SF-October-2020

22 A s the dramatic changes in consumer behaviour have played out over the last few months, you may have spotted one area of your shop floor falling a little quieter. Whilst the trend for newly working-from-home customers to cook more meals from scratch may have boosted sales of baking items, store cupboard ingredients and alcohol, it may have sucked footfall away from your ready meals and soups. After all, these two categories are all about time saving; what does the time-rich rich foodie need with pre-prepared meals? Answer: comfort, indulgence, and a taste of the exotic. Pre-Covid times may seem a dull and distant memory, but stats released in January showed a bump in the road for ready meals following five years of continuous growth since 2015. Sales fell by £52.3m according to Kantar, with a falling volume of sales in both frozen and chilled showing that fewer pingable meals were being bought. So should you be concerned for this section of your business? Well, as ever, broad market stats lack the granular detail that reflects what’s going on in fine food retail. Convenience meets caution “Ready meals have become increasingly important to our retail range,” says Keith Parkinson, chilled food and bakery buyer at retail group Booths. “It’s difficult to narrow down a specific customer for our ready meal lines as they appeal to a wide- ranging customer base, such as those individuals with a particularly busy and fast-paced lifestyle where convenience and quality is key. They also appeal to customers who are keen to try something ‘different’, but don’t have all the ingredients available at home. With regard to Covid-19 and the lockdown restrictions in place, our selection of ready meals have also offered a great alternative to takeaways and eating out, allowing our customers to efficiently balance working from home with families around them.”  It’s not just juggling home workers who are increasingly drawn to wholesome meals and soups that can be ready in minutes. For many older shoppers with a ring-fenced income and desire to stock the freezer, quality convenience meals are a great option. Stats suggest ready meals sales didn’t track the huge rise in frozen foods at the start of lockdown, but according to Nick Punter of Suffolk Food Hall near Ipswich, convenience meals are performing well. “I think they have definitely played their part, especially during the lockdown,” says Nick. “We had a lot of customers requesting ready meals on their orders; luckily we stock a good range so managed to make a lot of customers happy by providing them. I think they have their place at the Food Hall because we choose those that are high quality, tasty and offer a high level of satisfaction, which is reflected in how popular they are.” What’s more, contingency buying is certainly a strategy that older customers adopt. “I think it ranges, but most of the customers who purchase ready meals from us are older,” says Nick. “I think the ready meals we have suit their palates and preferences, though personally I’ve picked up a few of the vegan ones for lunches and I am sure many of the surrounding families and businesses have also done the same. During the lockdown older customers were purchasing them in higher quantities to keep them going throughout what they expected to be a long lockdown.” He points to the ‘hearty classics’ winning sales with the Food Hall’s consumer base: “certain dishes are more popular than others I would say, for example chilli con carne, fish pie and steak with red wine.” READY TO GO? Ready meals and soups have been slipping in customers’ affections, but as demand for healthy, convenient foods grows, could this be their moment? DISPLAY FOR UPSELLING “Bundling ready meals with wine works well and diffuses the item cost,” says Edward Berry of The Flying Fork. “Adding veg sides alongside can increase spend (think like a restaurant). Make sure your your range shouts local, healthy, tasty (often forgotten) and seasonal. If it looks good, show it off. Poor ready meals can look so disappointing.” COMFORT SELLS This autumn and winter look set to be particularly gruelling, whatever the weather. With Covid- 19 restrictions back and a winter of health difficulties predicted, comfort is on the agenda. “There’s no doubt that our cottage pie, lasagne and mac and cheese offerings strike a chord with our customers,” says Keith Parkinson, chilled food and bakery buyer at Booths. “They have that familiar and almost comforting appeal.” PLUMP FOR PLANTS A new survey of 6,221 vegan and meat reducing consumers by ProVeg international identifies plant-based ready meals among the most popular product for this demographic. The data shows vegan ready meals in highest demand among meat reducers, rather than vegans themselves, and shows price is the biggest source of dissatisfaction with plant- based ready meals. 3 WAYS TO BOOST SALES @specialityfood The Covid-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on health and the effect of lifestyle choices on this, with 31% of adults putting a greater emphasis on healthy eating since the outbreak The big night in For Edward Berry of consultancy The Flying Fork, high-quality prepared meals and soups have a fresh opportunity to delight consumers thanks to the restrictions placed on the hospitality industry. “We are currently eating out less, which means that for many people eating in has replaced a meal out of the home,” he suggests. “So, that means perhaps people have a little more to spend, assuming employment is ongoing, and will be aiming at ready meals that deliver to a higher level: carefully selected ingredients, better recipes, and meals targeted to special occasions rather than simply convenience and speed. Soups normally come with good margin for the retailer,” he adds. “Also, it’s not just about the soup, it’s about persuading the consumer not to go to the trouble of buying all those ingredients in small quantities to make just one container.”