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Agenda
What is ‘Frozen’ to consumers: In home
Packaging
In store
Overview of challenges and barriers
Key issues for category sub-segments
Conclusions
3
Research Objectives:
‘To understand underlying shopper and consumer
dynamics driving the performance of the frozen
food category (both at total category level and at
key sub category level: frozen meat/burgers;
chicken products; pizza; ready meals; fish;
vegetables) in UK and Ireland so as to inform
future marketing and consumer strategies’ 3
Online discussion forum: 33 consumers over 5 days (21 UK
and 12 Ireland) Including: Supermarket visit where
they took photos of the aisle and any interesting frozen products
In home interviews: 30 consumers London /
M25 (7), Manchester
(7), Nottingham (6),
Cork (3) and Dublin (7)
Accompanied shops: With 20 of the above, ranging
from ‘top up’ to ‘stock up’ visits
What is frozen?
Anything entering the consumer's
freezer is part of frozen: Est at least half is not bought frozen
So anchored in ‘my freezer’
Core benefit of convenience belongs to
the device not the category
Convenience: Easy /quick meal Snacks to keep you going Meal / Menu tailoring Freezer plays a role on most days
Choice / Options
Poor aesthetics: Just doesn’t look as nice (as fresh)
Very functional and lacks emotional appeal
Perceived poorer quality (than fresh)
Less waste: Lasts longer Precise amounts
Can be a guilty pleasure
Consumer creates unique category, ‘my frozen’
Whatever is in my freezer: Yes, ‘bought frozen’
Probably more bought fresh
Bakery is key, fuelled by offers and
minimising waste
Others eg pastry
And for some more portions & leftovers
Issue Veg Fish Prods Pizzas Poultry Prods
Meat / Burgers
Ready Meals
Who is core user?
Adults Children & Adults
All + Guests
Kids love them and teenagers can cook them
Children Adults Teens & Adults
Usefulness ***** *** ***** *** ** ****
Confidence in product
***** **** ***** *** * (if bought frozen)
**** (if bought
fresh)
**
Role of brands
Key: Birds Eye, McCains, Green Isle
Key: Birds Eye, Donegal Catch, Youngs
Key: Goodfellas Dr Oetker Chicago
Pizza Express
Limited: (Big Als)
Critical but
minimal: (Birds Eye,
Finest)
Own label popular: + Weight
Watchers, Healthy Living and some
non frozen brands entering
Whether bought frozen?
All All Most (not Pizza
Express ‘treats’)
All Minority (offers in fresh key)
Most
Consumer overview of products from their freezer
Meat the key component of
buy fresh and freeze: Almost all consumers did this, using up
valuable space
And all think they do it more now:
Due to offers (eg 3 for £10)
Innovation in jar / packet sauces
Local butchers / meat shops doing
deals too
A behaviour given impetus by
horsemeat scandal
Important everywhere,
even more in Ireland
The casual ‘snacks and light meals’ category
Articulated repeatedly by consumers
and defined by usage (not product): Snacks and ‘in between meal’ meals
Fish finger buttie, nuggets to keep the kids
going after school, etc
Very casual and extremely valuable
Not reflected in store
Opportunity exists here
12
Case Study: Single D, Stretford Karen has a busy life and wants lots of
instant food available; quite erratic lifestyle as working and caring for
father. Heavy Iceland & Asda shopper (but uses several other stores too)
13
Case Study: Family with two young children under 10, D Maria has a very strict weekly budget and a heavy user of frozen; but husband thinks fresher is better and they buy a lot of fresh meat to freeze on offer (at Tesco). Limited repertoire of meals (lots of fresh
mince that is frozen); spag bol several times a week with sauces “everything comes out of a jar or packet in this family”
14
Case Study: Family with older teens Claire is a lighter (almost heavy) frozen food user but says she ‘works her freezer hard’. She has teenage
children and several in their 20’s who regularly return with partners in tow. She need lots of food options to cater for a wide range of tastes and fads; and people just turning up. ‘Discovered’ Aldi last year and goes
every Sunday for main shop.
