Report: Frozen Ready Meals - UK

Introduction and Abbreviations
Definitions
Consumer research
ACORN
Advertising data
Abbreviations
Executive Summary
Frozen is not fresh
Even dog food costs more
2005 witness to a sea change in consumer attitudes
No premiums
Unilever sells Birds Eye
Price-focused promotion
Traditional favourites
Positive spin on the future
Market Drivers
Health -- 2005 -- the tipping point?
- Figure 1: Agreement with lifestylestatements about diet and health, 2002-05
The frozen category trades at a considerable disadvantage
Retail reinforcement
Cheap perceptions
- Figure 2: Agreement with the statementFrozen foods are as good for you as fresh foods, 2002-05
Women hold the most positive views...
...whereas the young and affluent hold the least
- Figure 3: Agreement with the statementFrozen foods are as good for you as fresh foods, by gender, ageand socio-economic group, 2005
Branded versus private label
Growth in premium ranges...
...militating against the freezer category
Where are the premiums?
Smaller households and smaller meals
- Figure 5: Household size, 2000 and 2005
- Figure 6: Attitudes towards foodpreparation and cooking, by lifestage, March 2004
Meal and snack convergenceFreezer space rising
- Figure 7: Ownership of fridges, freezersand fridge/freezers, 2001-05
Market Size
Failing quality
- Figure 8: UK retail sales of frozen readymeals, by value, 2000-05
Pricing promotions devaluing market
Frozen ready meals suffer from an unjustified image problem
Market Segmentation by Product Type
Complete ready meals
- Figure 9: UK retail sales of completefrozen ready meals, 2000-05
Frozen as a storecupboard optionConvenience for childrenMeal centres
- Figure 10: UK retail sales of frozen mealcentres, 2000-05
Segmentation by recipe category
International dishes
Focus on favourites
- Figure 11: UK retail sales ofglobal/international frozen ready meals, 2000-05
Devalued popular options
- Figure 12: UK retail sales ofglobal/international frozen ready meals and meal centres, 2001-05
Potential for growth
Traditional meals
- Figure 13: UK retail sales oftraditional/British recipe frozen ready meals, 2000-04
New traditions
- Figure 14: UK retail sales oftraditional/British recipe frozen ready meals and meal centres, by type,2001-05
Meal component competition
Fish meals
- Figure 15: UK retail sales of fish-basedfrozen ready meals, 2000-05
Unhealthy performance for healthy recipe meals
- Figure 16: UK retail sales of healthyrecipe frozen ready meals, 2000-05
The Supply Structure
- Figure 17: Manufacturers share of the UKfrozen ready meal market, 2001-05
Supplier brand shifts
Retail brand growth
Companies and brands
Unilever Ice Cream & Frozen Foods
Birds Eye takes a lead in development
Captain for the children
Better for you Slim-Fast
HJ Heinz
Weight Watchers improves
Linda McCartney for meat reducers
Oriental Express
A lighter option
OE for newer choices
Scooby-Doo for children
RHM Frozen Foods
Convenient Sharwoods
Bisto traditions
Youngs Bluecrest
Two a day
Findus
Other companies
Pataks
Headland Foods
Schwan
Cook
Babylicious
Miniscoff
New Product Developments
More British classics
Further afield
Male influences
Health leads
Forecast for NPD
New Product Briefs
Advertising and Promotion
Above the line
- Figure 18: Main monitored mediaadvertising expenditure on ready-to-eat frozen meals, 2000-05
- Figure 19: Share of advertising spend onfrozen ready meals, by media, 2005
TV dominates
Unilever supports the frozen sector
- Figure 20: Main monitored media spend onready-to-eat frozen meals, by major spender, 2003-05
Frozen is the best way of preserving
A Birds Eye nutrition mission
Steaming ahead
Future concerns
Youngs heritage
Linda McCartney offers wine
Below the line
Price, price, price!
Distribution
- Figure 21: UK retail distribution offrozen ready meals, 2001-05
End of store, in-store
Specialist alternatives
Freezer centres price focus
Retailer profiles
Asda
Tesco
Morrisons
Sainsburys
Waitrose
Marks & Spencer
The Consumer -- Product purchasing
- Figure 22: Frozen ready meals purchased inthe last six months, October-November 2005
Traditional is favourite
Fewer opt for excitement
- Figure 23: Types of frozen ready mealspurchased, by gender, October-November 2005
Men take the lead -- for a change
Pre-/no family are the key consumer group...
...but so are families with older children
Retired prefer traditional ready meals
Family lifestage want a healthy choice
- Figure 24: Types of frozen ready mealpurchased in the last six months, by lifestage, October-November 2005
AB consumers an excluded target group
- Figure 25: Any frozen ready meal purchasedin the last six months, by socio-economic group, October-November 2005
The Consumer -- Product Purchasing Detailed Demographics
- Figure 26: Frozen ready meals purchased inthe last six months, by gender, age and socio-economic group,October-November 2005
- Figure 27: Frozen ready meals purchased inthe last six months, by presence of children in household, lifestage andMintels Special Groups, October-November 2005
- Figure 28: Frozen ready meals purchased inthe last six months, by marital status, working status and householdsize, October-November 2005
- Figure 29: Frozen ready meals purchased inthe last six months, by region and ACORN category, October-November 2005
- Figure 30: Frozen ready meals purchased inthe last six months, by media usage, commercial TV viewing andsupermarket used, October-November 2005
The Future
The good news...
...the bad...
...and the ugly
New competition from ambient
Better for you future
Who will champion the category?
Premium possibilities
An end to discounting
Far-reaching forecast
Forecast
Market size set to shrink
- Figure 43: Forecast of the frozen readymeals market, 2005-10
Health will continue to militate against the sector
Chilled will continue to muscle out frozen
Factors incorporated in the forecast
Introduction

Frozen Ready Meals - UK - March 2006

Table of Contents