Description
“Sales of frozen breakfast foods actually outpaced the considerable rates of inflation over the past year and continue to improve upon the sizable increases seen in the pandemic-fueled increase of 2020. However, maintaining that momentum will require the category to look beyond its convenient reputation and focus on improving perceptions of quality, versatility and other components that can enhance its overall value.”
– Billy Roberts, Sr. Analyst – Food and Drink
This Report looks at the following areas
- Consumers are not at all unfamiliar with frozen breakfast foods, with a market penetration of 80%, yet there is considerable room to grow their repertoires.
- Amid higher prices, value is a clear driver to consumers, but there are multiple routes to convey that concept, including versatility.
- Much like breakfast overall, nutritional innovation in frozen breakfast foods should be incremental, and brands should not expect consumers to make wholesale lifestyle changes.
- Differentiating frozen breakfast foods from key competitors would give the category a distinct positioning but also help diversify its usage occasions and open it up to other dayparts.
- Quality improvements could help frozen breakfast foods penetrate the weekend morning meal occasion, which has more or less been focused on more leisurely, deliberate preparation methods.
- Restaurant inspiration can further category usage among younger “foodie” generations.
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- This Report looks at the following areas
- Definitions
- Market context
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Executive Summary
- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Frozen breakfast continues to make gains on top of pandemic increases
- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of frozen breakfast foods, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 2: Total US sales and forecast of market, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 3: Frozen breakfast foods outlook, 2022-27
- Challenges and opportunities
- Put frozen options into more consumer routines
- Figure 4: Repertoire of frozen breakfast foods consumption, by age and parental status, 2022
- Nutrition and health messaging should focus on incremental improvements
- Figure 5: Frozen breakfast introductions, by launch type, by claim, 2021-22
- Sneak into snacking to reach contemporaries
- Figure 6: Frozen breakfast consumption, by age, 2022
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Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of frozen breakfast foods, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 8: Total US sales and forecast of market, at current prices, 2017-27
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Segment Performance
- Growth continues apace, even atop 2020’s sizable gains
- Figure 9: Sales and forecast of frozen breakfast foods, by segment, 2017-27
- Value and convenience driving a shift to other retailers for frozen breakfast
- Figure 10: Total US retail sales of frozen breakfast food, 2022, by channel, at current prices, 2017-22
- Growth continues apace, even atop 2020’s sizable gains
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Market Factors
- Breakfast remains largely an at-home occasion
- Figure 11: Breakfast locations, 2022
- Breakfast ingredients are at the center of inflation
- Figure 12: Changes in Consumer Price Indexes for food, 2020 through 2023
- BFY breakfast makes people feel better about themselves
- Figure 13: Breakfast attitudes and behaviors – Health, by age, 2022
- Breakfast time at any time
- Figure 14: Breakfast attitudes and behaviors – Menu flexibility, by age, 2022
- At-home workers point to need for better taste experiences
- Figure 15: Work-from-home status, 2022
- Breakfast remains largely an at-home occasion
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Market Share/Key Players
- Private label, other brands gain ground on frozen breakfast leaders
- Sales of frozen breakfast by company
- Figure 16: Sales of frozen breakfast, by company, 2021-22
- Company/brand sales by segment
- Frozen breakfast entrees
- Figure 17: Multi-outlet sales of frozen breakfast entrees, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2021 and 2022
- Frozen breakfast handhelds
- Figure 18: Multi-outlet sales of frozen breakfast handhelds, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2021 and 2022
- Frozen waffles
- Figure 19: Multi-outlet sales of frozen waffles, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2021 and 2022
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Competitive Strategies and Market Opportunities
- Innovation rising but missing the mark?
- Figure 20: Frozen breakfast introductions, by launch type, by claim, 2021-22
- It’s not just about breakfast
- Figure 21: Frozen breakfast behaviors, by work-from-home status, 2022
- Innovation rising but missing the mark?
