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12
Market Trends
A number of market reports indicate that the
requirement for convenience has boosted
demand for pre-packed and prepared products,
with these foods increasingly chosen over their
delicatessen counterparts. In comparison with
ambient and frozen food, chilled prepared
foods have the advantage of being fresher,
better and quicker to prepare and therefore
more convenient. Chilled prepared food also
benefits from stronger retail support.
The overall European chilled prepared foods
industry can be described as very fragmented,
with a number of different manufacturers
supplying the markets in individual countries,
ranging from multinationals to regional and
national companies. Branding remains strong in
the Continental European market, unlike the U.K.
market, where the market is dominated by
retailer own-labels and very few branded
products.
Some of these trends have yet to make a
significant impact on countries in Continental
Europe and the Nordic Region. However,
market analysts, including Leatherhead Food
RA, believe that habits are beginning to change
in these regions, with convenience foods such
as ready meals now gaining wider acceptance,
especially among the younger generation,
following trends similar to those already
evident in the U.K. and some other northern
European countries, such as France.
Many chilled food products have been developed
in the wake of maturity and stagnation in the
frozen, dried and ambient food sectors. Most of
the chilled prepared food products supplied in
the U.K. are premium lines, featuring high-quality
and luxury ingredients. The range of flavours and
fillings is increasing constantly, with ethnic,
American and Continental styles being
particularly popular. This trend is mainly due to
relatively affluent and more adventurous
consumers demanding a greater variety.
In the U.K., chilled prepared food producers
have also sought diversification into the snack
food and lunch box markets, as consumers
demand more convenience food for
consumption on the move. A similar trend is
emerging in other Continental European
markets, albeit at a slower pace.