Table of Contents
Introduction
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- Definition
- Abbreviations
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: UK retail value sales of pasta, rice and noodles*, 2007-17
- Market factors
- Foreign cuisine is an integral part of British dining
- Commodity inflation sees global prices of wheat soar
- Demographic shifts present challenges and opportunities
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Own-label reigns supreme in the pasta market
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- Figure 2: Brand shares in value sales of pasta*, 2012**
- Uncle Ben’s leads the rice brands
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- Figure 3: Brand shares in value sales of rice, 2012*
- Brands have the upper hand in the noodles market
- Own-label’s share of NPD climbs in 2012
- Advertising support declines in 2012
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- Figure 4: Main monitored media advertising expenditure in total pasta, rice and noodles (including instant noodles, rice and pasta) market, 2009-12
- The consumer
- Pasta, rice and noodles are eaten by the majority of consumers
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- Figure 5: Types of pasta, rice and noodles used, November 2012
- Consumers deem speed and convenience to be most important factors in pasta choice
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- Figure 6: Factors considered when choosing pasta, rice and noodles, November 2012
- The versatility of pasta and its healthiness are central to its appeal
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- Figure 7: Attitudes towards pasta, November 2012
- Over half of users welcome new rice recipe ideas
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- Figure 8: Attitudes towards rice, November 2012
- Half of users see noodles as a cheap and filling option
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- Figure 9: Attitudes towards noodles, November 2012
- What we think
Issues in the Market
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- What steps can manufacturers take to enhance the appeal of wholegrain pasta, rice and noodles?
- How can brands differentiate themselves from own-label in the pasta market?
- What areas offer key opportunities in added-health products?
- How can brands drive engagement by helping consumers judge how much pasta and rice to cook?
Trend Application
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- Trend: Help me Help Myself
- Trend: Minimize Me
- 2015 trend: Old Gold
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Britons show a strong appreciation of foreign cuisine
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- Figure 10: Consumers who like to try out new food products and enjoy eating foreign food, by age and socio-economic group, 2012
- Indian and Chinese are the go-to ethnic cuisines
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- Figure 11: Types of ethnic foods eaten, June 2012
- Older consumers strive for a high-fibre diet
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- Figure 12: Agreement with the statement ‘I try to include plenty of fibre in my diet these days’, 2008-12
- Figure 13: Consumers who like to include plenty of fibre in their diets these days, by gender, age and socio-economic group, 2012
- Convenience continues to appeal to shoppers
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- Figure 14: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, 2008-12
- Poor wheat yields hit the pasta market
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- Figure 15: Average retail prices of pasta, rice and noodles, 2007-12
- Ageing population
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- Figure 16: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2007-17
- Growth of one-person households could hinder the market
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- Figure 17: UK households, by size, 2007-17
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- Pasta accounts for highest share of overall NPD
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- Figure 18: Product launches within the UK pasta*, rice and instant snack market as share of total new products launched in the UK food market, 2009-12
- Own-label dominates new launch activity in pasta and rice…
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- Figure 19: Private label product launches within the UK pasta* and rice market, 2009-12
- … while brands just maintain leadership in NPD in noodles
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- Figure 20: Product launches within the UK instant snack market, by private label and brands, 2009-12
- Pasta
- Morrisons, Tesco and Asda lead pasta NPD
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- Figure 21: Top 15 companies for NPD in the UK pasta* market, by share of new launches, 2009-12
- Chilled pasta NPD overtakes ambient in 2012
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- Figure 22: Product launches within the UK pasta* market, by storage, 2009-12
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- Figure 23: Product launches within the UK pasta* market, by packaging type, 2009-12
- Veetee follows Heinz into microwaveable pasta
- Heinz gives the gluten-free pasta market brand clout
- Rice
- Tesco accounted for a fifth of rice NPD in 2012
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- Figure 24: Top 10 companies for NPD in the UK rice market, by share, 2009-12
- Ambient rice continues to dominate NPD
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- Figure 25: Product launches within the UK rice market, by storage, 2009-12
- Uncle Ben’s taps into ‘hidden healthiness’ through fibre
- Activity in the children’s pasta and rice market
- Instant pasta, rice and noodles
- Morrisons takes the lead in instant noodles, pasta and rice NPD
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- Figure 26: Top 15 companies for NPD in the UK instant pasta, rice and noodles market, by share, 2009-12