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The Frozen Breakfast Consumer – Fast Facts
- Widespread use, yet limited repertoires, calls for expanded habits
- Consumers seeking more versatility with frozen breakfast preparation
- Grow frozen breakfast’s attributes beyond convenience
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Frozen Breakfast Consumption
- Room to grow the consumer base and increase options used by current category users
- Figure 22: Repertoire of frozen breakfast foods consumption, by age and parental status, 2022
- Draw upon adaptability, customizability to complement value
- Figure 23: Frozen breakfast consumption, 2022
- Sneak into snacking to reach contemporaries
- Figure 24: Frozen breakfast consumption, by age, 2022
- Room to grow the consumer base and increase options used by current category users
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Reasons for Frozen Breakfast Food Purchase
- Shift consumer perceptions from convenience to quality
- Figure 25: Reasons for frozen breakfast food purchase, 2022
- Quality and versatility can take the category beyond a convenience
- Figure 26: TURF analysis – Reasons for frozen breakfast food purchase, 2022
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- Figure 27: Table – TURF analysis – Reasons for frozen breakfast food purchase, 2022
- Shift consumer perceptions from convenience to quality
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Interest in Frozen Breakfast Innovation
- Protein edges closer to being an expectation at breakfast
- Figure 28: Interest in frozen breakfast innovation, 2022
- Draw elusive nonparents with packaging upgrades
- Figure 29: Interest in frozen breakfast innovation, by parental status, 2022
- Protein edges closer to being an expectation at breakfast
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Breakfast Food Associations
- Better distinguish frozen options from the breakfast pack
- Figure 30: Breakfast food associations, 2022
- Better distinguish frozen options from the breakfast pack
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Frozen Breakfast Behaviors
- Increased versatility and quality can fire consumer reimagining of frozen breakfast foods’ potential
- Figure 31: Frozen breakfast behaviors, 2022
- Parents are ripe targets for new ideas
- Figure 32: Frozen breakfast behaviors, by parental status, 2022
- Not just for breakfast, anymore
- Figure 33: Frozen breakfast behaviors, by work-from-home status, 2022
- Increased versatility and quality can fire consumer reimagining of frozen breakfast foods’ potential
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Frozen Breakfast Attitudes
- Clean ingredients, customization can convey health and quality
- Figure 34: Frozen breakfast attitudes, 2022
- Target Millennials, Gen Zs with culinary experiences
- Figure 35: Frozen breakfast innovation interest, by generation, 2022
- Clean ingredients, customization can convey health and quality
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
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Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 36: Total US retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast food, 2022, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 37: Total US retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast food, 2022, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2017-27
- Figure 38: Total US retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast food, 2022, by segment, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 39: Total US retail sales of frozen breakfast food, 2022, by segment, at current prices, 2020 and 2022
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- Figure 40: Total US retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast entrees, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 41: Total US retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast entrees, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2017-27
- Figure 42: Total US retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast handhelds, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 43: Total US retail sales and forecast of frozen breakfast handhelds, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2017-27
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- Figure 44: Total US retail sales and forecast of frozen waffles, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 45: Total US retail sales and forecast of frozen waffles, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2017-27
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Appendix – Retail Channels
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- Figure 46: Total US retail sales of frozen breakfast food, 2022, by channel, at current prices, 2017-22
- Figure 47: Total US retail sales of frozen breakfast food, 2022, by channel, at current prices, 2020 and 2022
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- Figure 48: US supermarket sales of frozen breakfast food, 2022, at current prices, 2017-22
- Figure 49: US sales of frozen breakfast food, 2022 through other retail channels, at current prices, 2017-22
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Appendix – Companies and Brands
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- Figure 50: Sales of frozen breakfast, by company, 2021-22
- Figure 51: Multi-outlet sales of frozen breakfast entrees, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2021 and 2022
- Figure 52: Multi-outlet sales of frozen breakfast handhelds, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2021 and 2022
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- Figure 53: Multi-outlet sales of frozen waffles, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2021 and 2022
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Appendix – Consumer
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- Figure 54: Average annual household spending on frozen breakfast food, 2022, 2017-22
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Appendix – TURF Methodology
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- Figure 55: TURF Analysis – Reasons for frozen breakfast food purchase, 2022
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- Figure 56: Table – TURF Analysis – Reasons for frozen breakfast food purchase, 2022
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