Table of Contents
Introduction
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- Definition
- Abbreviations
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Forecast of UK retail sales of prepared meals, pies and pasties, by value, 2007-17
- Figure 2: UK retail sales of prepared meals and pies and pasties, by segment, by % value share, 2012 (est)
- Greater focus on segmentation in chilled
- Chilled ready to cook meals remain niche but show potential
- Frozen ready meals segment struggles to retain its regular users
- Pies and pasties lose momentum
- Forecast
- Market factors
- Ready meals enjoy boost from new users
- Food manufacturers pledge to reduce salt levels
- Long-term trend for convenience can benefit prepared meals
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Own-label continues to squeeze out brands in the chilled ready meals sector
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- Figure 3: Estimated company shares in retail value sales of chilled ready meals, 2011
- Frozen ready meal sector has a higher brand presence
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- Figure 4: Estimated brand shares in retail value sales of frozen ready meals, 2011
- Take-home market in pies and pasties becomes increasingly important
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- Figure 5: Estimated brand shares in retail value sales of pies and pasties, 2011
- Market boosted by two consecutive years of growth in above the line spend
- The consumer
- Increasing frequency is the main challenge facing prepared meals, pies and pasties
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- Figure 6: Types of prepared meals (including pies and pasties) eaten or bought in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 7: Usage of prepared meals (including pies and pasties) daily or at least once a week, March 2012
- Saving time and money is important to prepared meal users
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- Figure 8: Attitudes towards ready meals and ready to cook (RTC) meals, March 2012
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- Figure 9: Further attitudes towards ready meals and ready to cook meals, March 2012
- Negative associations with ‘hidden nasties’ are holding back ready meals
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- Figure 10: Attitudes towards ready meals, March 2012
- Opportunities for restaurant brands and children’s ready meals
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- Figure 11: Attitudes towards ready meals, March 2012
- Product transparency and healthier ingredients are in demand
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- Figure 12: Attitudes towards meal kits, pies and pasties, March 2012
- What we think
Issues in the Market
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- How can the prepared meals, pies and pasties market expand its user base among over-65s?
- How can pies and pasties respond effectively to health trends?
- How can the prepared meals market leverage the dine-at-home trend to its full advantage?
- How can retailers and brands tackle negative health preconceptions surrounding prepared meals?
Future Opportunities
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- Trend: The Real Thing
- Trend: Click and Connect
- 2015 Trend: East Meets West
Internal Market Environment
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- Key points
- Ready meals recruit new users
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- Figure 13: Usage of ready meals (excluding pizza) in the household, 2007-11
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- Figure 14: Agreement with the statement “We rarely sit down to a meal together at home”, by usage/non-usage of ready meals, 2011
- British meals regain momentum in 2011, while Indian cuisine races to the top
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- Figure 15: Varieties of ready meals (chilled or frozen) used, 2011
- Usage of Indian ready meals increases at the expense of restaurants
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- Figure 16: Varieties of ready meals (chilled or frozen) used, % change, 2007-11
- Manufacturers turn to celebrity chefs to raise perceptions of ready meals
- 2012 salt reduction targets
- One in seven adults are too busy to cook
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- Figure 17: Agreement with statements on convenience, 2007-11
- Frozen foods are slowly gaining acceptance
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- Figure 18: Agreement with selected statements on frozen food and additives in food, 2007-11
- Half of adults like to treat themselves
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- Figure 19: Agreement with selected statements on healthy eating, 2007-11
Broader Market Environment
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- Key points
- Consumer pockets remain under pressure
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- Figure 20: Year-on-year % change in average weekly earnings compared to inflation in the UK, January 2006-December 2011
- Real consumer expenditure to return to 2007 levels by 2015
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- Figure 21: Consumer expenditure and forecast trends, at constant 2007 prices, 2007-17
- Ready meals’ user base forecast to grow organically
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- Figure 22: Forecast adult population trends, by age, 2007-17
- Single serve portions stay relevant for smaller households
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- Figure 23: UK households, by size, 2007-17
- Targeting the elderly
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Competitors in the convenience arena face similar challenges
- Pizza and prepared meals lead the in-home dining trend
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- Figure 24: Value sales of selected markets competing with prepared meals, 2011
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- Figure 25: Change in value sales of selected markets competing with prepared meals, %, 2007-11
- A steadier performance by the eating out market expected over the next five years
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- Figure 26: UK eating out market size and forecast, 2006-16
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- NPD activity reaches five-year-high in 2011
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- Figure 27: New product launches in prepared meals, pastry dishes and meal kits, by segment, 2007-11
