Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Growing soups overshadowed by stagnant segments
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of soup, at current prices, 2013-23
- Frequent consumption is low
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- Figure 2: Soup consumption frequency, April 2018
- Condensed soup in need of a refresh
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- Figure 3: Multi-outlet sales of condensed wet soup, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- The opportunities
- Disrupt consumer habits
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- Figure 4: Soup behaviors – Brands and types/varieties, April 2018
- Reinforce soup category’s range
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- Figure 5: Correspondence analysis – Soup associations, April 2018
- In-store communication
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- Figure 6: Soup discovery, April 2018
- Play up the wholesome
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- Figure 7: Increased soup consumption drivers – Any rank and ranked 1, April 2018
- Products flexible to consumers and needs
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- Figure 8: Multi-outlet sales of dry soup, dry broth/stock, wet broth/stock, and refrigerated fresh soup, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Modest growth continues, but improvement expected
- Foodservice and international inspiration
- Refrigerated options
Market Size and Forecast
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- Mature category struggles to move the needle
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- Figure 9: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of soup, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 10: Total US sales and forecast of soup, at current prices, 2013-23
Market Breakdown
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- Smaller soup segments driving category growth
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- Figure 11: Total US market share of soup, by segment, at current prices, 2016, 2018, and 2023
- Figure 12: Total US retail sales and forecast of soup, by segment, at current prices, 2013-23
- Supermarkets dominate soup sales
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- Figure 13: Total US market share of soup, by channel, at current prices, 2018
Market Perspective
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- Interest in international foods
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- Figure 14: Interest in international flavors by retail food, any interest, October 2017
- Global varieties/flavors trending on menus
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- Figure 15: Soups – Select growing menu item cuisine types and flavors of ingredients, by menu incidence change, Q1 2016-18
Market Factors
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- Ambitions to eat cleaner, healthier
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- Figure 16: Lifestyle statements: attitudes/opinions about food and health – Any agree
- Perimeter of store offerings meet current consumer demands
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- Figure 17: Attitudes toward the perimeter, any agree, April 2017
- Mounting influence from younger adults
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- Figure 18: Population by generation, 2013-23
- Rise of passionate cookers
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- Figure 19: Cooking segments, by cooking enthusiasts, September 2015 and September 2017
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Turnaround from the top
- Campbell Soup sales fall
- Rapid innovation keeps refrigerated soups cool
- Old staples pivot on versatility, flexibility
- Condensed soup pigeonholed as an ingredient, old fashioned
- Packaging matters
Company and Brand Sales of Soup
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- Most large companies get back to growth
- Large gains come from small and private label brands
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- Figure 20: Multi-outlet sales of soup, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- Top companies recover in RTS soup, falter in condensed
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- Figure 21: Multi-outlet sales of ready-to-serve wet soup and condensed wet soup, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- Ramen and frozen soup brands make a comeback
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- Figure 22: Multi-outlet sales of ramen and frozen soup, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
What’s Working?
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- Refrigerated soups grow through packaging and flavor innovation
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- Figure 23: Launches of soup, by storage, shelf-stable, refrigerated, and frozen, 2014-17
- Figure 24: O, That’s Good! TV Advertisement: “Unrequited Love: Soups”
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- Figure 25: Multi-outlet sales of select growing refrigerated soup brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- Cooking made simpler
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- Figure 26: Multi-outlet sales of dry soup, dry broth/stock, and wet broth/stock, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
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- Figure 27: Bonafide Provisions: “Sundried Tomato Polenta Bites”
- Figure 28: Multi-outlet sales of select growing dry soup brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- Figure 29: Multi-outlet sales of select growing wet broth/stock brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- Focused claims that demonstrate health
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- Figure 30: Launches of soup, by select natural and suitability claims, 2014-17
- Figure 31: Multi-outlet sales of select growing soup brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
What’s Struggling?
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- Condensed soup struggles with innovation, versatility, and health image
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- Figure 32: Multi-outlet sales of condensed wet soup, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
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- Figure 33: Purchase intent of select condensed soup products, January 2017-April 2018
- “Healthy” is a four letter word
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- Figure 34: Multi-outlet sales of soup, by total brands with “health” or “healthy” in name, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
What’s Next?