Freezers: Out of sight
Freezers are squeezed into the home Very few have them in the garage
Storage space; the frozen cupboard
Involves rummaging about
Product ‘shoved in’
Hard to manage
Packaging Challenges
Reaction to packaging re-enforces
poor perceptions of the category Uncared for product
Packs take up too much space, esp
when part used (eg 4 of 8 pieces left)
Many repackage: Positive: reduce waste; enhance convenience
Negative: because pack won’t fit in
Packaging at odds with needs: With freezer space at a premium, offers
(which promote more, not cheaper) can
appear at odds with consumer needs
Discounters viewed more favourably;
usually a better price for the same size
If original packaging doesn’t fit, some
keep instructions (and some do not)
23
Packaging gets ripped open – and cannot be resealed
Many examples of loose product
Squashed and damaged
Frequently packaging does not help freezer management
Difficult to open, impossible to reseal
Exposed product commonplace
Frozen Aisle: Usual rules don’t apply
Looks uninviting
Very functional, unemotional
Not tactile; no permission or
encouragement to explore and handle
Perceived lack of POS / offers
At the end ‘I just want to get home’ Be quick or even avoid altogether
Macclesfield
26
These cabinets look empty due to light reflection; Asda, Cheshire
Poorly stocked Sainsburys in Kings Lynn
Clinical and uninviting environments, esp Tesco
Dublin Clarehall
Discounters and some
others integrate freezers
better:
-No frozen aisle
-Creates more welcoming
category environment
Lidl, Artane
Supervalu, Kilester
Lidl, Fishponds, Bristol
Tesco, Barking
Open freezers more inviting:
Doors seen as a barrier to product; “I only open them if I want something.”
Side ‘flags’ used here to indicate frozen aisle by price point thought more colourful
Asda, Feltham
Offers grab attention and bring colour;
suggest retailer is making an effort
Iceland
Morrisons
Tesco
Lidl
Role of Offer Freezers
Mentioned spontaneously
Recognised as mixing things up Meal ideas; covering all the bases
Many like them but ‘a bit weird’ Healthy Living curry next to pizza
Debate as to whether they encourage
you visit the aisle or help you avoid it
Jumbled up offer freezers -These examples Tesco Macclesfield and Tesco Dublin Artane Cross
31
The Crunchie dividing wall; Tesco Artane Cross, Dublin
Ben & Jerrys and Faggots; Tesco Macclesfield
Implications of store experience
Rarely lingering in the frozen aisle Typically ‘get in get out’
New strategies needed
Frequent opportunities for purchase
avoidance, eg: Someone stood in the way of cabinet
Uncertain whether pack will fit in my freezer
Innovation not being noticed
Wider food-retail issues
impact frozen: Much less ‘stock up’ shopping:
Stores are everywhere
22 of 33 say now going more
frequently
Growth of discounters
Easier frozen experience
19 of 33 using them a lot more
So easy, part of convenience
Convenience stores living up to name
No longer for distress purchasing
They have offers too (inc fresh)
Frozen very limited
The frozen aisle; Tesco Metro, Cheadle Hulme, Manchester
Category specific issues: Language of chilled superior
Freezer enables fresh
Packaging needs improving
Improve shopabaility
Awareness of innovation needed
Broader factors: Less stock-up shopping
Growth of discounters
Convenience living up to name
Cooking in media rarely
features frozen
Combine to inhibit category positives:
Convenience
Less waste
Better value
Frozen not living up to potential
Category Perceptions
Important to get beyond the initial
frozen category reaction
Superficial perceptions not strong: Poorer nutrition
Cheap (and nasty)
But attitudes differ by sub-segment
Frozen Vegetables: The most positive segment; can be better
than fresh
Peas the benchmark
Carrots less so (soggy)
Mixed and other greens appreciated
Pack size a key issue; can be
compounded by offers
Innovation seen positively and is about:
Pack sizes (eg Single Steamers)
Sauces (eg cauliflower cheese)
Items that help me cook from
scratch (eg stir fry & casserole
products, herbs)
Frozen ‘Potato’ Products: To consumers separate to vegetables
and part of ‘snacking’
Includes Yorkshires
No quality concerns and better than I
could make (esp chips, Yorkshires)
An invaluable category
Quick ‘cheat’ food
Options for families
Innovation largely seen as about potato
formats (eg baked potatoes)
Frozen Pizzas: Popular and performs well
Many prefer frozen over fresh
Convenient and easy; good to have in
for the unexpected
Innovation, flavours and bread formats,
viewed very positively
Merchandising dull if displayed side on
but very positive if viewed from ‘above’
(this example Dunnes)
Frozen Fish Products: Easier and family-friendly way to access
fish
A positive relationship with frozen;
(some know it is frozen when caught)
Attitudes to frozen quite different to
fresh; breaded an important association
(but less than for poultry)
Concerns over quality (mushy / grey)
and portion size
Fish product innovation:
Consumer sees three types To address perceived poor quality (eg
Iceland)
Coatings; but more of the same!
