Abstract
The US market for fish and seafood is constantly volatile, dependant on everything from fish-catching rates to the cost of transportation. Despite these challenges, the frozen fish and seafood segment has successfully capitalized on consumer trends by marketing more upscale products and focusing on convenience. Marketers of shelf-stable products, too, have redefined themselves through product development and innovation, luring in more customers as a result.
This report offers analysis and ideas for new product development and marketing messaging alike that will draw consumers to fish and seafood products. Topics explored in this report include:
- Consumers' simultaneous desires to eat more fish/seafood for health reasons and avoid it because of food safety reasons
- How demographic factors like age and race/ethnicity affect consumption of fish and seafood
- How price and restaurant competition influences purchase behavior
- What trends drive new product innovation, packaging and advertising
- Why Mintel feels that the market is poised for growth through 2012
This report builds on the analysis in Mintel' s Fish and Seafood-US, October 2006. For the purposes of this report, fish and seafood sold in retail outlets only are covered, as per the following definitions:
- Fresh, uncooked fish and seafood, such as salmon steaks and live lobster
- Frozen, uncooked fish and seafood, such as frozen unprocessed shrimp and cod fillets
- Refrigerated or chilled seafood, such as lobster and crabmeat
- Shelf stable fish and seafood, such as tuna, crab and sardines
- Frozen prepared seafood, such as fish sticks and heat-and-eat fish fillets
This report contains US IRI InfoScan data.
Table of Contents
- Scope and Themes
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Resources used for The Consumer sections
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Executive Summary
- The bottom line
- Black consumers eat more fish/seafood; Asians cutting back
- Product innovation flourishes
- Demographic factors favor growth, but safety must be addressed
- Market Drivers
- Emphasis on healthier eating supports market growth
- Figure 1: Attitudes regarding healthy eating, 2002-06
- Fish/seafood consumption increases with age
- Figure 2: Household consumption of fish and seafood, by age, October 2007
- Figure 3: U.S. population projections, by age, 2002 and 2007
- Safety concerns cause some consumers to cut back
- Competition from fish oil supplements
- Economic concerns affect the market
- Ethical, green concerns, positioning on the rise
- Figure 4: Number of new fish and seafood products using ethical positioning claims, 2006 and 2007
- Seafood rarely prepared at home, say nearly half of Mintel' s respondents
- Claims of convenience appear to be lost on consumers
- Market Size and Trends
- Market size
- Figure 5: Total U.S. sales of fish and seafood, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Market trends
- Product innovation flourishes
- Figure 6: Fish and seafood new product introductions, 2002-07
- Top product positioning claims
- Figure 7: Top positioning claims for new fish and seafood, 2006 and 2007
- Convenience
- Premium
- Bolder, more sophisticated flavors
- Trans-fat-free a top claim
- Market Segmentation
- Overview
- Figure 8: U.S. sales of fish and seafood, by type, 2005 and 2007
- Fresh fish and seafood
- Figure 9: Sales of fresh fish and seafood, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Frozen fish and seafood
- Figure 10: Sales of frozen fish and seafood, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Shelf-stable fish and seafood
- Figure 11: Sales of shelf-stable fish and seafood, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Supply Structure
- Introduction
- Companies and brands
- Figure 12: FDM sales of frozen and shelf-stable fish and seafood, by manufacturer and brand, 2005 and 2007
- Frozen fish and seafood
- Figure 13: FDM sales of frozen fish and seafood, by manufacturer and brand, 2005 and 2007*
- Gorton' s
- Pinnacle Foods
- Rich-SeaPak
- Chicken of the Sea
- Shelf-stable fish and seafood
- Figure 14: FDM sales of shelf-stable fish and seafood, by manufacturer and brand, 2005 and 2007*
- Bumble Bee Foods
- Del Monte Foods
- Chicken of the Sea
- Advertising and Promotion
- U.S. Tuna Foundation
- StarKist
- Chicken of the Sea
- Bumble Bee
- SeaPak
- Advertisers position seafood as a treat
- Figure 15: Contessa Frozen Shrimp television ad, 2007
- Figure 16: Gorton' s Shrimp Temptations television ad, 2007
- Convenient is a common theme
- Figure 17: Gorton' s Potato Crunch television ad, 2007
- Figure 18: Mrs. Paul' s Frozen Fish Sticks television ad, 2007
- Retail Distribution
- Introduction
- Figure 19: Retail sales of fish and seafood, by channel, 2005 and 2007
