Abstract
The sandwich market has experienced exceptional growth and is now worth over £4 billion, a 23% increase from 2002. This strong growth has been driven by the introduction of specialist sandwich bars, as well as a focused innovation and new product development.
The consumer has an increasingly busy lifestyle and sandwiches have a secure position in their lunchtime repertoire and a growing opportunity at other occasions.
Consumers are sometimes conservative in their choices when it comes to sandwiches, and default to their traditional regular favorites. However, these favorites can be updated in terms of auxiliary offer, separate components and quality ingredients.
The future of the sandwich market looks profitable. However, increasing raw material costs of bread, dairy products and meats, due to wheat-based price inflation, may lead to higher prices and encourage consumers to eat packed lunches, or choose other meal options.
This report covers those sandwiches purchased either ready-made or as made-to-order. As such, sandwiches may be purchased from a very wide range of outlets, eg:
- specialist sandwich bars
- grocery multiples
- variety retailers
- petrol forecourt shops
- convenience stores
- on board trains/planes/ferries.
Included in the scope of this report are both pre-packaged and made-to-order sandwiches, although pre-packaged wedge sandwiches dominate sales. These wedge sandwiches are defined as two slices of bread with filling cut into two triangles, and usually sold in a triangular plastic container.
While the traditional wedges dominate, there is strong growth in the variety of breads being used, eg rolls, baps, ciabatta, panini, baguettes, wraps, pittas, bagels etc. Both hot and cold sandwiches are covered by this report.
Table of Contents
- Issues in the Market
- Key themes
- Definition
- Market in Brief
- Strong growth
- A healthy outlook
- An innovative market
- The future
- Internal Market Environment
- Key points
- Hard hitting health
- Figure 1: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, 2003, 2005 and 2007
- Eating out
- Figure 2: Frequency of eating out at lunchtime on weekdays in the last month, 2003, 2005 and 2007
- Hearty home cooking
- Ethical responsibility
- Wider issues
- Broader Market Environment
- Key points
- The cash debate
- Figure 3: PDI and consumer expenditure, at constant 2002 prices, 2002-12
- Food inflation
- Free range age
- Figure 4: Trends and projections in UK population (' 000s), by age group, 2002-12
- More working
- Figure 5: Trends in the working population, by gender, 2002, 2007 and 2012
- Working harder -- New occasions
- Figure 6: Time spent on occupation per day in an average week by full-time workers, 2002 and 2006
- Competitive Context
- Key points
- A healthy soup
- Figure 7: UK retail sales of soup, 2002-07
- Something substantial
- Figure 8: UK retail value sales of chilled ready meals, 2002-07
- Healthier choice
- Figure 9: UK retail sales of dressed salads, by type and value, 2005 and 2007
- In competition
- Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Market Size and Forecast
- Key points
- A revitalised market
- Figure 10: Retail sales of sandwiches, 2002-07
- A healthy outlook
- The future of the market
- Figure 11: Forecast of the UK sandwich market, by value, at current and constant prices, 2002-12
- Factors used in the forecast
- Segment Performance
- Key points
- Takeaway dominates
- Figure 12: Takeaway vs eat-in sandwich sales, 2002-07
- It' s a small world
- A premium option
- Bread wars
- Figure 13: UK retail sales of bread, by value, by type, 2002-06
- Mixing it up
- Ethics
- Companies and Products
- Greencore Group plc
- Greggs plc
- The SUBWAY®
- Pret A Manger (Europe) Ltd
- Other sandwich suppliers
- Northern Foods plc
- Samworth Brothers Ltd
- Uniq plc
- Buckingham Foods Ltd
- Food Partners Ltd
- Freshway Foods Ltd
- Gibson' s Foods Ltd
- The Sandwich Factory Ltd
- Brand Communication and Promotion
- Key points
- Limited adspend
- Figure 14: Main monitored media advertising expenditure on restaurants, pubs, catering, 2003-07*
- Independent and own-label
- Channels to Market
- Key points
- Growth in stores reflects value increase
- Figure 15: Leading sandwich retailers/distributors, by total number of UK outlets selling sandwiches, 2003-07
- Bakeries showing slower growth
- Coffee and sandwiches
- Supermarkets take over the high street
- The Consumer -- Bread Preferences
- Key points
- Waning wheat consumption
- Figure 16: Consumption of bread in the last 12 months, 2003-07
- So who are they?
