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- US Restaurant Breakfast and Brunch Trends: An insightful analysis of the evolving consumer trends and habits in the US restaurant breakfast and brunch sector,
- US Hot and Cold Cereal: An in-depth analysis of the cereals market in the US, highlighting key trends, opportunities, and consumer behavior while predicting growth and future transformations in the sector.
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US Frozen Breakfast Market Report
The US frozen breakfast market has seen a slight decline in 2024 but is expecting long-term growth. Dominated by Tyson Foods Inc and Kellanova, the market sees rising competition from private labels. Younger consumers drive demand for variety, highlighting opportunities for innovation beyond traditional breakfast occasions.
US Frozen Breakfast Market – Current Landscape
Breakfast is a personal experience that demands individual solutions, as indicated by spread out consumption across frozen breakfast food categories. Dips in reported consumption across categories suggest that consumption has spread slightly thinner as the market continues to steady out. Now, the category is tasked to sharpen its value equation to stack versatility on top of convenience.
With the majority of consumers turning to from scratch solutions at the breakfast occasion, frozen breakfast has an opportunity to work with fresh ingredients to build more robust solutions that balance enjoyment, health and convenience. Blurred eating occasions also open up the space for frozen breakfast to bring clarity at other meal times or the eating occasions in between such as snacks. On a similar wavelength, frozen breakfast can look to meet needs for less expected cohorts, Baby Boomers and smaller households, to help solve the challenge of cooking for one with frozen breakfast products made for diverse occasions or single serve solutions.
Underscoring the needs for diverse solutions, though, are younger generations and hybrid workers whose lifestyles and preferences demand continued variety and innovation. Gen Z and Millennial frozen breakfast repertoires can continue to be diversified with solutions that think outside the current ‘breakfast box.’
US Frozen Breakfast Market Report – What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analyzed in the Report
- Frozen breakfast consumption.
- Associations with different frozen breakfast categories.
- Reasons for frozen breakfast food purchase.
- Change in breakfast behaviors including reasons for eating more frozen breakfast, reasons for cooking breakfast more often from scratch.
- Interest in frozen breakfast format, flavor and ingredient concepts.
- Frozen breakfast attitudes and behaviors.
- Frozen breakfast innovation and marketing strategies.
Report Scope
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions for frozen breakfast foods:
- Frozen breakfast entrées (eg breakfast bowls, pancakes).
- Frozen breakfast handhelds (eg burritos, sandwiches, toaster pastries, French toast sticks).
- Frozen waffles.
The following categories are excluded from this Report, except for comparison purposes:
- Frozen and refrigerated breakfast meats (eg bacon, sausage).
- Refrigerated breakfast entrées and handhelds.
- Breads and pastries (including shelf-stable, fresh, refrigerated and frozen donuts, muffins, bagels, coffeecakes, snack cakes, Danishes, pastries and mixes to make such products.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
Kelsey joined Mintel in 2022 as a US Food and Drink Analyst. Kelsey uses her expertise to identify changing consumer behavior, industry trends, and innovation across packaged food and drink categories. Kelsey has a B.A. in Nutrition with a concentration in Food Studies and Business from the College of St. Benedict in Minnesota.
“Diversifying frozen breakfast’s relevance by building on its inherent convenience can help inspire versatile experiences and craft a more robust category identity.”
Kelsey Olsen
Food & Drink Analyst
Collapse All
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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
- Fuse fresh and from scratch with frozen
- Expand reach with robust frozen breakfast product propositions
- Graph 1: repertoire of frozen breakfast foods eaten in past month, by generation, 2024
- Take convenience in new directions
-
Market Dynamics
- Market context
- Market drivers
- What’s for breakfast in 2024?