- NPD in tubs increased in 2012
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- Figure 27: Product launches within the UK instant pasta, rice and noodles market, by packaging type, 2009-12
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Market value grows by 36% over 2007-12, but volume growth much more muted
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- Figure 28: UK retail sales for pasta, rice and noodles*, by value and volume, 2007-17
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- Figure 29: UK retail value sales for pasta, rice and noodles*, 2007-17
- Figure 30: UK retail volume sales for pasta, rice and noodles*, 2007-17
- Growth in pasta is driven by inflation
- Rice sees the biggest overall growth over 2007-12…
- … while noodles record the fastest growth in 2012
- The future of the pasta, rice and noodles market
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- Figure 31: UK retail value sales of pasta, rice and noodles*, 2007-17
- Pasta
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- Figure 32: UK retail value sales of pasta, 2007-17
- Rice
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- Figure 33: UK retail value sales of rice, 2007-17
- Noodles and instant hot snacks
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- Figure 34: UK retail value sales of noodles*, 2007-17
- Factors used in the forecast
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Dry pasta posts strong growth
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- Figure 35: UK retail value and volume sales of pasta, by sector, 2010-12
- Ambient rice’s dominance slips as savoury and frozen rice gain share
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- Figure 36: UK retail value and volume sales of rice, by sector, 2010-12
- Instant hot snacks are booming
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- Figure 37: UK retail value and volume sales of noodles, by sector, 2010-12
Market Share
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- Key points
- Own-label continues to dominate pasta
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- Figure 38: Brand shares in value and volume sales of pasta*, 2011** and 2012***
- Figure 39: Brand shares in value sales of pasta*, 2012**
- Uncle Ben’s leads the rice brands
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- Figure 40: Brand shares in value and volume sales of rice, 2011* and 2012**
- Sharwood’s and Amoy boss the noodles market
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- Figure 41: Brand shares in value and volume sales of noodles*, 2011** and 2012***
- Pot Noodles remains in the top spot
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- Figure 42: Brand shares in value and volume sales of instant hot snacks, 2011* and 2012**
Companies and Products
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- De Cecco
- Heinz Europe Limited
- Mars UK
- Napolina
- Premier Foods
- Tilda Limited
- Unilever
- Veetee Rice Limited
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 43: Attitudes towards and usage of brands in the pasta, rice and noodles sector, August and November 2012
- Correspondence analysis
- Brand attitudes
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- Figure 44: Attitudes by pasta, rice and noodles brand, August and November 2012
- Brand personality
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- Figure 45: Pasta, rice and noodles brand personality – macro image, August and November 2012
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- Figure 46: Pasta, rice and noodles brand personality – micro image, August and November 2012
- Brand experience
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- Figure 47: Pasta, rice and noodles brand usage, August and November 2012
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- Figure 48: Satisfaction with various pasta, rice and noodles brands, August and November 2012
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- Figure 49: Consideration of pasta, rice and noodles brands, August and November 2012
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- Figure 50: Consumer perceptions of current pasta, rice and noodles brand performance, August and November 2012
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- Figure 51: Pasta, rice and noodles brand recommendation – Net Promoter Score, August and November 2012
- Brand index
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- Figure 52: Pasta, rice and noodles brand index, August and November 2012
- Figure 53: Pasta, rice and noodles brand index vs. recommendation, August and November 2012
- Target group analysis
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- Figure 54: Target groups, August and November 2012
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- Figure 55: Pasta, rice and noodles brand usage, by target groups, August and November 2012
- Group One – Conformists
- Group Two – Simply the Best
- Group Three – Shelf Stalkers
- Group Four – Habitual Shoppers
- Group Five – Individualists
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Total adspend plummets in 2012
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- Figure 56: Main monitored media advertising expenditure in total pasta, rice and noodles (including instant noodles, rice and pasta) market, 2009-12
- Mars accounted for 80% of adspend in 2012
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- Figure 57: Advertising expenditure in the pasta, rice and noodles (including instant noodles, rice and pasta) market, by highest-spending brands, 2009-12
- TV advertising dominates
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- Figure 58: Main monitored media spend on pasta, rice and noodles (including instant noodles, rice and pasta) market, by media type, 2009-12
Channels to Market
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- Key points
- Multiples dominate the market
