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Cooking Sauces and Pasta Sauces - UK - December 2017

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Products covered in this report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
Cooking and pasta sauces enter fifth consecutive year of decline
Health remains an issue for the category
Value growth forecast for the market
Figure 1: Forecast of UK retail value sales of cooking and pasta sauces, 2012-22
Ambient wet sauces are the main driver in market’s decline
Salt makes a return to the public health agenda
Sugar continues to be a key purchasing factor
Opportunities to appeal to the flexitarian market
End to growing consumer incomes; scratch cooking offers a means of economising
Companies and brands
Nine of the top 10 brands see sales fall
Figure 2: Leading brands’ share of the UK retail cooking and pasta sauces market, by value, 2015/16 and 2016/17
Own-label bucks the downward trend
Brands lose share of launches to own-label
L/N/R sugar and sodium claims increase but remain niche
Homepride addresses gap in the market with kids’ cooking sauces
Popularity of pouches continues; jars lose share in NPD
Steep decline in advertising spend
‘No Drama’ campaign from Dolmio
The consumer
Four fifths of consumers use ready-made cooking sauces
Figure 3: Usage of cooking or pasta sauces in the last 3 months, by type, September 2017
Over a quarter make sauces from scratch in a typical week
Favourite sauce is the top influencer; buyers are opportunistic
Figure 4: Factors influencing choice of cooking/pasta sauce, September 2017
16-34s and over-55s are most drawn to healthiness
Half of non-buyers could be encouraged to buy cooking/pasta sauces
Figure 5: Factors to encourage purchasing of cooking/pasta sauces, September 2017
Easy-open packaging garners most interest
Figure 6: Interest in cooking/pasta sauce packaging features, September 2017
Parents are most likely to prefer a ready meal to using cooking/pasta sauces
Figure 7: Cooking/pasta sauce usage and buying behaviours, September 2017
Own-label sauces seen to lag behind brands on delivering flavour
Figure 8: Attitudes towards cooking/pasta sauces, September 2017
Non-chilled sauces most commonly associated with negative attributes
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
Healthier proposition can bring new audiences to the market
The facts
The implications
Cooking and pasta sauce products need to cater to the UK’s ageing population
The facts
The implications
Cooking sauces need to boost their image as authentic and being free from artificials
The facts
The implications
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Cooking and pasta sauces enter fifth consecutive year of decline
Health remains an issue for the category
Value growth forecast for the market
Ambient wet sauces are the main cause of the market’s decline
Salt makes a return to the public health agenda
Sugar continues to be a key purchasing factor
Opportunities to appeal to the flexitarian market
End to growing consumer incomes; scratch cooking offers a means of economising
MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Cooking and pasta sauce sales enter fifth consecutive year of decline
Health remains an issue for the category
Market value hit by growth of discounters
Figure 9: Forecast of UK retail value sales of cooking and pasta sauces*, 2012-22
Value growth forecast for the market
Figure 10: Forecast of UK retail value sales of cooking and pasta sauces, 2012-22
Responding to demographic shifts is vital for the market
Forecast methodology
MARKET SEGMENTATION
Ambient wet sauces are the main driver of market’s decline
Figure 11: UK retail sales of cooking/pasta sauces, by sector, 2015-17
Italian and traditional sauces continue to lose sales
Emerging sauces continue to see value growth
Figure 12: UK retail sales of ambient wet and dry cooking/pasta sauces, by cuisine, 2015-17
MARKET DRIVERS
Salt makes a return to the public health agenda …
…but sparks limited concern among consumers
Pesto sauces identified as a main offender for high salt levels
Potassium-based sodium replacers given the green light
Sugar continues to be a key purchasing factor
Opportunities to appeal to the flexitarian market
Figure 13: Share of product launches in the UK cooking and pasta sauces market, labelled suitable for vegetarians or vegans, 2013-17
Inflation fuels price rises; end to growing consumer incomes
Scratch cooking still a challenge to the market
Ready meals add pressure
Ageing population could curb sales
Figure 14: Usage of cooking and pasta sauces, by age, September 2017
Growth in number of smaller households could add further pressure to the category
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Nine of the top 10 brands see sales fall
Own-label bucks the downward trend
Brands lose share of launches to own-label
L/N/R sugar and sodium claims increase but remain niche
Homepride addresses gap in the market with kids’ cooking sauces
Popularity of pouches continues; jars lose share in NPD
Steep decline in advertising spend
‘No Drama’ campaign from Dolmio
MARKET SHARE
Nine of the top 10 brands see sales fall
Figure 15: Leading brands in the UK retail cooking and pasta sauces market, by value, 2015/16 and 2016/17
Loyd Grossman is the only brand to see steady value sales
Own-label bucks the downward trend
Chilled sauces maintain value sales
Figure 16: Leading brands in the UK retail chilled cooking and pasta sauces market, by value, 2015/16 and 2016/17
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
Brands lose share of launches to own-label
Figure 17: New product launches in the UK cooking and pasta sauces market, by share of own-label and branded, 2013-17
M&S is the first retailer to add a “booster” format to its portfolio
L/N/R sugar and sodium claims increase but remain niche
Figure 18: New product launches in the UK cooking and pasta sauces market carrying a l/n/r sugar or a L/N/R sodium claim, 2013-17
Dolmio launches two new sauce ranges
Homepride addresses gap in the market with kids’ cooking sauces
Heinz extends range of Tomato Frito sauces
Innovative flavoured pestos enter the market
Popularity of pouches continues; jars lose share in NPD