- Mass merchandisers and other channels
- Figure 20: U.S. mass merchandiser and other channel sales of fish and seafood, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Supermarkets
- Figure 21: U.S. supermarket sales of fish and seafood, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- The Consumer: Household Consumption of Fish and Seafood
- Summary
- Household consumption of fresh and frozen fish/seafood
- Figure 22: Trends in household consumption of fresh and frozen fish/seafood, 2003-07
- Figure 23: Household consumption of fresh or frozen fish/seafood, by race/ethnicity, May 2006-June 2007
- Figure 24: Household consumption of fresh or frozen fish/seafood, by household income, May 2006-June 2007
- Household consumption of frozen prepared fish/seafood
- Figure 25: Household consumption of frozen prepared fish/seafood, by race/ethnicity, May 2006-June 2007
- Types eaten
- Figure 26: Trends in types of frozen prepared fish/seafood consumed, 2003-07
- Figure 27: Types of frozen prepared fish/seafood consumed, by race/ethnicity, May 2006-June 2007
- Brands eaten
- Figure 28: Brands of frozen prepared fish/seafood eaten, May 2006-June 2007
- Figure 29: Brands of frozen prepared fish/seafood eaten, by race/ethnicity, May 2006-June 2007
- Household consumption of can/pouch tuna
- Figure 30: Household consumption of can/pouch tuna, by race/ethnicity, May 2006-June 2007
- Types eaten
- Figure 31: Trends in household consumption of can/pouch tuna, by type, 2003-07
- Brands eaten
- Figure 32: Trends in brands of can/pouch tuna eaten, 2003-07
- Volume eaten in last 30 days
- Figure 33: Number of cans/pouches of tuna eaten by household in last 30 days, May 2006-June 2007
- Types of fish consumed
- Figure 34: Types of fish consumed, by type, October 2007
- Gender
- Age
- Household income
- Race/ethnicity
- Types of seafood consumed
- Figure 35: Types of seafood consumed, by type, October 2007
- Gender
- Age
- Household income
- Race/ethnicity
- Region
- Teens' and kids' consumption of fish and seafood
- Teens' consumption of canned tuna
- Figure 36: Trends in teens' consumption of canned tuna, by gender and race/ethnicity, 2003-07
- Gender
- Race/ethnicity
- Number of times canned tuna is eaten
- Figure 37: Number of times canned tuna is eaten by teens in a month, May 2006-June 2007
- Teens' influence on brands bought
- Figure 38: Teens' influence on brands of canned tuna bought, May 2006-June 2007
- Kids' consumption of frozen fish sticks
- Figure 39: Trends in children' s consumption of frozen fish sticks, by race/ethnicity, 2003-07
- The Consumer: Consumption Behaviors
- Summary
- How often fish and seafood are eaten
- Figure 40: How often fish and seafood are eaten, October 2007
- How often fish is eaten
- Figure 41: How often fish is eaten, by household income, October 2007
- How often seafood is eaten
- Figure 42: How often seafood is eaten, by household income, October 2007
- Sources of ideas on seafood preparation
- Figure 43: Sources of preparation ideas for seafood, October 2007
- Figure 44: Sources of preparation ideas for seafood, by gender, October 2007
- Figure 45: Sources of preparation ideas for seafood, by age, October 2007
- Figure 46: Sources of preparation ideas for seafood, by household income, October 2007
- Figure 47: Sources of preparation ideas for seafood, by race/ethnicity, October 2007
- Attitudes and behaviors in regards to purchase and consumption of fish and
seafood
- Figure 48: Attitudes/behaviors in regards to purchase and consumption of fish and seafood, mean summary, October 2007
- Cost is a barrier
- Capitalize on cooking confidence
- Address competition from restaurants
- Figure 49: Attitudes/behaviors in regards to purchase and consumption of fish and seafood, summary of somewhat/strongly agree, by age, October 2007
- Figure 50: Attitudes/behaviors in regards to purchase and consumption of fish and seafood, summary of somewhat/strongly agree, by race/ethnicity, October 2007
- Future and Forecast
- Demographic factors favor growth
- Figure 51: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2007 and 2012
- Figure 52: Population by age, 2007 and 2012
- Product development is key
- Safety issues must be addressed
- Market forecast
- Fish and seafood
- Figure 53: Forecast of total U.S. sales of fish and seafood, at current and constant prices, 2007-12
- Fresh fish and seafood
- Figure 54: Forecast of U.S. sales of fresh fish and seafood, at current and constant prices, 2007-12
- Frozen fish and seafood
- Figure 55: Forecast of U.S. sales of frozen fish and seafood, at current and constant prices, 2007-12
- Shelf-stable fish and seafood
- Figure 56: Forecast of U.S. sales of shelf-stable fish and seafood, at current and constant prices, 2007-12
- Forecast factors
- Appendix: Trade Associations
