1. Ready Meals - US - July 2009
Incidence of Buying Ready Meals
Key points
● Nearly eight in 10 (78%) respondents to [Data]’s proprietary survey
indicated that they had purchased a frozen ready meal other than pizza
in the six months prior to taking the survey. By contrast, 61% reported
using some type of shelf-stable meal and another 61% reported
purchasing a refrigerated meal in the six months prior to taking the
survey.
● American fare, Italian, Mexican, Chinese or Japanese cuisines represent
the type of ready meals that are most popular. Not surprisingly,
American is the most popular type of ready meal among respondents to
[Data]’s proprietary survey.
● Young adults, households with children under age 18 and respondents
from households with incomes of $75K+ were also somewhat more likely
to report using ready meals.
Frozen meals, especially those made with American, Italian, and Mexican
cuisines, are in high demand
In the Brand Share sections, it was shown repeatedly that the products and brands
that perform well are foods that reflect popular tastes. It was also shown that FDMx
sales of frozen meals are much higher than those of refrigerated and shelf-stable
meals.
The following survey data also support the contention that the frozen segment is
dominant. The reason for this difference appears to be a product of the fact that
there are generally more frozen products on the market and they are far more likely
to be formulations that can be used for a complete meal. Shelf-stable products, on
the other hand, tend to be side dishes or meal elements.
There is some indication, however, that a significant number of consumers are
interested in eating more refrigerated ready meals made with fresh ingredients and
minimal processing. This is an opportunity that is likely to be capitalized upon in the
future by retailers that are seeking to capture a larger share of the ready meals
market. Whole Foods Market, for instance, sells a variety of premium ready meals as
well as marinated meats and other fresh products that require only minimal
preparation. These meals are similar to some of the popular meals being sold in the
UK, where growth of chilled meals has been strong in recent years.
It should also be noted that among [Data]’s survey respondents, diet frozen meals
are somewhat more popular than those that are simply nutritionally balanced. This
reflects the fact that such meals are sometimes used as part of portion control
efforts—especially among middle-class and affluent women—and are sometimes
designed specifically to be used along with dieting programs (eg, Weight Watchers).

2. FIGURE 38: Incidence of buying ready meals, by origin and type of meal, by frozen,
refrigerated and shelf-stable, April 2009
Refrigerated Frozen Shelf-stable
Base: Adults aged 18+ with 2,000 2,000 2,000
internet access
% % %
Origin of meal:
American fare 20 39 21
Italian 10 29 14
Mexican 9 21 8
Chinese or Japanese 8 18 7
Indian 4 6 3
Thai 4 7 3
Type of meal:
Any premium ready meal 10 19 6
Any nutritionally 7 16 7
balanced/healthier eating (but
not diet) ready meal
Any diet/low-calorie/low-fat 6 21 5
ready meal
Any other ethnic ready meal 5 7 4
Any vegetarian or vegan meal 5 10 3
I haven’t purchased this type of 25 15 21
ready meal in the last six
months
I never buy this type of ready 39 22 39
meal
SOURCE: [Data]
Incidence of buying refrigerated ready meals
One key theme in the demographic analysis that follows is the fact that young adults
are somewhat more likely to report purchasing ready meals. Part of this appears to
be a product of the fact that young adults often have lower incomes than their older
counterparts, and many live alone and have no need to cook for children or other
household members. Taken together, these factors make frozen meals a cost-
effective option.
Many young adults also do not have the same health concerns as their older
counterparts and thus may scrutinize foods less and be more willing to consume
meals that have relatively high levels of saturated fat, sodium, sugar and cholesterol.
This may explain part of why they are often more inclined to eat, for instance,
refrigerated ready meals. A lack of cooking skills is another factor that helps to
explain the higher incidence of use among young adults.
Overall, these data indicate that advertisements and communications should be
targeted in part to young adults. Some companies may also want to consider
engaging in marketing efforts for college campuses and/or online communities such