- Own-label launches peak in 2011
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- Figure 28: New product launches in prepared meals, pastry dishes and meal kits, own-label vs brands, 2007-11
- Chilled launches outnumber frozen by almost four to one
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- Figure 29: New product launches in prepared meals, pastry dishes and meal kits, by storage, 2007-11
- Free-from and meat-free flourish in frozen
- Ambient lines become more competitive
- Convenience claims dominate new product launches
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- Figure 30: New product claim categories in prepared meals, pastry dishes and meal kits, 12 months to May 2012
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- Figure 31: New product claims in the prepared meals, pastry dishes and meal kit market, 12 months to May 2012
- Family-sized packs
Market Value and Forecast
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- Key points
- Real growth continues in 2011
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- Figure 32: UK retail value sales and forecast of prepared meals, pies and pasties, by value, 2007-17
- Forecast
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- Figure 33: UK prepared meals, pies and pasties value market size and forecast, 2007-17
- Segmentation – chilled
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- Figure 34: UK chilled ready meals value market size and forecast, 2007-17
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- Figure 35: UK chilled ready meals value market size and forecast, 2007-17
- Segmentation – frozen
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- Figure 36: UK frozen ready meals value market size and forecast, 2007-17
- Figure 37: UK frozen ready meals value market size and forecast, 2007-17
- Segmentation – ready to cook
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- Figure 38: UK ready to cook meals value market size and forecast, 2007-17
- Figure 39: UK ready to cook meals value market size and forecast, 2007-17
- Segmentation – pies and pasties
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- Figure 40: UK pies and pasties value market size and forecast, 2007-17
- Figure 41: UK pies and pasties value market size and forecast, 2007-17
- Forecast methodology
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Chilled and frozen ready meals
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- Figure 42: UK retail value sales of prepared meals and pies and pasties, by value, 2009-12
- Figure 43: UK retail value sales of chilled and frozen ready meals, 2007-12
- British cuisine retains its top spot
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- Figure 44: Market segments in the chilled and frozen ready meals market, by value, by cuisine, 2009-11
- Ready to cook ready meals gain a new lease of life
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- Figure 45: Market segments in the ready to cook foods market, by value, by cuisine, 2009-11
- Standard runs ahead of premium
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- Figure 46: Market segments in the chilled and frozen ready meals and ready to cook foods market, by value, by type, 2009-11
- Pies and pasties
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- Figure 47: Market segments in the pies and pasties market, by value, by type, 2009-11
Market Share
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- Key points
- Chilled ready meals
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- Figure 48: Estimated company shares in retail value sales of chilled ready meals, 2010-11
- Up and coming brands in the chilled meals fixture
- Weight Watchers from Heinz extends its lead in frozen
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- Figure 49: Estimated brand shares in retail value sales of frozen ready meals, 2009-11
- The take-home market has increasing appeal for pies and pasties
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- Figure 50: Estimated brand shares in retail value sales of pies and pasties, 2011
Companies and Products
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- Major players
- Asda
- Birds Eye
- Ginsters
- Heinz
- Marks & Spencer
- Morrisons
- Sainsbury’s
- Tesco
- Waitrose
- Findus Group
- Meal kits
- Blue Dragon
- Discovery Foods
- Old El Paso
- Premier Foods
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Modest growth in 2011 above the line expenditure
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- Figure 51: Main monitored advertising expenditure in the UK prepared meals and meal centres market, 2007-11
- Retailers step up their support for own-label ranges
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- Figure 52: Monitored advertising expenditure in the UK prepared meals and meal centres market, by top ten companies, 2007-11
- Figure 53: Monitored advertising expenditure in the UK prepared meals and meal centres market, by top ten companies, 2011
- General Mills and Heinz reduce their spend in 2011
- Increased investment in promoting vegetarian ready meals
- Pies and pasties
Channels to Market
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- Key points
- Major supermarkets dominate prepared meals market
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- Figure 54: Consumer spending on ready meals, by type of retailer, 2011
Consumer – Purchase of Prepared Meals, Pies and Pasties and Frequency of Use
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- Key points
- Pies and ready meals are close favourites
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- Figure 55: Types of prepared meals (including pies and pasties) eaten or bought in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 56: Types of prepared meals (including pies and pasties) eaten or bought in the last 12 months, March 2012
- Gender bias evident in product choices
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- Figure 57: Types of prepared meals (including pies and pasties) eaten in the last 12 months, by gender, % point difference to average response, March 2012
- Broadening the age-spectrum of users
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- Figure 58: Types of prepared meals (including pies and pasties) eaten in the last 12 months, by age-group, March 2012
- Ready meals benefits from higher frequency of use
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- Figure 59: Eating prepared meals (including pies and pasties) daily or at least once a week, March 2012
