.S. sales of frozen meals through other retail channels*, at current prices, 2006-11
Retail Channels—Natural Supermarkets
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- Key points
- Insights
- Sales of frozen meals in the natural channel
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- Figure 18: Natural supermarket sales of frozen meals at current prices, 2009-11*
- Figure 19: Natural supermarket sales of frozen meals, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2009-11*
- Natural channel sales of frozen meals by segment
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- Figure 20: Natural supermarket sales of frozen meals, by segment, 2009 and 2011*
- Brands of significance
- Organics led by Amy’s
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- Figure 21: Natural supermarket sales of frozen meals, by organic claim, 2009 and 2011*
- Natural channel sales of frozen meals by gluten free
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- Figure 22: Natural supermarket sales of frozen meals, by gluten-free claim, 2009 and 2011*
Leading Companies
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- Key points
- Private label virtually nonexistent in frozen meal category
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- Figure 23: Manufacturer FDMx sales of frozen meals in the U.S., 2011 and 2012
Brand Share—Single-serve Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- Select weight management brands gaining in sales
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- Figure 24: Selected FDMx brand sales of single-serve frozen meals, 2011 and 2012
Brand Share—Multiserve Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- Nestlé dominates segment despite lack of growth
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- Figure 25: Selected FDMx brand sales of multiserve frozen meals, 2011 and 2012
Brand Share—Frozen Pot Pies
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- Key points
- ConAgra Foods only manufacturer to produce sales growth
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- Figure 26: Selected FDMx brand sales of frozen pot pies, 2011 and 2012
Innovations and Innovators
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- Key points
- Frozen meals greatly outnumber refrigerated meal launches
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- Figure 27: Frozen/refrigerated meal product launches, by storage type, 2007-12*
- Microwaveable top product claim by a wide margin
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- Figure 28: Frozen/refrigerated meal product launches, by top claims, 2007-12*
- Top 10 companies account for one third of product launches
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- Figure 29: Frozen/refrigerated meal product launches, by top 10 companies, 2007-12*
- Top 10 brands a cross section of the category
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- Figure 30: Frozen/refrigerated meal product launches, by top 10 brands, 2007-12*
- Private label share of introductions continuing to decline
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- Figure 31: Frozen/refrigerated meal product launches, by name brands and private labels, 2007-12*
- Product innovations
- Premium
- Private label
- BFY
- Weight management
Marketing Strategies
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- Key points
- Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine campaign tries to show diet foods are in style
- Healthy Choice recognizes the new reality of marketing
- Birds Eye Voila uses Facebook community to grow fans
- TV advertising
- Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine
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- Figure 32: Nestle/Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine, January 2012
- Marie Callender’s
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- Figure 33: ConAgra Foods/Marie Callender’s, September 2011
- Bertolli
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- Figure 34: Unilever/Bertolli, May 2011
- Bon Appetit
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- Figure 35: Schwan’s/Bon Appetit, October 2011
Meal Preparation and Food Attitudes
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- Key points
- Young adults aged 18-24 least likely to make meals from scratch
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- Figure 36: Meals and meal preparation, by age, February 2012
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- Figure 37: Meals and meal preparation, by household size, February 2012
- Easy preparation, quality, and nutrition top consumers’ frozen meals criteria
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- Figure 38: Food attitudes, by age, February 2012
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- Figure 39: Food attitudes, by household income, February 2012
Ready-meal Usage
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- Key points
- Frozen meals a hot option among U.S. households
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- Figure 40: Household usage of ready meals, February 2012
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- Figure 41: Household usage of ready meals, February 2012
- Individual meals most popular
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- Figure 42: Ready-meal usage frequency, by age, February 2012
- Frozen complete dinners and main courses usage holds steady
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- Figure 43: Frozen meal usage, January 2007-November 2011
What Matters to Frozen Meal Consumers
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- Key points
- Women show greater interest in BFY attributes than men do
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- Figure 44: What matters to frozen meal consumers, by gender, February 2012
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- Figure 45: What matters to frozen meal consumers, by age, February 2012
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- Figure 46: What matters to frozen meal consumers, by household income, February 2012
Attitudes Toward and Behavior with Frozen Meals
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- Key points
- Majority of frozen meal users willing to pay more for quality
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- Figure 47: Attitudes toward and behavior with frozen meals, by age, February 2012
- Frozen meals suffer somewhat from poor nutrition and value perception
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- Figure 48: Attitudes toward frozen meals, by age, February 2012
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- Figure 49: Attitudes toward frozen meals, by presence of children in household, February 2012
Ethnic Food Consumption
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- Key points
- Frozen meal users have a taste for Italian, Chinese, and Mexican cuisine
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- Figure 50: Ethnic food consumption, February 2012
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- Figure 51: Ethnic food consumption, by age, February 2012