- Graph 2: what consumers typically eat during specific meal occasions – breakfast, 2024
- At home food prices continue to cool quicker than away from home
- From scratch and easy become more mutual
- Graph 3: frequency of food behaviors – choose easy (ie quick to prepare) food, 2024
- Graph 4: frequency of food behaviors – cook meals from scratch, 2024
- Ultra-processed concerns spill into frozen breakfast behaviors
- Graph 5: attitudes towards preparing meals – ultra-processed foods, by select demographics, 2024
- Market size and forecast
- Steadier market growth can be met with variety and versatility that extends outside of traditional occasions and delivers on value
- Retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast food
- Market segmentation
- Glimmers for growth as segment sales steady
- Retail sales of frozen breakfast food, by segment
- Graph 6: total retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast food, by segment, at current prices, 2019-24
- Retail sales of frozen breakfast food, by segment
- Market share/brand share
- Overall frozen breakfast company performance a mixed bag
- Graph 7: market share of multi-outlet sales of frozen breakfast foods, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2024
- Sales of frozen breakfast foods, by company
- Private label and other brands speak to the versatile paths for growth within the entrees space
- Sales of breakfast entrees, by company
- Handhelds break the mold: new forms, store brand growth, and BFY avenues
- Sales of breakfast handhelds, by company
- Brands take waffle innovation in different directions
- Graph 8: market share multi-outlet sales of frozen waffles, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2024
- Sales of frozen waffles, by company
-
Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Frozen breakfast consumption
- Dynamic and varied frozen breakfast choices highlight individuality of breakfast occasion
- Graph 9: trended frozen breakfast consumption, 2023-24
- Work with breakfast routines, or completely break outside of the occasion
- Bolster BFY options to bring fresh appeal to women
- Graph 10: frozen breakfast foods eaten in past month, by gender, 2024
- 1 in 2 Gen Z and Millennial frozen breakfast consumers eat 4+ types in one month
- Graph 11: repertoire of frozen breakfast foods eaten in past month, by generation, 2024
- Hybrid lifestyles highlight the need for flexibility – and not just convenience
- Graph 12: frozen breakfast foods eaten in past month, by work from home status, 2024
- Frozen breakfast associations
- Strengthen frozen breakfast category identity
- Graph 13: associations with different types of frozen breakfast foods, 2024
- Reasons for frozen breakfast food purchase
- In a convenience-centric category, versatility will diversify
- Graph 14: reasons for purchasing frozen breakfast foods over other breakfast options (eg from scratch, refrigerated), 2024
- Don’t leave out the enjoyment for younger generations, especially
- Graph 15: reasons for purchasing frozen breakfast foods over other breakfast options (eg from scratch, refrigerated), by generation, 2024
- Think outside the (convenience) box to expand engagement
- Graph 16: reasons for purchasing frozen breakfast foods over other breakfast options, by repertoire of frozen breakfast consumption, 2024
- Change in breakfast behaviors
- Consumers are craving some sense of constant and intentionality at breakfast
- Graph 17: change in breakfast behaviors, 2024
- Younger generations take breakfast routines from mundane to dynamic
- Graph 18: change in breakfast behaviors, by generation, 2024
- Hybrid work demands hybrid breakfast options
- Graph 19: change in breakfast behaviors, by work from home status, 2024
- Reasons for eating more frozen breakfast products
- Comparable convenience drives behavior shifts to the category
- Graph 20: reasons for eating more frozen breakfast products, 2024
- Convenience and health can be mutual for less-engaged female consumers
- Graph 21: reasons for eating more frozen breakfast products, by gender, 2024
- Frozen breakfast’s relevance reaches beyond parents
- Graph 22: reasons for eating more frozen breakfast products, by parental status, 2024
- Reasons for making breakfast from scratch
- Work with, not against, from scratch breakfasts
- Graph 23: reasons for making breakfast from scratch more often, 2024
- Gendered priorities demand a balance of health and enjoyment
- Graph 24: reasons for making breakfast from scratch more often by gender, 2024
- Infuse enjoyment into frozen breakfast routines
- Graph 25: reasons for making breakfast from scratch more often, by generation, 2024
- Unravel more frozen breakfast occasions that are wrapped up in from scratch
- Graph 26: reasons for making breakfast from scratch, by repertoire of frozen breakfast consumption, 2024
- Interest in frozen breakfast flavor and ingredient concepts
- Navigate new breakfast flavors and ingredients with purpose
- Graph 27: interest in frozen breakfast food flavor and ingredient concepts, 2024
- Flavors and ingredients can put the fun in function for different priorities
- Graph 28: interest in frozen breakfast food flavor and ingredient concepts, by gender, 2024
- Adventurous generations open to sprinkling in new taste experiences
- Graph 29: interest in frozen breakfast food flavor and ingredient concepts, by generation, 2024
- Interest in frozen breakfast concepts
- Frozen breakfast can bring clarity to blurred meal and snack times
- Graph 30: interest in frozen breakfast food concepts, 2024
- Baby Boomers support the case for frozen breakfast diversification
- Graph 31: interest in frozen breakfast food concepts, by generation, 2024
- Package up value for different sized households
- Graph 32: interest in frozen breakfast food concepts, by household size, 2024
- Frozen breakfast behaviors and attitudes
- Channel complacency into curiosity
- Graph 33: frozen breakfast attitudes and behaviors, 2024
- Gen Z levels (and expands) the playing field
- Graph 34: frozen breakfast attitudes and behaviors, by generation, 2024
- Uncover category strengths for less engaged shoppers
- Graph 35: frozen breakfast attitudes and behaviors, by repertoire of frozen breakfast consumption, 2024
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Innovation and Marketing strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Sweet and savory crossovers: familiar flavors with a twist
- Minis can diversify occasions
- Maximized dishes can open up doors, too
- DIY components can still be a part of convenience
- Eggs crack open new formats
- Starting the day off right with a (tasty) nutritious breakfast
- Marketing and advertising
- Spicing up the routine
- Frozen and fresh pairings create a more robust experience
- Making time for more parts of morning routines
-
Appendix
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast fan chart methodology
- Market data
- US: total retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast food, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast food, by segment, at current prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast entrees, at current prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast entrees, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast handhelds, at current prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast handhelds, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of frozen waffles, at current prices, 2019-29
- US: total retail sales and forecast of frozen waffles, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2019-29
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