3. as Facebook where large numbers of young adults congregate. It should also be
noted, as indicated in a table included in the Appendix, that affluents (i.e.,
respondents with incomes of $100K+) are generally more likely to report purchasing
ready meals. Affluents tend to be more health-oriented than the working class and
that helps to explain why growth in FDMx sales is driven in large part by sales of
better-for-you products.
FIGURE 39: Incidence of buying refrigerated ready meals, by origin and type of meal,
by age, April 2009
Base: 2,000 adults aged 18+ with internet access
All 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
% % % % % % %
Origin of meal:
American fare 20 27 26 19 15 19 14
Italian 10 14 14 11 8 7 8
Mexican 9 18 13 8 5 8 5
Chinese or Japanese 8 14 11 6 6 5 4
Indian 4 7 8 5 2 1 1
Thai 4 9 8 3 2 2 1
Type of meal:
Any premium ready 10 15 12 10 9 9 9
meal
Any nutritionally 7 11 11 8 5 4 5
balanced/healthier
eating (but not diet)
ready meal
Any diet/low- 6 9 9 7 5 4 3
calorie/low-fat ready
meal
Any other ethnic ready 5 8 8 5 2 3 2
meal
Any vegetarian or 5 8 7 6 2 3 3
vegan meal
I haven’t purchased this 25 22 24 27 30 25 21
type of ready meal in
the last six months
I never buy this type of 39 28 32 37 40 42 51
ready meal
SOURCE: [Data]
Another key theme of the demographic analysis is that households with children
under age 18 are significantly more likely to purchase ready meals when compared
with those who do not have children in their care. As shown in the following Figure,
the difference in incidence of use of refrigerated products between the two groups is
quite pronounced.
This indicates that families, like young adults, are an important element of the target

4. market. The finding also demonstrates that companies should consider creating more
formulations that are appropriate for small families rather than focusing all
developmental efforts primarily on single-serve options. The popularity of products
that are designed specifically for children, like Lunchables, helps to explain the
popularity and higher incidence of purchase among respondents with kids.
Better-for-you formulations that have packaging designed specifically to appeal to
kids could become more popular in the future. This is an underdeveloped sub-
segment that companies can exploit in the search for growth and favorable brand
positioning.
FIGURE 40: Incidence of buying refrigerated ready meals, by origin and type of meal,
by presence of children, April 2009
Base: 2,000 adults aged 18+ with internet access
All No children 1 child under
under 18 in 18 in
household household
% % %
Origin of meal:
American fare 20 17 26
Mexican 9 7 14
Italian 10 8 12
Chinese or Japanese 8 6 11
Indian 4 3 6
Thai 4 3 6
Type of meal:
Any other ethnic ready meal 5 3 6
Any vegetarian or vegan meal 5 4 6
Any premium ready meal 10 9 14
Any diet/low-calorie/low-fat 6 5 7
ready meal
Any nutritionally 7 6 11
balanced/healthier eating (but
not diet) ready meal
I haven’t purchased this type 25 27 22
of ready meal in the last six
months
I never buy this type of ready 39 43 30
meal
SOURCE: [Data]
Incidence of buying frozen ready meals
The demographic differences in incidence of purchasing refrigerated meals are very
similar to those observed in the frozen meals segment. Because affluent consumers
typically report being more health-oriented than the working class, the finding
indicates that companies should continue to develop and refine their better-for-you