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- Figure 60: Frequency of eating meal kits, March 2012
Consumer – Attitudes Towards Ready Meals and Ready to Cook Meals
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- Key points
- Convenience and cost-saving are the main incentives to use ready meals
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- Figure 61: Attitudes towards ready meals and ready to cook (RTC) meals, March 2012
- Health concerns triumph over ethics
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- Figure 62: Further attitudes towards ready meals and ready to cook meals, by gender, March 2012
- Family-sized ready meals are in demand
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- Figure 63: Types of prepared meals (including pies and pasties) eaten in the last 12 months, according to presence of own children in the household, % point difference to average response, March 2012
Consumer – Obstacles and Opportunities Facing Ready Meals
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- Key points
- Obstacles to usage and opportunities to develop
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- Figure 64: Attitudes towards ready meals, March 2012
- Concerns over salt/fat/additives are main source of negativity towards ready meals
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- Figure 65: Attitudes towards ready meals, March 2012
- Branding opportunities for ready meals
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- Figure 66: Attitudes towards ready meals, March 2012
- Foreign cuisine ready meals encourage low risk experimentation
- Support for local producers
Consumer – Attitudes Towards Meal kits, Pies and Pasties
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- Key points
- High level of demand for transparency in product and packaging
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- Figure 67: Attitudes towards meal kits, pies and pasties, March 2012
- Pies struggle to attract the health-conscious consumer
- Home-made recipes and new flavours appeal to young pie connoisseurs
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- Figure 68: Attitudes towards pies and pasties, by age group, March 2012
- Under-35s drive demand for meal kits
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- Figure 69: Attitudes towards meal kits, by age group, March 2012
Consumer Target Groups
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- Key points
- Four target groups
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- Figure 70: Target groups, March 2012
- Frugal Fajitas(19%)
- Aging Advocates (24%)
- Health Enthusiasts (17%)
- Cool Customers (39%)
Appendix – Internal Market Environment
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- Figure 71: Usage of ready meals – chilled or frozen (excluding pizzas), by demographics, 2011
- Figure 72: Varieties of ready meals (chilled or frozen) used, 2007-11
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- Figure 73: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, 2007-11
- Figure 74: Agreement with selected life style statements, by demographics, 2011
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- Figure 75: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, by demographics, 2011
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Appendix – Broader Market Environment
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- Figure 76: UK households, by size, 2007-17
- Figure 77: Trends and projections in the UK population (‘000s), by age group, 2007-17
- Figure 78: Forecast adult population trends, by socio-economic group, 2007-17
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Appendix – Who’s Innovating?
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- Figure 79: New product claims in prepared meals and meal kits, 2007-11
- Figure 80: New product claim categories in prepared meals and meal kits, 2007-11
- Figure 81: New product claims in pastry dishes, 2007-11
- Figure 82: New product claim categories in pastry dishes, 2007-11
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Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 83: Best- and worst-case forecasts for prepared meals, by value, 2012-17
- Figure 84: Best- and worst-case forecasts for chilled ready meals, by value, 2012-17
- Figure 85: Best- and worst-case forecasts for frozen ready meals, by value, 2012-17
- Figure 86: Best- and worst-case forecasts for ready to cook meals, by value, 2012-17
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- Figure 87: Best- and worst-case forecasts for pies and pasties, by value, 2012-17
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Appendix – Market Segmentation
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- Figure 88: Chilled and frozen ready meals, ready to cook meals and pies and pasties, by volume, 2009-11
- Figure 89: Market segments in the chilled and frozen ready meals market, by volume, by cuisine, 2009-11
- Figure 90: Market segments in the ready to cook foods market, by volume, by cuisine, 2009-11
- Figure 91: Market segments in the chilled and frozen ready meals and ready to cook foods market, by volume, by positioning, 2009-11
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Appendix – Brand Communications
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- Figure 92: Advertising expenditure, by food type, in the UK prepared meals and meal centres market, 2007-11
- Figure 93: Monitored advertising expenditure in the UK prepared meals and meal centres market, by media type, 2009-11
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Appendix – Consumer – Usage and Purchase of Prepared Meals, Pies and Pasties
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- Figure 94: Types of prepared meals eaten, March 2012