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- Glass packaging
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- Figure 35: Launches of shelf-stable soup, by packaging material, glass plain, 2014-17
- Sippable soups
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- Figure 36: Launches of soup, by packaging type, bottled, 2014-17
- International accents
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- Figure 37: Emerging international cuisine purchase, November 2017
- Purely plants
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- Figure 38: Launches of soup, by vegan and dairy free, 2014-17
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- High penetration, problematic frequency
- Canned soup holds the crown
- Trial needed to break habits
- Packaging can lead to discovery, trial
- Desire for healthier soups
Soup Purchase and Consumption Frequency
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- Canned soup drives strong penetration
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- Figure 39: Soup purchase, April 2018
- Room to increase frequency, especially among younger women
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- Figure 40: Soup consumption frequency, April 2018
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- Figure 41: Soup consumption frequency – At least once a week, by gender and age, April 2018
- Older consumers stick to canned, young adults open to new formats
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- Figure 42: Soup purchase, by age, April 2018
- Household size influences assortment
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- Figure 43: Soup purchase, by parental status, April 2018
- Figure 44: Repertoire of soup purchase, by parental status and household size, April 2018
- Cooking skills, experience influential to broth purchase
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- Figure 45: Soup purchase – Any broth and meal kits with ingredients for making soup, by parental status and gender, April 2018
Soup Behaviors
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- Routine behaviors benefit and challenge soup
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- Figure 46: Soup behaviors, April 2018
- Soup seekers still looking for more
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- Figure 47: Soup behaviors – Purchase tendencies, by soup behaviors – Consumption versus last year and occasions, April 2018
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- Figure 48: Soup behaviors – Purchase tendencies, by soup consumption frequency – More than once a week, April 2018
- Younger adults more experimental in the category
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- Figure 49: Soup behaviors, by generation, April 2018
- Rural consumers habitual, city dwellers more experimental
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- Figure 50: Soup behaviors, by location, April 2018
Soup Discovery
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- In-store communication can lead to soup discovery
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- Figure 51: Soup discovery, April 2018
- Frequent soup eaters/seekers find new products online
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- Figure 52: Soup consumption frequency – At least once a week, by soup discovery, April 2018
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- Figure 53: Soup behaviors – Often look for different types/varieties to try, by soup discovery, April 2018
- Younger men discover soup across mediums
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- Figure 54: Soup discovery, by age and gender, April 2018
- Hispanics, parents discover soups through friends and family
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- Figure 55: Soup discovery – Friends and family, by Hispanic origin and parental status, April 2018
Soup Associations
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- Emphasize diversity of strengths
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- Figure 56: Correspondence analysis – Soup associations, April 2018
- Figure 57: Soup associations, April 2018
- Convenience comes in many forms, especially for older women
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- Figure 58: Soup associations – Easy to use in recipes, convenient, versatile, and comforting, by gender and age, April 2018
- Young adults still in discovery mode
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- Figure 59: Soup associations – Consumption occasions and filling, any soup, by age, April 2018
Soup Attitudes
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- Soups pair well
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- Figure 60: Soup attitudes – Good as side dish and more recipes, April 2018
- Consumers stick with same brands even amid change
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- Figure 61: Soup attitudes – Switching brands, premium soups, unique soups, and healthy soups, April 2018
- Flexibility of uses, quality ingredients important to parents
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- Figure 62: Soup attitudes – More recipes and premium soups, by parental status, April 2018
Increased Soup Consumption Drivers
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- Health takes on a new definition
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- Figure 63: Increased soup consumption drivers – Any rank and ranked 1, April 2018
- Women looking for healthier soups
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- Figure 64: Increased soup consumption drivers – Health claims, recognizable ingredients, and functional benefits, any rank, by gender and age, April 2018
- Larger households seek convenience and variety
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- Figure 65: Increased soup consumption drivers – any rank, by household size, April 2018
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 66: Total US retail sales and forecast of soup, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
- Figure 67: Total US retail sales and forecast of soup, by segment, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 68: Total US retail sales of soup, by segment, at current prices, 2016 and 2018
- Figure 69: Total US retail sales and forecast of ready-to-serve wet soup, at current prices, 2013-23
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- Figure 70: Total US retail sales and forecast of ready-to-serve wet soup, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
- Figure 71: Total US retail sales and forecast of condensed wet soup, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 72: Total US retail sales and forecast of condensed wet soup, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
- Figure 73: Total US retail sales and forecast of dry soup, at current prices, 2013-23
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- Figure 74: Total US retail sales and forecast of dry soup, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
- Figure 75: Total US retail sales and forecast of wet broth/stock, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 76: Total US retail sales and forecast of wet broth/stock, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
- Figure 77: Total US retail sales and forecast of refrigerated fresh soup/frozen soup, at current prices, 2013-23
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- Figure 78: Total US retail sales and forecast of refrigerated fresh soup/frozen soup, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
- Figure 79: Total US retail sales of soup, by channel, at current prices, 2013-18
- Figure 80: Total US retail sales of soup, by channel, at current prices, 2016 and 2018
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- Figure 81: US supermarket sales of soup, at current prices, 2013-18
- Figure 82: US sales of soup through other retail channels, at current prices, 2013-18
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 83: Multi-outlet sales of ready-to-serve wet soup, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- Figure 84: Multi-outlet sales of condensed wet soup, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
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- Figure 85: Multi-outlet sales of dry soup, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- Figure 86: Multi-outlet sales of wet broth/stock, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
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- Figure 87: Multi-outlet sales of refrigerated fresh soup/frozen soup, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
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