UK Fish and Shellfish Market Analysis
After a decline in the past two years due to rising prices and financial pressures, the fish and shellfish market in the UK is seeing cautious growth, with a 3.1% increase in 2024. This recovery is driven by easing inflation and improved consumer confidence.
UK Fish and Shellfish Consumer Trends
Fish and shellfish remain popular in UK diets, with younger consumers eating more fish due to health-conscious habits, while shellfish consumption is less frequent due to higher costs and fewer convenient options.
Convenience drives the UK seafood industry, with consumers favouring easy-to-cook, ready-to-eat, and quick-preparation products like pre-seasoned, pre-portioned, frozen options and ready-to-cook meal kits due to busy lifestyles.
As health-conscious eating rises, fish’s nutritional benefits offer growth opportunities for brands. Additionally, the aging population presents potential to engage older consumers by highlighting the health benefits of fish and shellfish.
Key Topics Analysed in the Report
- Overall usage and frequency of eating fish/shellfish
- Key trends in fish/shellfish launch activity and future opportunities
- Most important factors when buying a fish/shellfish product, including the importance of ease of cooking
- Behaviours related to fish/shellfish, including high openness to more sustainable variants
- Attitudes towards fish/shellfish, including the wide appeal of restaurant-style fish/shellfish products
| Report Attributes | Details |
|---|---|
| Published Date | February 2025 |
| Data Range | 2019-2029 |
| Measurement Metrics | Revenue in £ |
| Country Focus | United Kingdom (UK) |
| Consumer Data | 2,000 internet users aged 16+, December 2024 |
| Number of Pages | 78 |
| Market Segmentation | Chilled fish, frozen fish (e.g., fish fingers, breaded fish), non-chilled or frozen fish (e.g., canned or pouched tuna), shellfish (e.g., prawns, mussels), ready-to-cook products (e.g., coated or pre-seasoned fish and shellfish), world cuisine-flavored fish products, sustainable fish variants |
| Leading Brands in the UK Seafood Market | Young’s (Sofina Foods), Birds Eye (Nomad Foods), Whitby, John West (Thai Union Group), Princes (New Princes Group), Mowi, Fish Said Fred, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s |
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the fish/shellfish market
- Ease of cooking is a crucial selling point
- High openness to more sustainable variants
- Restaurant-style fish/shellfish appeals widely
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- Value growth of 13% forecast over 2024-29
- Chilled volumes return to modest growth, frozen volumes stabilise
- Graph 1: retail value sales of fish and shellfish, by segment, 2022-24
- Own-label holds its ground in frozen, Young’s posts growth
- Graph 2: retail sales of leading brands in frozen fish/shellfish, by value, 2021/22-23/24
- Own-label gained further share in ambient in 2023/24
- Graph 3: retail sales of leading brands in non-chilled/frozen fish/shellfish, by value, 2021/22-23/24
- What consumers want and why
- Fish/shellfish enjoys near universal usage…
- …reflecting longstanding presence
- Fish an infrequent choice for many
- Graph 4: usage frequency of fish, 2024
- Many look for fish/shellfish which is easy to cook
- Graph 5: most important factors when buying a fish/shellfish product, 2024
- Only half think their fish/shellfish choice makes a meaningful environmental difference
- Graph 6: behaviours related to fish/shellfish, 2024
- Restaurant-style fish/shellfish appeals widely
- Graph 7: attitudes towards fish/shellfish, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- Private label dominates launches, strong premium NPD from grocers
- Brands focus on convenience, world cuisine flavours and packaging revamps
- Advertising expenditure remains modest in 2024
- Graph 8: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on fish and shellfish, 2021-24
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- Market volume falls over 2019-24, value sales rise due to inflation
- Graph 9: 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 10: 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 11: 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 12: 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 13: 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 14: CPI inflation rate and total pay growth rate, 2021-24
- 27% see their finances as ‘healthy’
- Graph 15: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-24
- Consumer confidence for the year ahead weakens in 2024
- Graph 16: the financial confidence index, 2016-24
- Strong consumer interest in healthy eating
- Graph 17: how often people try to eat healthily, 2018-24
- A shrinking under-15s population will hinder category
- Graph 18: 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
- Fish/shellfish enjoys near-universal usage
- Graph 19: overall usage of fish and shellfish, 2024
- Frozen leads in terms of usage…
- Graph 20: usage of fish and shellfish, by storage type, 2024
- …but chilled leads on sales
- Frequency of use of fish and shellfish
- Fish an infrequent choice for many
- Graph 21: usage frequency of fish, 2024
- Younger demographics are most frequent users of fish
- Graph 22: usage of fish once a week or more, by age groups, 2024
- One in five eat chilled shellfish once a week or more
- Graph 23: usage frequency of shellfish, 2024
- Parents of under-16s eat fish and shellfish most often
- Graph 24: weekly or more frequent usage of fish, by storage type, by presence of children under 16, 2024
- Most important factors when buying a fish/shellfish product
- Ease, speed and familiarity of cooking lead in fish/shellfish choice
- Graph 25: most important factors when buying a fish/shellfish product, 2024
- Ease of cooking is crucial in the category
- Half look for easy-to-cook options
- Ready-to-cook formats offer convenience
- Waitrose provides inspiration
- In-store reminders are warranted…
- Highlight short cooking times
- Meal bundles can elevate convenience
- Potential for tinned fish to tap into desire for ease
- End of aisle tie-ups offer cues
- Behaviours related to fish and shellfish
- Only half think their fish/shellfish choice makes a meaningful environmental difference
- Graph 26: behaviours related to fish/shellfish, 2024
- Few prioritise fish/shellfish labelled as sustainable
- Many see sustainability as the responsibility of retailers/brands
- Showcase meaningful environmental impact of fish/shellfish choices
- High openness to more sustainable variants
- Three in five would like suggestions of sustainable fish/shellfish species…
- …pointing to continued relevance of spotlighting green credentials
- Category enjoys positive image of being a greener choice than meat
- Attitudes towards fish and shellfish
- Restaurant-style fish/shellfish appeals to many
- Graph 27: attitudes towards fish/shellfish, 2024
- Two in five drawn to restaurant-style fish/shellfish products…
- …making it crucial for industry to keep tabs on foodservice trends
- World cuisines hold potential
- Popular cuisines feature in recent launches
- Less established cuisines provide untapped opportunities
- Convenient formats hold the most potential for exploring restaurant-style products
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Fish grows share of launches in protein space
- Graph 28: share of launches in the processed fish, meat & egg products category, by sub-category, 2020-24
- Private label dominates launches
- Graph 29: share of fish /shellfish launches, by branded vs private-label, 2020-24
- Premium launches gain share
- Premium NPD from grocers
- Retailers refresh premium tinned fish offerings
- John West launches sustainable packaging innovation, Sainsbury’s switches to pulp cardboard trays
- Aldi invests in British seafood industry, Waitrose launches “En Papillote” range
- Mowi and Fish Said Fred extend their ready-to-cook ranges
- World cuisine flavours continue to feature in fish and shellfish NPD
- Brands and retailers draw inspiration from world cuisine flavours
- Birds Eye revamps packaging and launches Mini fish fingers
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Advertising expenditure remains modest
- Graph 30: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on fish and shellfish, 2021-24
- Birds Eye supports launch of Mini Fish Fingers
- Morrisons celebrates 125-year heritage
- Sainsbury’s launches Good to Know campaign
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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
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