Provide hassle-free meal preparation experiences for target audiences by leveraging family structures and cooking scenarios. Optimise products’ nutritional structure to create a healthy image for ready meals.
Vera Zheng, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This Report categorises ready meals based on their cooking and storage methods as follows:
- By cooking method: ready-to-eat foods are products that can be consumed without heating after opening, such as ready-to-eat cooked foods and marinated meat; ready-to-heat foods require simple heating, such as frozen dumplings or chilled lunchboxes; ready-to-cook foods are pre-processed and only need simple cooking to be eaten, such as quick dishes like fish-flavoured shredded pork.
- By storage method: frozen ready meals include frozen dumplings, wontons, frozen tangyuan/tangtuan (glutinous rice balls), frozen buns, steamed buns, pies, frozen minced meat, meatballs, as well as frozen pizza and pasta; chilled ready meals mainly refer to lunchboxes or packaged dishes that can be eaten with simple heating, sandwiches, sushi, rice balls and salads; ambient ready meals cover unpackaged cooked food, such as marinated dishes and oden.
Market value sales are based on consumers’ expenditure on frozen rice and dough products (such as frozen dumplings/wontons, frozen tangyuan, tangtuan, frozen buns/steamed buns/pies, frozen pizza/pasta, etc); market volume sales are based on tonnes consumed.
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- Key topics covered in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
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Executive summary
- Report overview
- Market opportunity 1: family sizes continue to shrink
- Graph 1: family structure changes*, 2003-23
- Market opportunity 2: ready meals’ festive potential is not to be overlooked
- Graph 2: festival-related online* sales performance of ready meals, 2023-25
- Market opportunity 3: consumers’ pursuit of nutritional value is more pronounced
- Graph 3: purchase factors, 2024
- Trend outlook
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The market
- Market factors
- Macroeconomic factors
- The proportion of one-person and two-person households will continue to rise
- Graph 4: family structure proportions*, by country
- Homecoming travel stimulates holiday consumption in lower-tier markets
- Graph 5: city ranking* by migration scale − as departure points and destinations during the Chinese New Year, 2025
- The government and industry join hands in the development of nutritious ready meals
- Market size and forecast
- Key market indicators
- The decline in frozen rice and dough products has narrowed, and innovation has become key to attracting consumers
- Graph 6: best- and worst-case forecasts of total volume sales of frozen rice and dough products, 2020-30
- Graph 7: best- and worst-case forecasts of total value sales of frozen rice and dough products, 2020-30
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The consumer
- Summary
- Consumption frequency and category perception
- Chinese-style pastries and dumplings remain in the lead, and the frequency of consumption of cooked meat has significantly increased
- Graph 8: consumption frequency, 2025
- Graph 9: consumption frequency − once a week or more, by survey year, 2024 vs 2025
- Consumers mainly associate ready meals with convenience, while the recognition for deliciousness and nutrition still needs improvement
- Graph 10: category perception, by sub-categories, 2025
- Product features: the differentiated appeals to single- and two-person households
- Ready meals should focus on individual packaging and using seasonal ingredients
- Graph 11: product features of interest, by survey year, 2022 vs 2025
- Serving for one reaches more consumers
- Xiaohongshu is more suitable for advertising meals for one
- Graph 12: mentions of ready meals on social media platforms, by keywords, August 2024-July 2025
- Meet child-free couples’ higher expectations for ready meal flavours
- Graph 13: product features of interest − selected options, by living situation, 2022 vs 2025
- Festive scenarios: alleviate the burden of holiday meal preparation for consumers
- Invest in pre-made traditional local dishes, as speciality items are more appealing
- Graph 14: festive elements of interest, 2025
- Online festival trends: strong growth in beef and prepared cold dishes
- Graph 15: online* sales of ready meals**, by type, January-February 2024
- Graph 16: online* sales of ready meals**, by type, January-February 2025
- Relieve the holiday meal preparation pressure for consumers in non-Tier 1 cities
- Graph 17: festival elements of interest, by city tier, 2025
- Nutritional value: harness the power of science-based or balanced nutrition to empower deliciousness
- From diverse ingredients to scientific composition, the awareness of nutritional value is evolving
- Graph 18: nutrition-related values of interest, 2025
- Building on science and balance, enhance nutritional density
- Targeting people with children, emphasise specific nutrients
- Graph 19: nutrition-related values of interest, by family structure, 2025
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NEW PRODUCTS
- Category overview
- ‘New Year limited edition’ claims catch on in ready meals
- Graph 20: proportion of new products with New Year claims, 2020-25
- The expansion of private labels helps unlock the potential of ready meals in fresh grocery retailing
- Graph 21: share of new ready meal products, by type of brand, 2020-25
- Innovation in ready meals focuses on new variety or range extension, and market competition intensifies
- Graph 22: share of new ready meal products − non-private label, by new product type, 2020-25
- Graph 23: share of new ready meal products − private label, by new product type, 2020-25
- Product development trends
- Serves 1-2 claims in dumplings, wontons and zongzi are increasing
- Graph 24: proportion of new products with specific claims in dumplings/wontons and zongzi, by claim, 2020-25
- High/added protein claims surge in cooked meat
- Graph 25: share of new cooked meat products, by claim, 2020-25
- Low/no/reduced calorie claims make the biggest splash in ready meals and sides
- Graph 26: share of new ready meals and dishes, by claim, 2020-25
- Steamed buns and flower rolls diversify in texture, and gooey variants see growth potential
- Graph 27: share of new steamed buns/flower rolls, by texture, 2020-25
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast − retail sales
- Market size and forecast − retail volume
- Methodology: consumer survey
- TURF analysis methodology
- Abbreviations
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