Figure 19: New product launches in the UK cooking and pasta sauces market, by packaging type, 2013-17
Vibrant and modern rebrand for Blue Dragon
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ACTIVITY
Steep decline in advertising spend
Figure 20: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cooking and pasta sauces, 2013-17
‘No Drama’ campaign from Dolmio
New ad supports no added sugar Bolognese
New direction hopes to show convenience, health and togetherness
Figure 21: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cooking and pasta sauces, by highest spending advertisers, 2013-17
Knorr tackles food insecurity in the UK
Saclà enlists the public to help shape the future of pesto
Figure 22: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cooking and pasta sauces, by highest spending brands, 2013-17
Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Four fifths of consumers user ready-made cooking sauces
Over a quarter make sauces from scratch in a typical week
Favourite sauce is the top influencer; buyers are opportunistic
16-34s and over-55s are most drawn to healthiness
Half of non-buyers could be encouraged to buy cooking/pasta sauces
Easy open packaging garners most interest
Parents are most likely to prefer a ready meal to using cooking/pasta sauces
Own-label sauces seen to lag behind brands on delivering flavour
Non-chilled sauces most commonly associated with negative attributes
USAGE OF COOKING AND PASTA SAUCES
Four fifths of consumers use ready-made cooking sauces
Figure 23: Usage of cooking or pasta sauces in the last 3 months, by type, September 2017
Single person households are least likely to make sauces from scratch
Over a quarter make sauces from scratch in a typical week
Chilled sauces are popular amongst the affluent
Non-chilled are the most frequently used ready-made cooking sauces
Figure 24: Frequency of usage of cooking or pasta sauces in the last 3 months, by type, September 2017
FACTORS INFLUENCING CHOICE OF COOKING/PASTA SAUCE
Favourite sauce is the top influencer
Cooking sauce buyers are opportunistic when it comes to promotions
Figure 25: Factors influencing choice of cooking/pasta sauce, September 2017
16-34s and over-55s are most drawn to healthiness
Authentic recipes can offer stand out
FACTORS TO ENCOURAGE PURCHASING OF COOKING/PASTA SAUCES
Half of non-buyers could be encouraged to buy cooking/pasta sauces
Figure 26: Factors to encourage purchasing of cooking/pasta sauces, September 2017
Low sugar is among top enticements…
…together with low salt
EFSA poses strict limits on low-salt claims
A quarter of one-person households want more smaller pack sizes
INTEREST IN COOKING/PASTA SAUCE PACKAGING FEATURES
Easy open packaging garners most interest
Figure 27: Interest in cooking/pasta sauce packaging features, September 2017
Resealable packaging is of most interest to younger age groups
Resealability is not a given for new packaging formats
A fifth welcome aids to measuring out serving size
COOKING/PASTA SAUCE USAGE AND BUYING BEHAVIOURS
Versatile sauces appeal
Figure 28: Cooking/pasta sauce usage and buying behaviours, September 2017
Parents of under-16s are most likely to prefer a ready meal to using cooking/pasta sauces
Figure 29: Cooking sauces and pasta sauces – CHAID – Tree output, September 2017
Methodology
Just over a quarter of users have been affected by news about cooking sauces
ATTITUDES TOWARDS COOKING/PASTA SAUCES
Scope for sauce-making kits to help children learn how to cook
Figure 30: Attitudes towards cooking/pasta sauces, September 2017
44% agree that sauces go well with ‘carb alternatives’
Own-label sauces need to compete with brands on delivering flavour
QUALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH TYPES OF COOKING/PASTA SAUCES
Non-chilled sauces most closely associated with negative attributes
Figure 31: Qualities associated with types of cooking/pasta sauces, September 2017
Few see cooking/pasta sauces to be authentic…
…or free from artificial additives/preservatives
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Abbreviations
Consumer research methodology
APPENDIX – MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Forecast methodology
Figure 32: Best- and worst-case forecasts for the total UK retail cooking and pasta sauces market, by value, 2017-22
APPENDIX – MARKET DRIVERS
Figure 33: Usage of food services, December 2016
APPENDIX – MARKET SHARE
Figure 34: Leading companies in the UK retail cooking and pasta sauces market, by value, 2015/16 and 2016/17
Figure 35: Leading companies in the UK retail chilled cooking and pasta sauces market, by value, 2015/16 and 2016/17
APPENDIX – LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
Figure 36: Share of new product launches in the UK cooking and pasta sauces market, by company, 2013-17
Figure 37: New product launches in the UK cooking and pasta sauces market carrying a premium claim, by share of branded or own-label, 2013-17
Figure 38: New product launches by closure types, 2013-17
Figure 39: Share of new launches in the UK cooking and pasta sauces market carrying an all-natural product or a no additives/preservatives claim, 2013-17
Figure 40: New product launches in the UK cooking and pasta sauces market, by top 10 claims, 2013-18
APPENDIX – ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ACTIVITY
Figure 41: Share of above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cooking and pasta sauces, by highest spending advertisers, 2013-17
Figure 42: Share of above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cooking and pasta sauces, by highest spending brands, 2013-17
Figure 43: Share of recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cooking and pasta sauces, by media type, 2013-17
Figure 44: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cooking and pasta sauces, by media type, 2013-17
APPENDIX – THE CONSUMER
Figure 45: Usage of cooking or pasta sauces, by household size, October 2017
Figure 46: Frequency of cooking meals from scratch, April 2016-November 2017
Figure 47: Repertoire of types of cooking or pasta sauces used in the last 3 months, September 2017
Figure 48: Cooking sauces and pasta sauces – CHAID – Table output, September 2017

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