- Contents
- *Scope and Themes
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
What you need to know
The US soup market is forecast to grow slowly between 2013 and 2018, even though the slow economic rebound is forcing many recession-impacted consumers to seek out affordable meal solutions when household budgets do not allow for dining out or extravagant home-cooked meals. However, flavor, health, and convenience innovations should help drive sales in the coming years. Households with children remain an important demographic for marketers, although the percentage of households with children continues to decline. Brands may experience a bright spot in the quickly growing Hispanic and Asian populations between 2009 and 2019, as these groups report more likelihood than other racial/ethnic groups to buy soup for the household. This report covers these issues and factors in depth, and provides analysis of the following:
How Campbell brands help the company maintain its top position in the MULO market
How RTS (ready-to-serve) wet soups control the largest segment
Marketing strategies of the top companies, including social media initiatives
Trends in the market, including health claims such as no additives/preservatives and low sodium, and new flavor variations
This report also features analysis of consumer behaviors and attitudes, taken from Mintel’s exclusive consumer survey.
Definition
For the purposes of this report, Mintel has used the following definitions:
This report builds on the analysis in Mintel’s Soup – US, April 2013, as well as the April 2012, January 2011, January 2010, January 2008, September 2007, and June 2006 reports of the same title. For the purposes of this report, soup is covered as per the following definitions:
RTS wet soup – canned or refrigerated soup that does not require additional ingredients
Condensed wet soup – soup that can be used as is in recipes or needs to have water or milk added to use as traditional soup
Dry soup mixes – dehydrated and requiring the addition of water to cook; most of these require simmering, although some are instant and need only be stirred. Includes bouillon and ramen noodle soup mixes
RTS broth – flavored water with some form of meat, fish, or vegetable; used as a base for soups and sauces
Refrigerated soup – soup that must be refrigerated to maintain freshness and heated to serve, but no added ingredients
Frozen soup – soup that requires thawing and heating, but no added ingredients.
Excluded from this report are restaurant or foodservice sales.
Value figures throughout this report are at rsp (retail selling prices) excluding sales tax unless otherwise stated.
Sales data
Market Size and Forecast and Segment Performance – Total retail sales based on Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews; USDA Economic Research Service
Retail Channels – based on Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews; USDA Economic Research Service; except supermarket and drug store sales, which are based on Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews.
Leading Companies and Brand Share sections – based on MULO sales data from Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews. MULO is defined as Multi Outlet, representative of the following channels: total US Grocery, Mass, total US Drug, total Walmart, Dollar, Military, and Club. Note that the values shown in this section differ from the Market Size and Forecast and Segment Performance sections of this report. Companies and brands sales data encompass only sales through MULO channels, while Market Size and Forecast and Segment Performance sales cover the entire retail market.
Consumer survey data
For the purposes of this report, Mintel commissioned exclusive consumer research through GMI to explore consumer consumption of/attitudes and behaviors toward soup. Mintel was responsible for the survey design, data analysis, and reporting. Fieldwork was conducted in February 2014 among a sample of 2,000 adults aged 18+ with access to the internet.
Mintel selects survey respondents by gender, age, household income, and region so that they are proportionally representative of the US adult population using the internet. Mintel also slightly over-samples, relative to the population, respondents that are Hispanic or Black to ensure an adequate representation of these groups in our survey results and to allow for more precise parameter estimates from our reported findings. Please note that Mintel surveys are conducted online and in English only. Hispanics who are not online and/or do not speak English are not included in the survey results.
Mintel has also analyzed data from EMS (Experian Marketing Services), using the Simmons NCS (National Consumer Study), the Simmons NHCS (National Hispanic Consumer Study), and the Simmons NCS Teen Study.
The Experian Marketing Services, Simmons NCS/NHCS was carried out during November 2012-December 2013 and the results are based on the sample of 23,689 adults aged 18+, with results weighted to represent the US adult population. The Simmons NCS Teen Study was carried out during May 2012-June 2013 and the results are based on the sample of 1,886 teens aged 12-17.
While race and Hispanic origin are separate demographic characteristics, Mintel often compares them to each other. Please note that the responses for race (White, Black, Asian, Native American, or other race) will overlap those that also are Hispanic, because Hispanics can be of any race.
Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used in this report:
| BFY | Better-for-you |
| BPA | Bisphenol A |
| CPI | Consumer Price Index |
| FDM | Food, drug, and mass |
| FSC | Forest Stewardship Council |
| GM | General Mills |
| GMO | Genetically modified organism |
| GNPD | Global New Products Database |
| : | : |
| : | : |
Generations are discussed within this report, and they are defined as:
| World War II/Swing Generations | Members of the WWII generation were born in 1932 or before and are aged 82 or older in 2014. Members of the Swing Generation were born between 1933 and 1945 and are aged 68-81 in 2014. |
| Baby Boomers | The generation born between 1946 and 1964. In 2014, Baby Boomers are between the ages of 50 and 68. |
| Generation X | Born between 1977 and 1994, Millennials are aged 20-37 in 2014. |
| Millennials* | The generation born between 1977 and 1994. In 2013, Millennials are between the ages of 19 and 36. |
| iGeneration | Born between 1995 and 2007, members of iGen are aged 7-19 in 2014. |
| Emerging Generation | The newest generation began in 2008 as the annual number of births declined sharply with the recession. In 2014 members of this as-yet-unnamed generation are younger than 7. |
* also known as Generation Y or Echo Boomers; includes the oldest members of the iGeneration, aged 18-19
In order to provide an inflation-adjusted price value for markets, Mintel uses the CPI to deflate current prices. The CPI is defined as follows:
| CPI | The Consumer Price Index is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. The CPI and its components are typically used to adjust other economic series for price changes and to translate these series into inflation-free dollars. Examples of series adjusted by the CPI include retail sales, hourly and weekly earnings, and components of the national income and product accounts. In addition, and in Mintel reports, the CPI is used as a deflator of the value of the consumer’s dollar to find its purchasing power. The purchasing power of the consumer’s dollar measures the change in the value to the consumer of goods and services that a dollar will buy at different dates. The CPI is generally the best measure for adjusting payments to consumers when the intent is to allow consumers to purchase, at today’s prices, a market basket of goods and services equivalent to one that they could purchase in an earlier period. It is also the best measure to use to translate retail sales into real or inflation-free dollars. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics definition. |