‘Real’ innovation eg sauces, clear
packaging, etc
Frozen Poultry Products: Majority eating chicken but relatively
poor attitudes to frozen poultry products
given extent of fresh purchase
Concerns over meat quality /
reconstituted / injected
Perceptions anchored in breaded
‘Childish’ driven by nuggets and
goujons
‘Outdated’ Chicken Kiev been
around for ages
Lacks adult brands; though Big Als very
popular in Ireland
Poultry Innovation Poor: Innovation very limited and only seen
at the value end (eg mimicking KFC,
joint alternatives)
Consumers found it difficult to find
‘interesting’ products from this segment
Quality cues missing from frozen
Free Range, freedom food,
organic, etc
Consumer sees greater innovation in
fresh (prepared chicken, DIY coating,
etc) “To be honest there is only so much you can do with a piece of
chicken and some breadcrumbs. I’ve noticed a trend to try and
imitate the traditional Saturday night takeaway. For example, KFC
do a chicken bucket for approx £12 and this can be bought in
Iceland for £5.” (C2, heavy, pre-family)
Frozen Meat / Meat Products: Meat being used by many
Esp bags of chops
Chicken / Mince less prevalent
Good value but fresh offers eroding;
and can be too cheap
Awareness of quality issues: Looking at
water, meat and fat content
Horsemeat had greatest impact here
Meat products (sausages, pies &
pasties) thought poor and fresh better
Very little innovation recognised:
Greggs pasties an exception
Occasional cooking enablers
And meat substitutes
Burgers: Many negative perceptions
Lack of trust evident
A unique situation; very seasonal &
greatest quality concerns
Fresh burgers seem readily available
and easier to judge quality
Some claim to make their own
“I think what happens is that now I don't trust any burgers and just because a thing is cheap I still have the right to know what is in them as it is my choice what I give my family to eat and if there horse meat in my burgers I should be told this on the package no matter what I pay for them.” (D, heavy, older family)
“Fresh offer the image that they have been prepared before your eyes, unlike frozen burgers where there is uncertainty surrounding the processes!” (C2, heavy, pre family)
Frozen Ready Meals: When explored consumers found many
‘interesting’ products
Several commented that this
surprised them
Consumer needs to be engaged in a
conversation to get past more negative
initial reactions:
Impossible to judge quality
Concerns over additives, fat & salt
Portions are shrinking
A guilty pleasure
Convenience is key and teenagers an
important user group
Innovation Surprising: Consumer needs permission to explore
Several positive aspects to innovation:
Tasty and adventurous flavours
Brands starting to matter (eg Bisto,
Sharwoods and more established
Weight Watchers, Healthy Living)
Colourful
But innovation lacks consumer visibility
and little experimentation was reported
Issue Veg Fish Prods Pizzas Poultry Prods
Meat / Burgers
Ready Meals
Overall rating of frozen segment
***** *** **** *** * ***
Key issues Frozen at source a positive
Makes fish accessible
Sooo useful
Juvenile Can’t judge meat
quality
Concern over ingredients
Iconic product Peas & chips
Fish fingers The Pizza itself
Nuggets & Kiev
None Curry, Chilli, Lasagne, Spag
Bog
Perceived quality
The best way to buy
some
Poor, shrinking portions
Good (some think better than
chilled)
Poor Concern Variable, being
lifted by brands (inc Healthy
Living)
Perceived innovation
Acceptable Improving Good Poor; needed
Little scope Quite good (even better
when explored)
Buying more frozen nowadays?
