Table of Contents
Introduction
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- Key themes of the report
- Definitions
- Consumer research
- Data sources
- Abbreviations
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Segmentation of the ready meal market, by three main sub-sectors, IoI, 2012
- Forecast
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- Figure 2: Index growth in ready meal market, NI and RoI, 2008-18
- Market factors
- Horsemeat scandal
- The rise of own-brand and discount retailers
- Declining household size
- Focus on diet and health
- Companies, brands and innovations
- The consumer
- Chilled ready meals most popular with Irish consumers
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- Figure 3: Prepared meals purchased in the last three months, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Chilled and ready-to-cook meals being favoured by ABC1 consumers
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- Figure 4: Prepared meals purchased in the last three months, by social class, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Irish consumers favouring traditional cuisine
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- Figure 5: Types of ready meals purchased in the last three months, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Premium ranges most popular with Irish consumers
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- Figure 6: Types of ready meals purchased in the last three months, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Ready meals benefiting from their convenience status
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- Figure 7: Words associated with chilled, frozen and ready-to-cook meals, NI, October 2013
- Ready-to-cook meals benefiting from positive associations by RoI consumers
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- Figure 8: Words associated with chilled, frozen and ready-to-cook meals, RoI, October 2013
- Ready meals appealing to time-scarce Irish consumers
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- Figure 9: Agreement with statements relating to ready meals, NI and RoI, October 2013
- What we think
Issues in the Market
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- What impact did the horsemeat scandal have on consumers’ attitudes towards ready meals?
- How can ready meals improve their health credentials and appeal to health-conscious consumers?
- Are consumers favouring chilled, frozen or ready-to-cook meals?
- What impact is the scratch cooking resurgence having on the ready meal market?
- NPD opportunities for Irish brands
Trend Application
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- Locavore
- Man in the Mirror
- Mintel futures: Brand Intervention
Market Overview
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- Key points
- Rising food prices putting pressure on consumer spending
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- Figure 10: Annual food inflation, percentage change on the same period of the previous year, UK (including NI) and RoI, February-September 2013
- Ready meal industry embroiled in horsemeat scandal
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- Figure 11: Agreement with statements relating to ready meals, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Frozen foods appealing in challenging economic climate
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- Figure 12: Consumers who bought own-label frozen foods in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, 2010 and 2012
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- Figure 13: Consumers’ attitudes towards frozen and chilled food, RoI, 2013
- Consumer belt tightening helping discount retailers to capture higher market share
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- Figure 14: How consumers rate their current financial situation, NI and RoI, July 2013
- Ready meal market well positioned to appeal to one-person households
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- Figure 15: Percentage of private households, by number of occupants, NI and RoI, 2011
- Long working hours fuelling demand for ready meals
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- Figure 16: Average number of actual weekly hours of work in main job, full-time employees, 2012
- Ready meals battling criticism due to health credentials
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- Figure 17: Energy contents of lasagne in three major supermarkets, 2012
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Re-engagement with home cooking poses challenges to market
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- Figure 18: Level of cooking expertise, RoI, 2005-13
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- Figure 19: Attitudes towards cooking, RoI, 2007-13
- The rise of the meal kit
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- Figure 20: Meal kits launched, UK and Ireland, 2008-13
- Casual and on-the-go dining posing a threat to the ready meal market
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- Figure 21: Irish foodservice sales (€ million at consumer prices), NI and RoI, 2003-15
Market Size and Segmentation
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- Key points
- Steady growth forecast for Irish ready meal market
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- Figure 22: Market size of ready meals *, all-Ireland, 2008-18
- Growth in NI ready meal market forecast to outpace RoI market
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- Figure 23: Index growth in ready meal market, NI and RoI, 2008-18
- Chilled dominating ready meal market
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- Figure 24: Segmentation of the ready meal market, by three main sub-sectors, IoI, 2012
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Innovations
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- Key points
- Private label dominating ready meal category
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- Figure 25: Branded and private label ready meal launches, UK and Ireland, 2008-13
- Tesco leads the multiples in ready meal launches
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- Figure 26: Top five ready meal launches by company, UK and Ireland, 2008, 2012 and 2013
- Global new flavour innovation
- Celebrity chefs branching out to ready meal ranges
- ‘Slow cooking’ adding value to ready meals
- Frozen ready meal innovations targeting specific demographics
Companies and Products
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- Asda
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- Figure 27: Asda’s standard range of ready meals
- Dunnes Stores
- Findus
- Heinz
- Weight Watchers
- Kerry Foods
- Marks & Spencer
- Sainsbury’s
- SuperValu
- Tesco
- The Co-operative Group
The Consumer – Frequency of Consumption
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- Key points
- Chilled ready meals most popular with Irish consumers
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- Figure 28: Chilled ready meals purchased in the last three months, NI and RoI, October 2013
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- Figure 29: Chilled ready meals purchased in the last three months, by gender and social class, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Frozen meals less popular than chilled
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- Figure 30: Frozen ready meals purchased in the last three months, by gender and social class, NI and RoI, October 2013
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- Figure 31: Frozen ready meals purchased in the last three months, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Ready-to-cook meals appealing to ABC1 consumers
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- Figure 32: Ready-to-cook meals purchased in the last three months, by gender and social class, NI and RoI, October 2013
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- Figure 33: Ready-to-cook meals purchased in the last three months, NI and RoI, October 2013
The Consumer – Types of Ready Meal Cuisine Purchased
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- Key points
- Traditional cuisine most popular with Irish consumers
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- Figure 34: Types of ready meals purchased in the last three months, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Men most likely to choose traditional ready meals
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- Figure 35: Traditional ready meals purchased in the last three months, by gender and age, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Less affluent consumers opt for traditional flavours