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- Figure 52: Ethnic food consumption, by household income, February 2012
- Figure 53: Ethnic food consumption, by presence of children in household, February 2012
Impact of Race and Hispanic Origin
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- Key points
- Whites show the greatest interest in preparing meals from scratch
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- Figure 54: Meals and meal preparation, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2012
- Frozen/shelf-stable usage consistent among multicultural groups
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- Figure 55: Personal usage of ready meals, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2012
- Hispanics post highest weekly consumption of frozen/shelf-stable meals
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- Figure 56: Ready-meal usage frequency, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2012
- Asians seek out BFY frozen meal attributes
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- Figure 57: What matters to frozen meal consumers, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2012
Cluster Analysis
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- Scratchers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Disengagers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Frozen Meal Fan Club
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Light-using Values
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Cluster characteristic tables
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- Figure 58: Target clusters, February 2012
- Figure 59: Meals and meal preparation, by clusters, February 2012
- Figure 60: Personal usage of ready meals, by clusters, February 2012
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- Figure 61: Ready-meal usage frequency, by clusters, February 2012
- Figure 62: Attitudes toward and behavior with frozen meals, by clusters, February 2012
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- Figure 63: Attitudes toward frozen meals, by clusters, February 2012
- Figure 64: Food attitudes, by what matters to frozen meal consumers, February 2012
- Cluster demographic tables
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- Figure 65: Target clusters, by gender, February 2012
- Figure 66: Target clusters, by age, February 2012
- Figure 67: Target clusters, by household income, February 2012
- Figure 68: Target clusters, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2012
- Figure 69: Target clusters, by presence of children, February 2012
- Cluster methodology
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Key points
- Cross-tabbing of frozen meal users provides actionable insights
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- Figure 70: Attitudes toward frozen meals, by what matters to frozen meal consumers, February 2012
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- Figure 71: Food attitudes, by what matters to frozen meal consumers, February 2012
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- Figure 72: Attitudes toward frozen meals, by what matters to frozen meal consumers, February 2012
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- Figure 73: Food attitudes, by what matters to frozen meal consumers, February 2012
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- Figure 74: Attitudes toward frozen meals, by attitudes toward and behavior with frozen meals, February 2012
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- Figure 75: Food attitudes, by What matters to frozen meal consumers, February 2012
SymphonyIRI/Builders—Key Household Purchase Measures
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- Frozen dinners/entrées—U.S.
- Overview
- Single-serve frozen dinners/entrées
- Consumer insights on key purchase measures—single-serve frozen dinners/entrées
- Brand map
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- Figure 76: Brand map, selected brands of single-serve frozen dinners/entrées, by household penetration, 2011*
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
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- Figure 77: Key purchase measures for the top brands of single-serve frozen dinners/entrées, by household penetration, 2011*
- Multiserve frozen dinners/entrées
- Consumer insights on key purchase measures—multiserve frozen dinners/entrées
- Brand map
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- Figure 78: Brand map, selected brands of multiserve frozen dinners/entrées buying rate, by household penetration, 2011*
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
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- Figure 79: Key purchase measures for the top brands of multiserve frozen dinners/entrées, by household penetration, 2011*
Appendix—Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Figure 80: Personal usage of ready meals, by household income, February 2012
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- Figure 81: Personal usage of ready meals, by presence of children in household, February 2012
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- Figure 82: Ready-meal usage frequency, by gender, February 2012
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- Figure 83: Ready-meal usage frequency, by household income, February 2012
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- Figure 84: Ready-meal usage frequency, by presence of children in household, February 2012
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- Figure 85: Attitudes toward and behavior with frozen meals, by household income, February 2012
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- Figure 86: Attitudes toward and behavior with frozen meals, by presence of children in household, February 2012
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- Figure 87: Personal usage of ready meals, by age, February 2012
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- Figure 88: Frozen meal usage among teens (aged 12-17), May 2006-June 2011
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- Figure 89: Frozen meal usage among kids (aged 5-11), January 2007-November 2011
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- Figure 90: Attitudes toward frozen meals, by gender, February 2012
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- Figure 91: Attitudes toward frozen meals, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2012
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- Figure 92: Attitudes toward frozen meals, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2012
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- Figure 93: Attitudes toward frozen meals, by food attitudes, February 2012
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- Figure 94: Ethnic food consumption, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2012
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Appendix—Trade Associations
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