- A whole revolution
- Figure 17: Types of bread eaten most often, 2003-07
- Coffee rules
- Figure 18: Frequency of visiting coffee shops and sandwich bars in the last 12 months, 2007
- Appendix
- Consumer research
- ACORN
- Advertising data
- Abbreviations
- Internal market environment
- Figure 28: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements by demographic sub-group, 2007
- Figure 29: Frequency of eating out at lunchtime on weekdays in the last month, by demographic sub-group, 2007
- The Consumer -- Bread Preferences: Detailed Demographics
- Figure 30: Consumption of bread in the last 12 months, by demographic sub-group, 2007
- Figure 31: Frequency of visiting coffee shops in the last 12 months, 2007
- Figure 32: Frequency of visiting sandwich bars in the last 12 months, 2007
- The Consumer -- Attitudes and Motivations: Detailed Demographics
- Figure 33: Items bought most often for lunch during the week, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, tenure, region, ACORN category, technology usage, newspaper readership, commercial TV viewing, supermarket usage, household size, car usage, detailed lifestage groups and terminal education age, July 2007
- Figure 34: Items bought most often for lunch during the week, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, tenure, region, ACORN category, technology usage, newspaper readership, commercial TV viewing, supermarket usage, household size, car usage, detailed lifestage groups and terminal education age, July 2007
- Figure 35: Items bought most often for lunch during the week, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, tenure, region, ACORN category, technology usage, newspaper readership, commercial TV viewing, supermarket usage, household size, car usage, detailed lifestage groups and terminal education age, July 2007
- Figure 36: Net of items bought most often for lunch during the week, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, presence of children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, tenure, region, ACORN category, technology usage, newspaper readership, commercial TV viewing, supermarket usage, household size, car usage, detailed lifestage groups and terminal education age, July 2007
- Figure 37: Types of sandwiches bought recently, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, tenure, region, ACORN category, technology usage, newspaper readership, commercial TV viewing, supermarket usage, household size, car usage, detailed lifestage groups and terminal education age, July 2007
- Figure 38: Types of sandwiches bought recently, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, tenure, region, ACORN category, technology usage, newspaper readership, commercial TV viewing, supermarket usage, household size, car usage, detailed lifestage groups and terminal education age, July 2007
- Figure 39: Attitudes to buying sandwiches, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, tenure, region, ACORN category, technology usage, newspaper readership, commercial TV viewing, supermarket usage, household size, car usage, detailed lifestage groups and terminal education age, July 2007
- Figure 40: Cross analysis of items bought most often for lunch during the week, July 2007
- Figure 41: Cross analysis of items bought most often for lunch during the week, July 2007
- Figure 42: Cross analysis of items bought most often for lunch during the week and type of sandwich eaten, July 2007
- Figure 43: Cross analysis of types of sandwiches bought and attitudes to buying sandwiches, July 2007
- Further analysis: Detailed demographics
- Figure 44: Number of different types of foods bought at lunchtime, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, tenure, region, ACORN category, media usage, commercial TV viewing, supermarket usage and household size, July 2007
- Figure 45: Repertoire of different types of foods bought at lunchtime and attitudes towards sandwiches, July 2007
- Figure 46: Three sandwich clusters, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, working status, tenure, region, ACORN category, technology usage, newspaper readership, commercial TV viewing and supermarket usage, July 2007
- Figure 47: Types and number of different food types bought for lunch during the week, July 2007
- Figure 48: Sandwich groups, by types, variation and number of different bread formats bought for lunch during the week, July 2007
- Figure 49: Sandwich groups, attitudes towards sandwiches, July 2007
