UK Fish and Shellfish – Market Dynamics 2025
Volumes returned to growth in 2024. The category's image as a greener alternative to meat holds promise.
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- Market volume falls over 2019-24, value sales rise due to inflation
- Graph 1: retail value and volume of fish and shellfish, 2019-24
- The income squeeze challenges the fish and shellfish category
- Market segmentation
- Chilled volumes return to modest growth in 2024
- Graph 2: retail value sales of fish and shellfish, by segment, 2022-24
- Modest volume growth for the chilled segment, ambient segment appeals
- Frozen volumes stabilise in 2024, following sharp declines
- Graph 3: retail volume sales of fish and shellfish, by segment, 2022-24
- Mixed performances in the frozen segment
- Market forecast
- Value growth of 13% expected over 2024-29
- Volume sales to flatline
- Value growth expected, volumes to flatline
- Broader trends put pressure on the category moving forward
- Market share
- Own-label continues to dominate in chilled
- Own-label holds its ground in frozen segment in 2023/24
- Graph 4: retail sales of leading brands in frozen fish/shellfish, by value, 2021/22-23/24
- Mixed fortunes for leading brands in frozen
- Own-label gained further share in ambient in 2023/24
- Graph 5: retail sales of leading brands in non-chilled/frozen fish/shellfish, by value, 2021/22-23/24
- Market drivers
- Real wage growth continues, many consumers are still catching up
- Graph 6: CPI inflation rate and total pay growth rate, 2021-24
- 27% see their finances as ‘healthy’
- Graph 7: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-24
- Consumer confidence for the year ahead weakens in 2024
- Graph 8: the financial confidence index, 2016-24
- Strong consumer interest in healthy eating
- Graph 9: how often people try to eat healthily, 2018-24
- A shrinking under-15s population will hinder category
- Graph 10: trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2018-28
- Highly processed foods come under scrutiny…
- …however processed image does not dampen usage
- Interest in sustainability to gain ground as income pressures ease
- Tesco implements SCEPT across supply chain
- MSC announces plans to accelerate sustainability
- Brexit spells changes to the UK seafood industry
- UK government reaches a trilateral agreement with EU and Norway
- Cod prices expected to rise in 2025
- Salmon makes headlines in 2024
- Government drops the term “farmed” on Scottish salmon
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Usage of fish and shellfish
- Frozen leads in terms of usage…
- Graph 11: usage of fish and shellfish, by storage type, 2024
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APPENDIX
- Supplementary data: advertising and marketing activity
- Total above-the line, online display, direct mail advertising spend on fish/shellfish, by advertiser, 2021-24
- Market share
- Leading brands’ sales and shares of non-chilled/frozen fish and shellfish, by volume, 2021/22-23/24
- Leading brands’ sales and shares of frozen fish and shellfish, by volume, 2021/22-23/24
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast
- UK: market forecast for volume sales of fish/shellfish, upper and lower bounds, 2024-29
- UK: market forecast for value sales of fish/shellfish, upper and lower bounds, 2024-29
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Products covered in this Report
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
This Market Dynamics report features market data extracted from Mintel’s UK Fish and Shellfish Market Report 2025. Giving you direct access to key market information and analysis from our category experts. This report is ideal for those looking for a topline summary of the UK seafood market. The full UK report is available to purchase here.
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