n/a More Much more
More Less Some more / Some less
Consumer Overview of Frozen Category Sub-segments
49
Consumers (Empathy)
In Store
(Shopability)
Products
(Communication
and Innovation)
Conclusions and Actions
Consumers: Empathy Only one key element of what’s in my freezer
Competing with fresh
Recognise role of snacking, light meals and home cooked
Communicate and innovate around these situations
Products: Communication & Innovation Dial up quality and taste cues; borrow from fresh (esp poultry)
Packaging innovation to improve convenience
Fish products: Maintain innovation momentum (not there yet)
Poultry: Innovation needed (lacking) and communicate cues of fresh
Meat & meat products: Reassurance communication needed
Ready Meals: awareness / engagement needed (innovation is ahead
of knowledge)
In Store: Shopability Re-evaluate visual, verbal and spatial cues
Tap into ‘get in get out’ mind-set
Consider:
Fragmentation of category to encourage involvement
Products based on usage not ingredients
The language of frozen food
“buying a product what you don’t know
when you will eat it, but then it’s easy
enough to cook in the microwave” (D, heavy, post family)
“quick and tasty and generally
suited to reheating in a
microwave” (C2, lighter, post family)
“It’s the handiest thing to have in the
freezer, once I have them there’s
always a dinner there. So handy
especially when you’re a working
mam” (C2, heavy, young family)
“Frozen food is convenience
food, you know it won’t go off
and it’s readily available to use” (C2, heavy, young family)
What is frozen food all about……..?
“Frozen food cuts down on
waste, I got sick of throwing out
veg that had turned” (C2, lighter,
young family)
“It’s ready fast after a long day at
work” (C2, heavy, older family)
“Quick and easy to cook and most
people like it” (C2, heavy, older family)
“i tend to sway towards fresh as much as
possible, you think it’s better for you” (C2,
lighter, older family)
The language of frozen food
“ready meals - they are helpful
when I don’t have time to make
a proper meal” (D, heavy, post family)
“.......the obligatory fish fingers
and chicken nuggets for the
grandchildren” (C2, lighter, post family)
“I have a lot of frozen chicken
and beef as it is really convenient
to be able to cook staples after
work” (C2, lighter, pre family)
“frozen chicken – because I can do
a curry or stir fry – something
quick with it” (C2, lighter, older family)
What product best sums up frozen food and why?
“The bulk buy start-type
meals...the type of thing you can
just shove in the oven and snack
on whilst cooking or before going
on a night out” (C2, heavy, pre family)
“I think mixed veg sums up frozen food for me, they
are so handy to have and once added to any dish
they complete the meal” (C2, heavy, post family)
Shopability of frozen in respondents own words…..
“I find it easy to go through the shop
without looking at freezers if I don't
need items as they’re not at my eye
level and there not jumping out at me.
recently Lidl have started to do special
offers freezers.” (C2, heavy, post family)
“Yes there are a lot of deals in
the frozen aisles but there are
more meal deals in the fresh
aisles!” (C2, heavy, young family)
“I would never open (freezer) doors
unless I’m going to buy it. …..With door
you have to decide you want it” (C2, Post
family, Heavy)
“Cold! Boring, not inspiring, plain,
lots of deals and offers on show” (C2, lighter, pre family)
“Cold is the first word I’d use, it’s my least favourite aisle and I usually
grab and run when I go down this section!!” (C2, lighter, older family)
Macro trends: In respondents own words….
