Report Summary
Everything you need to make the right decisions
Providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis of the Prepared Meals market, its consumers and the major players who make up the market.
Mintel has the answers you’re looking for
- What are the key challenges facing the industry?
- Who is the consumer and what do they want?
- Where are the opportunities, where are the risks and what lies ahead?
Market
Point of sale market data
In conjunction with IRi, extensive point of sale data shows you what consumers are spending their money on
Market Size
How big is the market today and what is our 5 year forecast? Includes both best & worst case scenarios
Market Segmentation
What are the different segments within the market and how are those individual segments performing?
Consumer
Consumer behaviors
What are consumers looking for, what drives their buying habits and what are their main purchase influencers?
Demographic breakdown
From iGen & Millennials to Baby Boomers & beyond. Who is spending money and what are they spending it on?
Representative sample
We gather our data from real-world consumers, selected to accurately reflect precise global demographics
Players
Company strategy
What are the key players doing, what has been successful for them and what was their marketing spend?
Product innovation
Using data from our Global New Product Database, what products were launched and how well were they perceived?
Opportunities
What happens next, which areas are likely to experience growth and what opportunities exist within the market?
Covered in this report
For the purposes of this report, prepared meals are defined as
complete meals or entrées that are precooked and frozen or
refrigerated. These meals usually include a side dish and require
minimal preparation or cooking time.
Side dishes are defined in this report as products intended to
be used alongside an entrée or meal center. These items can be
frozen or refrigerated. Please note that while the industry has a
clear definition of side dishes, the demarcation is not so clear to the
consumer, who may well use specific side dishes as a meal or a
snack.
The primary segments include the following:
- Single-serve frozen meals
- Multi-serve frozen meals
- Refrigerated meals
- Frozen side dishes
- Refrigerated side dishes
Excluded from this report are meals and side dishes prepared instore and sold in the fresh deli or other departments. Also excluded are meals and side dishes sold through foodservice venues.
Expert analysis from a specialist in the field
Written by William Roberts Jr, a leading analyst in the Food & Drink sector, his extensive knowledge delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.
After a slight sales decline, the prepared meal category has enjoyed several consecutive years of positive growth, a trend expected to continue. Single-serve and side dishes have fared particularly well, with notable successes in vegetable-based side dishes catering to the consumer interest in increasing their vegetable intake, as well as refrigerated options leveraging a perception of freshness.William Roberts Jr
Senior Food & Drink Analyst
Table of Contents
-
Overview
- What you need to know
- Definition
- What you need to know
-
Executive Summary
- Overview
- Meal/side sales remain warm
- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of prepared meals, at current prices, 2013-23
- The issues
- Prepared meals serve a purpose, but it isn’t enjoyment
- Figure 2: Preference of taste in prepared meals, February 2019
- Private label brands are coming on strong
- Figure 3: Private label versus overall segment performance, by % change in sales for 52 weeks ending January 27, 2019
- Processed stigma hampers virtually the entire category
- Figure 4: Processed perception upon interest in prepared meals, any agree, February 2019
- The opportunities
- Catering to an interest in clean
- Figure 5: Improvements focusing on cleaner, more natural options, February 2019
- Target young, up-and-comers with upgraded products
- Figure 6: Quality/usage improvements, by age, February 2019
- Keep up with the changing definition of health
- Figure 7: TURF analysis – Health factors in prepared meal choice, February 2019
- What it means
- Overview
-
The Market – What You Need to Know
- Steady sales growth to continue
- Single-servings, sides proving popular
- Refrigerated offerings win with freshness
- Consumers finding meals in non-supermarket channels
- Steady sales growth to continue
-
Market Size and Forecast
- Meal/sides sales continue steady growth
- Figure 8: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of prepared meals, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 9: Total US sales and forecast of prepared meals, at current prices, 2013-23
- Meal/sides sales continue steady growth
-
Market Breakdown
- Fresh perception boosts refrigerated, while brands seek to elevate convenience
- Figure 10: Sales of prepared meals, by segment, 2013-23
- Growth across channels, greater in non-supermarkets
- Figure 11: Total US retail sales of prepared meals, by channel, at current prices, 2013-18
- Figure 12: Food and beverage purchase locations, August 2018
- Fresh perception boosts refrigerated, while brands seek to elevate convenience
-
Market Perspective
- Consumer migration to freshness, quality
- Figure 13: Share and approximate number of cooking enthusiasts, 2014-18
- Consumer migration to freshness, quality
-
Market Factors
- Consumer confidence in economy could trigger food upgrades
- Figure 14: Disposable personal income change from previous period, January 2017-October 2018
- Consumer confidence in economy could trigger food upgrades
-
Key Players – What You Need to Know
- Acquisition boosts ConAgra to market-leading position
- Sides take center stage
- Legacy brand forced to innovate to keep up
- Plant-based popularity lands in prepared meals/sides
- Acquisition boosts ConAgra to market-leading position
-
Company and Brand Sales of Prepared Meals
- Pinnacle acquisition boosts ConAgra’s market share
- Sales of prepared meals by company
- Figure 15: Sales of prepared meals, by company, 52 weeks ending January 27, 2019
- Figure 16: Sales of prepared meals, by company, 2018-19
- Pinnacle acquisition boosts ConAgra’s market share
-
What’s Working?
- Private label options resonate throughout the category
- Figure 17: Private label versus overall segment performance, by percentage change in sales for 52 weeks ending January 27, 2019
- Figure 18: Attribute analysis, prepared meal/side dish launches, private label versus name brands, Jan 2017-Apr 2019
- Indulgence and premium
- Vegetable Sides get a refresh
- Private label options resonate throughout the category
-
What’s Struggling?