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- Figure 59: Estimated retail distribution of pasta, rice and noodles, 2010-12
The Consumer – Usage of Pasta, Rice and Noodles
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- Key points
- Pasta and rice boast the highest penetration
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- Figure 60: Types of pasta, rice and noodles used, November 2012
- Women are the core users of pasta, rice and noodles
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- Figure 61: Usage of pasta, rice and noodles, by gender and age group, November 2012
- Pasta, rice and noodles are typically eaten on a weekly basis
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- Figure 62: Frequency of usage of pasta, rice and noodles, November 2012
- Under-35s and large households are the most frequent users
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- Figure 63: Consumers who use pasta at least once a week, by household size, November 2012
- Competition from up-and-coming grains and pulses
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- Figure 64: Usage of couscous, barley, quinoa and bulgur wheat, by gender and socio-economic group, November 2012
The Consumer – Choice Factors
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- Convenience is a major selling point
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- Figure 65: Factors considered when choosing pasta, rice and noodles, November 2012
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- Figure 66: Consumers who look for quick to prepare products when choosing pasta, rice and noodles, November 2012
- Versatility is most important for pasta
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- Figure 67: Consumers who look for products which can be used with different types of dishes when choosing pasta, rice and noodles, by age group, November 2012
- High quality ingredients appeal to over-55s and ABC1s
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- Figure 68: Consumers who look for products which have high quality ingredients and which are wholegrain when choosing pasta, rice and noodles, November 2012
- Added health is considered important for a minority
- Satiety is most important for under-35s
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- Figure 69: Consumers who look for pasta, rice and noodles which will keep them fuller for longer, November 2012
The Consumer – Attitudes Towards Pasta
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- Key points
- The versatility of pasta and its healthiness are at the heart of its appeal
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- Figure 70: Attitudes towards pasta, November 2012
- Under-25s tend to stick to the same type of pasta
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- Figure 71: Agreement with the statement ‘I tend to use the same shapes of pasta’ and ‘Fresh pasta with filling is more exciting than plain pasta varieties’, by age, November 2012
- Judging portion sizes is a well-recognised problem for under-35s
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- Figure 72: Agreement with the statement ‘it’s hard to judge how much dry pasta I need to cook’, by gender and age, November 2012
- 25-34s are most likely to limit pasta usage because of its stodginess
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- Figure 73: Agreement with the statement ‘Pasta is too stodgy to have regularly’, by gender and age, November 2012
The Consumer – Attitudes Towards Rice
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- Key points
- Awareness of the healthiness of wholegrain rice is high
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- Figure 74: Attitudes towards rice, November 2012
- Consumers are open to recipe ideation
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- Figure 75: Consumers who agree with the statements ‘I’d like new ideas how to use rice in different dishes’ and ‘I tend to stick to one type of rice’, by gender and age, November 2012
- Half of rice consumers associate pouches with poor value for money
- Notable demand for healthier rice products and those with added veg
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- Figure 76: Consumers who agree with the statements ‘I’d like to see a wider variety of healthier rice products’ and I’d like to see more rice dishes with added vegetables’, by gender and age, November 2012
The Consumer – Attitudes Towards Noodles
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- Key points
- Half of consumers see noodles as a cheap and filling option
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- Figure 77: Attitudes towards noodles, November 2012
- A lack of experimentation within the noodles market?
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- Figure 78: Consumers who agree with the statements ‘I only use noodles in oriental-style dishes’, ‘I use noodles as an ingredient in soup’ and ‘I like to experiment with different noodle dishes’, by gender, age and socio-economic group, November 2012
- A minority see own-label as on par with brands
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- Figure 79: Consumers who agree with the statement ‘Own-label noodles are just as good as branded noodles’, by gender, age and socio-economic group, November 2012
- Healthier pot and packet noodles appeal to a quarter
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- Figure 80: Consumers who agree with the statement ‘I would like to see a wider variety of healthy pot and packet noodles’, by age and socio-economic group, November 2012
- Notable demand for more both authentic and low-calorie noodles
The Consumer – Target Groups
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- Key points
- Four target groups
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- Figure 81: Target groups, November 2012
- Quality-seekers (31%)
- Who are they?
- Traditional users (23%)
- Who are they?
- Inexperienced cooks (25%)
- Who are they?
- Disengaged (21%)
- Who are they?
