Most segments of the frozen food market have shown growth over the last few years, with particularly strong gains in ready meals, snack products and seafood. As with many other sectors, the emphasis is on convenience, as Euromonitor reports.


The frozen food market offers manufacturers a variety of opportunities to exploit the prevailing trends shaping packaged food consumption, according to Euromonitor’s newly published report.


The dominant trend driving growth in the global frozen food market is convenience. The most successful new product developments reflect growing consumer demand for products that ease the effects of increasingly busy lifestyles and the consequent constraints on food preparation and shopping time.


This new report reveals strong sales figures for frozen ready meals and pizzas, reflecting the growing consumer demand for convenience and value-added product innovation. The westernising influence on world diets and culture also proved beneficial to growth in frozen pizza sales around the developing world. Even in developed markets the sector benefited from its cultural heritage and the healthier image of Italian diet.


Niche frozen food fulfils promise

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The global report also explores how ‘other’ frozen food (comprising frozen snack products, rice, fruit, herbs and a host of national specialities) has demonstrated strong growth, acting as a stimulant to the overall frozen food market. The proliferation of new snack products and a willingness to pay premium prices for added-value food continue to drive demand.


As the largest segment in frozen food in terms of volume sales it owes its position to a wide geographic reach and its accommodation of a wide range of national specialities. However, its ranking in terms of value sales is lower, indicative of the low unit price attached to these products, especially in the key Chinese market, the second-biggest Pacific market in the world after the US.


Health concerns fuel frozen poultry and fish/seafood sales


Frozen poultry and fish/seafood both performed strongly in the last six years. Health benefits associated with white meat and fish consumption also aided growth, along with product innovation. This sector has also benefited from the troubles that beset frozen processed red meat in the middle of the review period.


However, with the development of premium-positioned products and an expansion into emerging markets, the red processed meats segment has been revitalised to some extent, after the negative impact of the BSE crisis.


Gourmet cooking and segmentation


The report also focuses on the related trends towards gourmet and ethnic products in frozen food, with media attention on food and cooking and an increase in international travel inspiring a growing willingness to experiment with novel flavours and ingredients.


Moreover, the report highlights the developing trend towards product segmentation, which is starting to play an increasingly important part in product development strategies. The result is a growing number of products targeting specific consumer groups such as children, teenagers and young adults. For instance, teenagers and young adults are increasingly targeted by manufacturers of portable products such as frozen snacks and takeaways and, in developing markets, Western-style hamburgers and chicken nuggets.


Role of packaging


Packaging will play an important role in stimulating growth over the forecast period. The report considers how manufacturers can expect this strategy to increase brand recognition and how technological innovations that are firmly embedded in the US are expected to spread to other markets during the forecast period.


Prolonged storage life benefiting product freshness and flavour will also determine packaging developments over the forecast period. New zipper bag technology will provide consumers with products than can be resealed once opened, thus prolonging flavour and texture, while break-apart trays and other forms of portable packaging will continue to be developed. Packaging developments will include an increase in single serving and smaller size packs, quality-of-origin labels and labels with health-related information. Also likely are more freezer-to-appliance products that do not need defrosting.


A fragmented market


The logistical difficulties involved in establishing a broad geographic presence and traditional patterns of purchasing products such as meat and fish have led to the development of a highly fragmented market, with many manufacturers deriving much of their overall share from their position in one or two particular areas.


In 2002, the top ten manufacturers accounted for a combined share of 29.6% compared to 28.2% in 2001 – a relatively low concentration compared to other food markets. To a great extent, the larger share in 2002 in comparison to the year before reflects the stronger positioning of world leader Nestlé. It also points to smaller companies holding increasingly lower shares of the market.

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Euromonitor also reveals how this situation has combined with the central role of supermarkets in frozen food distribution, leading to the development of an extremely strong private label segment. Supermarkets and discounters in North America, Western Europe and Australasia continue to develop their private labels, which target both the economy and premium end of the frozen food market, thereby expanding frozen food product ranges.


In the report, Euromonitor demonstrates how manufacturers’ requirement to develop strong and distinctive brand identities is all the more urgent, as they attempt to define their brands in contrast to private label goods. However, this task may prove more arduous as private labels themselves become evermore sophisticated.












Expert Analysis





The World Market for Frozen Food


This report on the global market for frozen food provides comprehensive strategic analysis of the latest trends in the market, as well as an overview of key product sectors, the major national and high growth markets and major companies.


Sales of frozen food are analysed at both world and regional levels, as well as in over 50 individual countries. The sales period under review is 1998-2003, with forecasts to 2008


To find out more about this report, download your sample or to order your copy, please follow this link