- Legacy brands getting nipped at by newcomers
- Legacy brands getting nipped at by newcomers
-
What’s Next?
- Harnessing the power of plants
- Harnessing the power of plants
-
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
- Single-serve still popular
- Snacking is an untapped opportunity
- A call for flavor improvements
- Clean up the labels
- Replicating the restaurant
- Brands face challenges
- Time Saver, Adventure Eater consumers turning to prepared meals
- Single-serve still popular
-
Consumption of Prepared Meals
- Single-serve convenience still driving the market
- Figure 19: Consumption of prepared meals, February 2019
- Hispanic Millennials seek fresh, portable offerings
- Figure 20: Consumption of prepared meals, by Hispanic origin and generation, February 2019
- Single-serve convenience still driving the market
-
Usage Occasions for Prepared Meals
- Weeknights dominate usage occasions; snacking lags
- Figure 21: Usage occasions for prepared meals, February 2019
- Younger consumers more likely to lunch, snack on prepared meals
- Figure 22: Usage occasions for prepared meals, by gender and age, February 2019
- Weeknights dominate usage occasions; snacking lags
-
Reasons for Using Prepared Meals
- Flavor/taste improvements would resonate
- Figure 23: Reasons for usage of prepared meals, February 2019
- Flavor/taste improvements would resonate
-
Interest in Healthy Concepts
- Assuaging consumer concerns about processed foods
- Figure 24: Health/ingredient improvements, February 2019
- Portion-controlled potential among Hispanic consumers
- Figure 25: Health/ingredient improvements, by Hispanic origin, by generation, February 2019
- Assuaging consumer concerns about processed foods
-
Quality/Usage Improvement Potential
- Indulgence’s role in prepared meals
- Figure 26: Quality/usage improvements, February 2019
- Restaurants’ healthy aspects
- Figure 27: Quality/usage improvements, by age, February 2019
- Restaurant brands as a signal of trust
- Figure 28: Quality/usage improvements, by household income, February 2019
- TURF analysis – Meal Improvements
- Figure 29: TURF analysis – Meal improvements, by Hispanic origin, by generation, February 2019
- Indulgence’s role in prepared meals
-
Branding and Prepared Meals
- Meal brands resonate – to a degree
- Figure 30: Brand opinions, February 2019
- Store brands resonating with younger consumers
- Figure 31: Brand opinions, by age, February 2019
- Meal brands resonate – to a degree
-
Improving Packaging
- Packaging efforts should focus on reduce and re-use
- Figure 32: Attitudes toward packaging, any agree, by age, February 2019
- Packaging efforts should focus on reduce and re-use
-
Room for Snack-sized and Customizable Meals
- Snack-sized potential
- Figure 33: Interest in snack-sized meal options, February 2019
- Figure 34: Interest in snack-sized meal options, by generation, February 2019
- Snack-sized potential
-
Health and Prepared Meals
- Processed reputation still a challenge
- Figure 35: Health perceptions of prepared meals, February 2019
- Fresher or plant-based options could appeal to younger generations
- Figure 36: Health perceptions of prepared meals, by age, February 2019
- Processed reputation still a challenge
-
Prepared Meals by Consumer Segmentation
- Food and Drink Consumer Segmentation
-
- Figure 37: Food/drink consumer segmentation of prepared meals/sides, February 2019
- Time Savers, Adventure Eaters more likely to turn to prepared meals
- Figure 38: Consumption of prepared meals, by food/drink consumer segmentation, February 2019
-
- Figure 39: Health and prepared meals, by food/drink consumer segmentation, February 2019
- Gourmet appeal for Quality Seekers
- Figure 40: Quality/usage improvements, by food/drink consumer segmentation, February 2019
- Value Chasers largely unengaged in the category
- Figure 41: Reasons for usage of prepared meals, by food/drink consumer segmentation, February 2019
-
- Figure 42: Brand opinions, by food/drink consumer segmentation, February 2019
-
- Figure 43: Innovation opinions, by food/drink consumer segmentation, February 2019
- Food and Drink Consumer Segmentation
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations
- Abbreviations
- Data sources
-
Appendix – The Market
-
- Figure 44: Total US sales and forecast of prepared meals, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
- Figure 45: Total US retail sales of prepared meals, by segment, at current prices, 2016 and 2018
- Figure 46: Total US retail sales and forecast of single-serve frozen meals, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 47: Total US retail sales and forecast of single-serve frozen meals, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
-
- Figure 48: Total US retail sales and forecast of multi-serve frozen meals, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 49: Total US retail sales and forecast of multi-serve frozen meals, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
- Figure 50: Total US retail sales and forecast of refrigerated meals, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 51: Total US retail sales and forecast of refrigerated meals, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
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- Figure 52: Total US retail sales and forecast of side dishes, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 53: Total US retail sales and forecast of side dishes, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
- Figure 54: Total US retail sales of prepared meals, by channel, at current prices, 2013-18
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- Figure 55: Total US retail sales of prepared meals, by channel, at current prices, 2016 and 2018
- Figure 56: US supermarket sales of prepared meals, at current prices, 2013-18
- Figure 57: US sales of prepared meals through other retail channels, at current prices, 2013-18
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 58: Multi-outlet sales of single-serve frozen meals, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
- Figure 59: Multi-outlet sales of multi-serve frozen meals, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
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- Figure 60: Multi-outlet sales of refrigerated meals, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
- Figure 61: Multi-outlet sales of side dishes, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
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TURF Analysis – Health and Meals – Methodology
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- Figure 62: TURF analysis – Healthy features, February 2019
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TURF Analysis – Meal Improvements – Methodology
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- Figure 63: TURF analysis – Desired features, February 2019
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