Appendix – Market Drivers
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- Figure 82: Agreement with selected life style statements, 2008-12
- Figure 83: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, by demographics, 2008-12
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Appendix – Market Size
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- Figure 84: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of pasta, rice and noodles, by volume, 2012-17
- Figure 85: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of pasta, rice and noodles, by value, 2012-17
- Figure 86: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of pasta, by volume, 2012-17
- Figure 87: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of pasta, by value, 2012-17
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- Figure 88: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of rice, by volume, 2012-17
- Figure 89: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of rice, by value, 2012-17
- Figure 90: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of noodles, by volume, 2012-17
- Figure 91: Best- and worst-case forecasts for retail sales of noodles, by value, 2012-17
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Appendix – Brand Research
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- Figure 92: Brand usage, November 2012
- Figure 93: Brand usage, August 2012
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- Figure 94: Brand commitment, August & November 2012
- Figure 95: Brand momentum, August & November 2012
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- Figure 96: Brand diversity, August & November 2012
- Figure 97: Brand satisfaction, August & November 2012
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- Figure 98: Brand recommendation, August & November 2012
- Figure 99: Brand attitude, August & November 2012
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- Figure 100: Brand image – macro image, August & November 2012
- Figure 101: Brand image – micro image, August & November 2012
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- Figure 102: Profile of target groups, by demographics, August and November 2012
- Figure 103: Psychographic segmentation by target groups, August & November 2012
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- Figure 104: Brand usage, by target groups, November 2012
- Figure 105: Brand usage, by target groups, August 2012
- Brand index
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- Figure 106: Brand index, November 2012
- Figure 107: Brand index, August 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Usage of Pasta, Rice and Noodles
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- Figure 108: Most popular types of pasta, rice, noodles and grains used, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 109: Next most popular types of pasta, rice, noodles and grains used, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 110: Repertoire for types of pasta, rice, noodles and grains used, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 111: Frequency of eating pasta, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 112: Frequency of eating rice, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 113: Frequency of eating noodles, by demographics, November 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Choice Factors
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- Figure 114: Most popular factors considered when choosing pasta, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 115: Next most popular factors considered when choosing pasta, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 116: Other factors considered when choosing pasta, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 117: Most popular factors considered when choosing rice, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 118: Next most popular factors considered when choosing rice, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 119: Other factors considered when choosing rice, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 120: Most popular factors considered when choosing noodles, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 121: Next most popular factors considered when choosing noodles, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 122: Other factors considered when choosing noodles, by demographics, November 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Attitudes Towards Pasta
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- Figure 123: Agreement with the statements ‘Pasta is a good base for many different dishes’ and ‘Pasta makes for a good meal for children’, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 124: Agreement with the statements ‘Pasta makes for a healthy and nutritious meal’ and ‘I tend to use the same shapes of pasta’, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 125: Agreement with the statements ‘Fresh pasta with filling is more exciting than plain pasta varieties’ and ‘I would like to see more pasta with functional benefits’, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 126: Agreement with the statements ‘it’s hard to judge how much dry pasta I need to cook’ and ‘You can’t tell the difference between fresh pasta and dry pasta when it is cooked’, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 127: Agreement with the statements ‘White pasta is tastier than wholegrain pasta’ and ‘I’d like to see more microwaveable pasta in single servings’, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 128: Agreement with the statements ‘Pasta is too stodgy to have regularly’, by demographics, November 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Attitudes Towards Rice
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- Figure 129: Agreement with the statements ‘Wholegrain rice is healthier than white rice’ and ‘I’d like some new ideas on how to use rice in different dishes’, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 130: Agreement with the statements ‘I tend to stick to one type of rice’ and ‘Microwaveable rice in pouches is not good value for money’, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 131: Agreement with the statements ‘I’d like to see a wider variety of healthier rice products’ and ‘I would like to see more rice dishes with added vegetables’, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 132: Agreement with the statements ‘It is hard to judge how much dry rice to cook’ and ‘Instant rice contains too much preservatives, additives and flavourings’, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 133: Agreement with the statements ‘I would like to see a wider variety of heritage grains such as quinoa and couscous’ and ‘I find it hard to cook rice to the right texture’, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 134: Agreement with the statements ‘Boiling dry rice takes too long’, by demographics, November 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Attitudes Towards Noodles
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- Figure 135: Most popular attitudes towards noodles, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 136: Next most popular attitudes towards noodles, by demographics, November 2012
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- Figure 137: Other attitudes towards noodles, by demographics, November 2012
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Appendix – Target Groups
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- Figure 138: Frequency of eating pasta, by target groups, November 2012
- Figure 139: Frequency of eating rice, by target groups, November 2012
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- Figure 140: Frequency of eating noodles, by target groups, November 2012
- Figure 141: Factors considered when choosing pasta, by target groups, November 2012
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- Figure 142: Factors considered when choosing rice, by target groups, November 2012
- Figure 143: Factors considered when choosing noodles, by target groups, November 2012
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- Figure 144: Attitudes towards pasta, by target groups, November 2012
- Figure 145: Attitudes towards noodles, by target groups, November 2012
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- Figure 146: Attitudes towards rice, by target groups, November 2012
- Figure 147: Attitudes towards pasta target groups, November 2012
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