A new report into the chilled and frozen foods market revealed that 27% of UK adults rarely visit the frozen food aisle, according to YouGov SixthSense.
The report also shows that a considerable number of consumers have not embraced new and non-traditional frozen food products.
Consumers are unhappy with the variety of foods on display in the frozen food aisle. Almost half of consumers (47%) believe that the frozen food section is ‘uninspiring’, whilst over a third thinks that the choice of frozen food on offer is ‘limited’.
Despite 40% of consumers saying they often vary the frozen food products they buy, almost as many (37%) claim that they continually buy the same frozen food items.
The reluctance on behalf of many customers to change their frozen food buying habits may be related to packaging design. 65% of respondents believe that frozen food packaging should be changed so that ‘you can see more of the product’, while 62% think that ‘it is difficult to tell whether frozen food is good quality or not’.
James McCoy, research director of YouGov SixthSense, said: “With frozen food aisles located at the back or the middle of most supermarkets, customers are less likely to browse in search of new products and are less suggestible to impulse buys from the frozen food selection.”
The report also gives a detailed brand analysis across the UK market. In the chilled foods industry, retailer own-label products account for 95% of sales, with Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s the biggest own label brands.
Manufacturers such as Weight Watchers and Annabel Karmel focus in on specialised areas of the chilled food market such as health foods, vegetarian options and children’s foods.
In the frozen potato market McCain and Aunt Bessie’s are on top – McCain’s success perhaps owing to high levels of promotion and brand visibility. Weight Watchers remain the largest frozen dessert brand, offering consumers a way to indulge without the need to feel guilty.
Source: YouGov SixthSense