5. products, as this subcategory is likely to continue driving growth.
Note that respondents, especially affluents, were somewhat more likely to report
purchasing “diet” frozen meals when compared with those that are premium or
nutritionally balanced but not specifically “diet.” This is another indication that ready
meals are often used to facilitate portion control. The finding also indicates that
manufacturers may want to consider partnering with providers of weight loss
products. Alternatively, a company could consider creating its own program and pair
the offering with access to a website that provides tips on what type of lifestyle
changes are generally necessary to “keep off those extra pounds.” Exercise
guidelines and an online support forum could also be included with such a site to add
value to the product and brand. Overall, however, the analysis indicates that many
users who purchase products to help them lose weight or maintain a healthy weight
are also seeking better nutrition. This will favor products that are low in calories,
high in fiber and also provide an ample amount of protein and essential nutrients and
vitamins.
FIGURE 41: Incidence of buying frozen ready meals, by origin and type of meal, by
household income, April 2009
Base: 2,000 adults aged 18+ with internet access
All <$25K $25K- $50K- $75K- $100K $150K
49.9K 74.9K 99.9K -149.9 +
K
% % % % % % %
Origin of meal:
American fare 39 38 37 35 44 45 48
Mexican 21 18 18 18 20 32 26
Italian 29 24 23 32 32 37 39
Chinese or Japanese 18 18 15 15 18 26 22
Indian 6 6 5 5 6 6 8
Thai 7 8 5 5 9 7 12
Type of meal:
Any other ethnic ready 7 9 7 4 7 8 14
meal
Any vegetarian or 10 10 8 9 8 11 12
vegan meal
Any premium ready 19 19 19 19 17 23 17
meal
Any diet/low- 21 17 19 18 18 33 28
calorie/low-fat ready
meal
Any nutritionally 16 17 14 14 15 24 17
balanced/healthier
eating (but not diet)
ready meal

6. I haven’t purchased 15 14 19 16 12 11 8
this type of ready
meal in the last six
months
I never buy this type 22 28 20 21 24 19 21
of ready meal
SOURCE: [Data]
Incidence of buying shelf-stable ready meals
Consistent with the findings reported above, the incidence of purchasing shelf-stable
meals is also higher among young adults. Once again, this indicates that marketing
and product development efforts should focus in part on young adults. In order to
gain a competitive edge, some companies may want to consider hiring popular music
stars to endorse or promote their products in materials targeted to this population.
FIGURE 42: Incidence of buying shelf-stable ready meals, by origin and type of meal,
by age, April 2009
Base: 2,000 adults aged 18+ with internet access
All 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
% % % % % % %
Origin of meal:
American fare 21 26 24 23 20 18 13
Mexican 8 13 11 8 8 5 4
Italian 14 18 18 19 13 9 6
Chinese or Japanese 7 10 10 7 5 6 4
Indian 3 8 4 3 2 2 1
Thai 3 8 6 3 2 1 1
Type of meal:
Any other ethnic ready 4 7 6 3 3 2 2
meal
Any vegetarian or 3 7 6 3 2 2 2
vegan meal
Any premium ready 6 10 7 6 7 3 5
meal
Any diet/low- 5 8 7 5 5 3 3
calorie/low-fat ready
meal
Any nutritionally 7 12 7 6 6 5 4
balanced/healthier
eating (but not diet)
ready meal
I haven’t purchased 21 20 18 19 23 24 21
this type of ready meal
in the last six months
I never buy this type of 39 25 34 36 40 47 50
ready meal

7. SOURCE: [Data]
Households with children under 18 are also more likely to purchase various types of
shelf-stable meals, and thus this is another segment that companies should focus
upon when developing new products and communications. It also underscores the
fact that there is a significant demand for products designed specifically for children.
FIGURE 43: Incidence of buying shelf-stable ready meals, by origin and type of meal,
by presence of children, April 2009
Base: 2,000 adults aged 18+ with internet access
All No children 1 child 2+ children
under 18 in under 18 in under 18 in
household household household
% % % %
Origin of meal:
American fare 21 17 27 27
Mexican 8 6 14 12
Italian 14 11 19 21
Chinese or Japanese 7 6 8 11
Indian 3 2 6 5
Thai 3 2 5 6
Type of meal:
Any other ethnic ready 4 3 6 6
meal
Any vegetarian or vegan 3 2 4 6
meal
Any premium ready meal 6 5 9 10
Any diet/low-calorie/low-fat 5 4 6 9
ready meal
Any nutritionally balanced/ 7 5 9 10
healthier eating (but not
diet) ready meal
I haven’t purchased this 21 23 20 16
type of ready meal in the
last six months
I never buy this type of 39 45 27 27
ready meal
SOURCE: [Data]