Frozen food retail continues to grow

Frozen food value growth continues across almost every category, according to latest statistics in the 52 weeks to 18 June 2018.

Data gathered by Kantar Worldpanel revealed 5.4% value growth year-on-year for the retail frozen food market, meaning the total value of the segment is now more than £6.1bn.

The figures showed pizza (6.4% volume growth) and savoury food (2.6% volume growth) continue to lead, with an increase in value of more than £100m year-on-year. These two categories now represent the 16% of the total frozen retail market value.

According to data, ice cream, which had a 7.7% value with a 0.8% volume growth, increased in market growth as a result of hot weather, with 16.6m households preferring it as temperatures scored. This category is expected to rise as weather forecasts predict more sunshine over the next weeks.

Chief executive of British Frozen Food Federation, John Hyman, said: “This quarter’s results are particularly encouraging with almost across the board value growth as well as exceptional volume growth, the category is outstripping growth of several leading retailers.

“What we’re seeing is testament to the fact that frozen food, particularly ice cream and savoury food such as meat products, is ideally placed to tap into the trends underpinning consumer eating habits. Consumers are still buying traditional products like ice cream but NPD is driving them to incorporate more savoury products into their daily diets, which is good news for the frozen food industry.

“More and more people are heading to the frozen food aisles where they know they can get restaurant quality products to enjoy at home. Frozen makes it easier to access convenient and nutritious food such as frozen fish, which has also seen a 3.1% value increase in sales over the last year.”