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- Figure 95: Most popular types of prepared meals eaten, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 96: Next most popular types of prepared meals eaten, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 97: Other types of prepared meals eaten, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 98: Most popular types of prepared meals bought, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 99: Next most popular types of prepared meals bought, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 100: Other types of prepared meals bought, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 101: Frequency of eating chilled pies with pastry (eg chicken or steak and ale pie), by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 102: Frequency of eating frozen pies with pastry (eg findus, eg chicken or steak and ale pie), by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 103: Frequency of eating tinned pies (eg Fray Bentos), by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 104: Frequency of eating chilled meal kits, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 105: Frequency of eating meal kits that can be stored at room temperature (eg fajitas), by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 106: Frequency of eating chilled ready meals, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 107: Frequency of eating frozen ready meals, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 108: Frequency of eating ready meals that can be stored at room temperature (eg in a tin, in a pouch), by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 109: Frequency of eating pasties, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 110: Frequency of eating ready to cook meals, by demographics, March 2012
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Appendix – Consumer – Attitudes towards Ready Meals and Ready to Cook Meals
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- Figure 111: Most popular attitudes towards ready meals and ready to cook meals, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 112: Next most popular attitudes towards ready meals and ready to cook meals, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 113: Other attitudes towards ready meals and ready to cook meals, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 114: Most popular attitudes towards ready meals and ready to cook meals, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 115: Next most popular attitudes towards ready meals and ready to cook meals, by demographics, March 2012
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Appendix – Consumer – Obstacles and Opportunities Facing Ready Meals
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- Figure 116: Attitudes towards ready meals, March 2012
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- Figure 117: Agreement with the statements ‘Ready meals have high levels of salt/fat/additives’ and ‘Most ready meals don’t feel fresh’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 118: Agreement with the statements ‘I would try a ready meal from a familiar brand’ and ‘Standard ready meals are not good for children’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 119: Agreement with the statements ‘The texture of frozen ready meals is not as good that of chilled ready meals’ and ‘They are a good way to try a new cuisine’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 120: Agreement with the statements ‘I would like to see more ready meals made by small/local producers’ and ‘Ready meals are often stodgy’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 121: Agreement with the statements ‘Frozen ready meals can be made without any additives/preservatives’ and ‘I would like to see more ready meals tailored for children’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 122: Agreement with the statements ‘There are not enough ready meals catering for special diets’ and ‘Frozen ready meals are too slow to heat’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 123: Attitudes towards ready meals, March 2012
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- Figure 124: Agreement with the statements ‘Ready meals have high levels of salt/fat/additives’ and ‘Most ready meals don’t feel fresh’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 125: Agreement with the statements ‘I would try a ready meal from a familiar brand’ and ‘Standard ready meals are not good for children’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 126: Agreement with the statements ‘The texture of frozen ready meals is not as good that of chilled ready meals’ and ‘They are a good way to try a new cuisine’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 127: Agreement with the statements ‘I would like to see more ready meals made by small/local producers’ and ‘Ready meals are often stodgy’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 128: Agreement with the statements ‘Frozen ready meals can be made without any additives/preservatives’ and ‘I would like to see more ready meals tailored for children’, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 129: Agreement with the statements ‘There are not enough ready meals catering for special diets’ and ‘Frozen ready meals are too slow to heat’, by demographics, March 2012
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Appendix – Consumer – Attitudes Towards Meal Kits, Pies and Pasties
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- Figure 130: Attitudes towards pies, meal kits and eating habits, March 2012
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- Figure 131: Most popular attitudes towards pies, meal kits and eating habits, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 132: Next most popular attitudes towards pies, meal kits and eating habits, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 133: Most popular attitudes towards pies, meal kits and eating habits, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 134: Next most popular attitudes towards pies, meal kits and eating habits, by demographics, March 2012
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Appendix – Target Groups
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- Figure 135: Target groups (attitudes towards ready meals), by demographics, March 2012
- Figure 136: Target group, by attitudes towards ready meals, March 2012
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- Figure 137: Types of prepared meals bought, by target group (attitudes towards ready meals), March 2012
- Figure 138: Attitudes towards ready meals and ready to cook meals by type, by target group (attitudes towards ready meals), March 2012
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- Figure 139: Attitudes towards ready meals, by target group (attitudes towards ready meals), March 2012
- Figure 140: Attitudes towards health and healthy lifestyles, by target group (attitudes towards ready meals), March 2012
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- Figure 141: Statement describes cooking and eating habits, by target group (attitudes towards ready meals), March 2012
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