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- Figure 36: Traditional ready meals purchased in the last three months, by social class, NI and RoI, October 2013
- NI consumers more likely to opt for ethnic ready meals
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- Figure 37: Chinese and Indian ready meals purchased in the last three months, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Men preferring traditional whilst women opt for Italian
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- Figure 38: Types of ready meals purchased in the last three months, by gender, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Women and RoI consumers seeking healthy ready meals
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- Figure 39: Purchased low-fat/low-calorie ready meals/ ready-to-cook meals in the past three months, by gender and age, NI and RoI, October 2013
The Consumer – Types of Ready Meal Brands Purchased
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- Key points
- Premium own-label most popular with Irish consumers
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- Figure 40: Types of ready meals purchased in the last three months, NI and RoI, October 2013
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- Figure 41: Premium supermarket own-label ready meals purchased in the last three months, by social class and age, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Standard ready meal ranges being favoured by NI men
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- Figure 42: Standard ready meals/ready-to-cook meals purchased in the last three months, by gender and age, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Over half of Irish consumers purchasing branded ready meals
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- Figure 43: Branded ready meals/ready-to-cook meals purchased in the last three months, by gender and age, NI and RoI, October 2013
The Consumer – Perceptions of Ready Meals
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- Key points
- Ready meals benefiting from their convenient status
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- Figure 44: Words associated with chilled, frozen and ready-to-cook meals, NI, October 2013
- Ready meals well positioned to appeal to time-scarce RoI consumers
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- Figure 45: Words associated with chilled, frozen and ready-to-cook meals, RoI, October 2013
- NI and RoI men are key targets for chilled and frozen ready meal industry
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- Figure 46: Words associated with chilled, frozen and ready-to-cook meals, by gender, RoI, October 2013
The Consumer – Attitudes towards Ready Meals
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- Key points
- Ready meals appealing to time-scarce Irish consumers
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- Figure 47: Agreement with statements relating to ready meals, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Ready meals well positioned to appeal to one-person households
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- Figure 48: Agreement with the statement ‘Ready meals are a convenient alternative when I am too busy/tired to cook’, by marital status, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Women more likely to cook from scratch
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- Figure 49: Agreement with the statement ‘I prefer to cook meals from scratch so I can control the ingredients’, by gender and age, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Women wary of the quality of value meals
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- Figure 50: Agreement with the statement ‘I'm wary of the quality of the ingredients in value ranges of ready meals’, by gender and age, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Food price rises being felt by consumers
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- Figure 51: Agreement with the statement ‘Ready meals have become more expensive over the past year’, by social class, NI and RoI, October 2013
- A quarter of NI and a fifth of RoI consumers are keen to try new ready meal cuisines
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- Figure 52: Agreement with the statement ‘I like to try new cuisine types in ready meals (eg Moroccan, etc.)’, by gender and age, NI and RoI, October 2013
- RoI consumers looking to provenance of ready meals
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- Figure 53: Agreement with the statement ‘I would like to know more about the origin of the ingredients (eg meat) in ready meals’, by gender and age, NI and RoI, October 2013
- Over a quarter of NI consumers buying more ready meal dine-in deals
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- Figure 54: Agreement with the statement ‘I'm buying more ready meal deals (eg Marks & Spencer's Dine in for £10/ €13.50)’, by gender and age, NI and RoI, October 2013
Appendix
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- NI Toluna tables
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- Figure 55: Chilled ready meals purchased in the last three months, by demographics, NI, October 2013
- Figure 56: Frozen ready meals purchased in the last three months, by demographics, NI, October 2013
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- Figure 57: Ready-to-cook meals purchased in the last three months, by demographics, NI, October 2013
- Figure 58: Types of ready meals purchased in the last three months, by demographics, NI, October 2013
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- Figure 59: Purchased low-fat/low-calorie ready meals/ ready-to-cook meals in the past three months, by demographics, NI, October 2013
- Figure 60: Types of ready meals/ready-to-cook meals purchased in the last three months, by demographics, NI, October 2013
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- Figure 61: Words associated with chilled ready meals, by demographics, NI, October 2013
- Figure 62: Words associated with chilled ready meals, by demographics, NI, October 2013 (continued)
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- Figure 63: Words associated with frozen ready meals, by demographics, NI, October 2013
- Figure 64: Words associated with frozen ready meals, by demographics, NI, October 2013 (continued)
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- Figure 65: Words associated with ready-to-cook meals, by demographics, NI, October 2013
- Figure 66: Words associated with ready-to-cook meals, by demographics, NI, October 2013 (continued)
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- Figure 67: Agreement with statements relating to ready meals, by demographics, NI, October 2013
- Figure 68: Agreement with statements relating to ready meals, by demographics, NI, October 2013 (continued)
- RoI Toluna tables
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- Figure 69: Chilled ready meals purchased in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
- Figure 70: Frozen ready meals purchased in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
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- Figure 71: Ready-to-cook meals purchased in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
- Figure 72: Types of ready meals purchased in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
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- Figure 73: Purchased low-fat/low-calorie ready meals/ready-to-cook meals in the past three months, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
- Figure 74: Types of ready meals/ready-to-cook meals purchased in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
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- Figure 75: Words associated with chilled ready meals, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
- Figure 76: Words associated with chilled ready meals, by demographics, RoI, October 2013 (continued)
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- Figure 77: Words associated with frozen ready meals, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
- Figure 78: Words associated with frozen ready meals, by demographics, RoI, October 2013 (continued)
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- Figure 79: Words associated with ready-to-cook meals, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
- Figure 80: Words associated with ready-to-cook meals, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
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- Figure 81: Agreement with statements relating to ready meals, by demographics, RoI, October 2013
- Figure 82: Agreement with statements relating to ready meals, by demographics, RoI, October 2013 (continued)
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