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Editor: Lynsey Barker
ISBN: 1-84168-201-2

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This report covers: meat and meat products, poultry, fish, vegetables, potato, ready meals, pizzas, vegetarian foods, cakes and desserts, icecream, ownership of freezers, brands of icecream purchased, brand shares of frozen food by sector, penetration of frozen peas, frozen chips, frozen meat penetration, frozen dessert penetration, frozen pizza penetration, ice cream penetration, Canadian sales of frozen food, European consumption

Companies covered include: British Frozen Food Federation, Ice Cream Alliance, United Kingdom Association of Frozen Food Producers, Bernard Matthews, Birds Eye Wall's, Fisher Foods, HJ Heinz, Mars UK, McCain Foods, Nestlé holdings, Northern Foods, Perkins Foods, Pillsbury UK, RHM Frozen Foods, Richmond foods, Sara Lee, Youngs Bluecrest seafood, Ardo Shearway, Fredericks dairies, Mackie's, Marlow foods, neslaw No 1, RVP Foods, Schwan's Europe

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Executive Summary

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Frozen-food purchases are an important part of most households' weekly grocery shopping trip, and the retail market for frozen foods was valued at an estimated £5.09bn in 2000. Sales growth in 2000 was only 1.9 percent, with price discounts, buy-one-get-one-free (bogof) promotions, limited new product development, and competition from chilled foods impacting on sales value. However, over the last 5 years, sales growth in the frozen food sector has still outperformed growth in the food market as a whole: between 1996 and 2000, retail food sales increased by only 4.8 percent at current prices, while frozen food sales grew by 15 percent.

This report considers nine frozen-food sectors. The largest of these is meat and meat products, accounting for a fifth of all retail sales. The sector performed better than the frozen-food market as a whole in 2000, as did another large sector, poultry and poultry products. The strongest-growing sectors in 2000 in value terms were ready meals, pizzas, and meat-free products, while weak growth was experienced by frozen vegetables. There were sales declines, in value terms, for frozen cakes and desserts, and for frozen potato products. Sales growth in the ice cream sector was close to the market average.

Despite strong competition from the chilled foods sector, the frozen foods sector has maintained steady growth in recent years through the introduction of more convenience products, the development of more premium products in many sectors, and more attention to packaging and design. In 2000, 91 percent of British households had freezers: a high penetration by European standards. A series of purchases, mergers and restructuring in 1999 and 2000 temporarily placed some limits on new product developments, but towards the end of 2000 and in 2001, new product development activity has been strong.

In the strong growth areas, new product development has been a key feature. In frozen pizzas, for example, new rising pizzas and microwaveable pizzas have increased their popularity, while many consumers have moved to better-quality products in the ready meals sector. Volume sales of potato products increased in 2000, but value sales were weakened by price discounts. Soft ice cream in tubs and many more flavour options have been introduced into the ice cream sector, along with crossover brands from other sectors, notably confectionery.

The next few years should see healthy growth in the retail frozen-food sector as new product developments and new options (such as more organic varieties and quality microwaveable products) increase in importance.

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Last updated by Mandy Porteous 18th July 2001