“My husband and I are both self employed and I
suppose that although we manage to pay all our
bills, we are conscious about getting value for
money. When I did a weekly shop, I wasted a lot of
food by just throwing it out and I was more
inclined to buy a lot of rubbish (cakes, biscuits). I
find that shopping everyday you are more inclined
to buy what you need and probably have fresher
products as well.” (C2, heavy, young family)
“It’s so easy to cook from
scratch now – there’s help
everywhere and we’re always
discussing recipes at work.” (C2, lighter, older family)
“I find these stores are better value for money, I can do a
full shop at Aldi for half the price of Tesco... I wouldn’t
dream of going to Tesco now.” (D, heavy, young family)
“Asda, once or twice. Tesco Metro
three to five times. Sainsburys and
Waitrose once. Farmfoods once.” (D, heavy, post family)
“We shop around a lot and look out
for good deals. I do a main shop once
a month in either Aldi or Tesco and
we use our local Asda for top up
shopping. That usually happens
about 3 times a week so I can get
fresh produce.” (C2, heavy, young family)
Fish Products: In respondents own words….
“Some products needs more fish in
relation to the amount of batter, on
the other hand Tesco own fish
products need to be bigger in size ,
there is a good amount of fish to
batter but the product needs to be
bigger.” (C2, lighter, young family)
“I think it's easy to feel a bit cheated
…... You see some nicely packaged
fish fillets with a tasty image on the
front with big succulent fillets and
then you open to see tiny grey-ish
fillets. That can be a bit
disappointing!” (D, lighter, pre-family)
“Totally agree about the ratio of batter/breadcrumbs to fish. I don't buy
any coated fish now (other than fish fingers - can't beat a fish finger butty)
However, probably would if they could get it right.” (C2, lighter, post family)
“I would like to see the amount of ice glaze on prawns reduced as you
are just paying for water. Also scampi – make it clear whether it’s
reformed or whole tail. Some brands do make this clear. I don’t like over
regular shape of fish fillets as it suggests that it’s more like processed
rubbish, I’d like less and compact packaging” (C2, lighter, older family)
Poultry Products: In respondents own words….
“Tenders, goujons, dippers, nuggets,
fingers, popcorn, strips (whether they
are breaded or southern fried) I just
don’t know how many more names they
can come up with to mask chicken. Ok
they may be different shapes but at the
end of the day they 99% taste the
same.” (C2, heavy, pre family)
“The Birdseye chicken range has
newer products ie: chicken chargrills
in different flavours, peri peri, garlic,
southern fried and I have seen a new
chicken burger which is much thicker
and more meaty than the usual
chicken burger.” (D, heavy, older family)
“I believe that chicken Kiev, chicken dippers, nuggets, chicken breast etc have
been around for a number of years and that the only difference that I can see
would be the packaging. An example of this would be Birds Eye Chicken Breasts
in crumb/batter. I realize that there are a lot more than I've mentioned but I haven't
seen much change over the last few years.” (C2, heavy, young family)
“To be honest there is only so much you can do with a piece of chicken
and some breadcrumbs. I’ve noticed a trend of the supermarket to try and
imitate the traditional Saturday night takeaway. For example, KFC do a
chicken bucket for approx £12 and this can be bought in Iceland for £5.” (C2, heavy, pre-family)
Ready Meals: In respondents own words
“I think you can easily buy fresh meat
and there are so many fresh / jars /
packets of sauces that easily make a
good meal without the need to buy
ready meals.” (C2, heavy, young family)
“I'm very conscious about my diet. I wont eat frozen ready meals so
I just don't go there and tempt myself with the idea of eating a roast
in 10 minutes. They're usually pretty low in nutritional value and
flavour despite having flavour enhancers” (D, lighter, pre family)
“Chicken in red wine sauce
sounds delicious. I will look
out for that next time I am
shopping.” (C2, lighter, older family)
“I saw the Bisto cottage pie in Lidl
..it was on offer and looked nice so
I bought one for my husband to
try.” (C2, heavy, post family) “If you’re on the go…from time to time but
its not something you want to be eating 5
days a week.” (C2, lighter, Pre-Family)
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