Europe Ready Meals Market Size
| Study Period | 2019 - 2029 |
| Base Year For Estimation | 2023 |
| Forecast Data Period | 2024 - 2029 |
| Historical Data Period | 2019 - 2022 |
| CAGR | 5.67 % |
| Market Concentration | Low |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
Europe Ready Meals Market Analysis
The European Ready Meals Market is expected to register a CAGR of 5.67% during the forecasted years.
- Consumers in the region lead a busy lifestyle, considerably reducing their time for food preparation, thus impacting the growth of on-the-go foods. This trend has led to consumers shifting toward frozen, dried, and canned ready meals.
- Increasing disposable income and hectic lifestyles, a rising aging population and single households, and a wide variety of ready meals are driving the ready meals market in Denmark. For instance, according to Statistics Denmark, the Danish population is gradually growing older, and the inhabitants aged 80 years or older reached over 280 thousand in 2021 compared to 230 thousand in 2011.
- Ready-made meals come in various forms, like microwave meals, takeaway meals, and pot noodles, thus increasing the availability and variety of foods. Additionally, the increasing trend of eating out and 'on-the-go' eating, with people consuming more restaurant meals, takeaway meals, and convenience snacks, has reduced at-home cooking.
- Consumers are more inclined to eat pre-prepared foods, such as shop-bought pizza, which covers a major portion of the consumer's diet and is, therefore, consumed on a priority basis. Additionally, the widespread busy lifestyles and the rising demand for healthy and plant-based alternatives create a significant market potential for vegan convenience products.
Europe Ready Meals Market Trends
Growing Demand for Convenient and Healthy Ready Meals
- Due to changes in social and economic patterns and increased expenditure on food and beverage, awareness about healthy foods, changes in meal patterns and existing food habits, increasing settlement of the ex-pat population across the region, and the desire to try new products, the demand for convenient and instant food, particularly ready meals, is growing at a faster rate in Europe.
- Manufacturers are offering target-oriented ready meal food products, such as ones with functional claims, based on the functional ingredient, and which can be easily cooked both in microwave and pan as per the convenience of consumers. Hence, companies like Fjordland have been selling items like the Windows to Series of ready-to-eat Fjordland Mini Oat Lunch in a variety of tastes. Both a microwave and a pan can be used to cook these food items.
- Furthermore, the notion of on-the-go cuisine is intimately linked to the ease of consumption and handling of items that ready meals may provide. As a result, demand for ready meals is rising due to the associated convenience of consumption, supported by throwaway packaging. Owing to the above factors the players operating in the market studied have been using various strategies to expand in the market using various corporate strategies.
- For instance, in 2021, Bell Food Group, through its Hilcona AG subsidiary, reached an agreement to acquire the Aryzta Switzerland sandwich business. Through this transaction, Bell Food Group announced its plans to acquire Aryzta's sandwich production plant in Schlieren, Switzerland. After the acquisition, Hilcona revealed its plans to further expand its market position in the growth area of sandwiches that are freshly prepared every day.
Organic and Sustainable Ready Meals are Gaining Popularity
- Organic food and farming have grown y-o-y in the European Union over the previous three decades and continue to do so. The organic market in the European Union is quite dynamic, with different growth rates in different countries. Both production and consumption are influenced positively by policies. The demand for eating healthy, organic ready meals is a new trend in the European market.
- Health-conscious people generally see ready meals as unhealthy. However, due to continuous product innovations by old players and startups, this scenario is changing, and health-conscious people with busy lifestyles are becoming a major consumer base for organic ready meals.
- People relate more to purpose-driven brands. Companies are constantly working to make their products sustainable in the ready meals segment. Huhtamaki Fresh, a recyclable and biodegradable food tray produced from FSC-certified and renewable Nordic wood is one such invention. It is a natural alternative to meal trays made of black plastic. Such solutions play a critical role in ensuring the long-term viability of ready meals.
Europe Ready Meals Industry Overview
The European ready meals market is fragmented and intensely competitive, with the presence of multiple regional and international players competing for market share. The key players in the market are Nomad Foods Inc., Tyson Foods, Inc., Orkla ASA, Kerry Group plc., and Bell Food Group AG. The players are diversifying their product portfolios to include more ready meals in their product range. The players are focusing on expansions, mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships to meet consumer demand.
Companies are also focusing on the packaging of ready meals to ensure that good quality products reach the end consumer. There were a few instances of bad packaging, which hampered the quality, texture, shelf life, color, and taste of the meals. Thus, manufacturers of ready meals are collaborating with packaging companies to produce advanced and innovative packaging. Start-ups like Lazy Vegan are entering the market with their innovative products. In markets like France, the most preferred ready-meal brands are Marie, Picard, Findus, Charal, etc. In the German ready meals market, several options are available to German consumers. For example, around 70-80 ready meal options are available on www.germanfoods.shop.
Europe Ready Meals Market Leaders
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Nomad Foods Inc.
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Orkla ASA
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Kerry Group plc.
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Bell Food Group AG
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Fjordland AS
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Europe Ready Meals Market News
- March 2021: Nomad Foods announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Fortenova Group's Frozen Food Business Group (FFBG). FFBG is a European frozen food company that operates in Herzegovina, Hungary, Slovenia, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. FFBG has two anchor brands Ledo and Frikom which offer frozen foods, such as ready meals, fish, fruits, vegetables, pastry, and ice cream.
- January 2021: Beginning in January 2021, all Mamma burgers, sandwiches, and wraps had new labels. The company harmonized the appearance of products. It also introduced innovative paper-film packaging for some products, with the help of which it reduces the share of plastic in the packaging material by about 20%.
- January 2021: Nomad Foods acquired Findus Switzerland from Froneri International Ltd. Findus offers frozen food brands in Switzerland across categories, like fish, vegetables, and ready meals. The acquisition would help Nomad expand its geographic reach into Switzerland with ownership of the Findus brand across Europe.
Europe Ready Meals Market Report - Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
- 1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition
- 1.2 Scope of the Study
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4. MARKET DYNAMICS
- 4.1 Market Drivers
- 4.2 Market Restraints
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4.3 Porter's Five Forces Analysis
- 4.3.1 Threat of New Entrants
- 4.3.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers/Consumers
- 4.3.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
- 4.3.4 Threat of Substitute Products
- 4.3.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry
5. MARKET SEGMENTATION
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5.1 Product Type
- 5.1.1 Frozen Ready Meals
- 5.1.2 Chilled Ready Meals
- 5.1.3 Canned Ready Meals
- 5.1.4 Dried Ready Meals
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5.2 Distribution Channel
- 5.2.1 Supermarkets/Hypermarkets
- 5.2.2 Convenience Stores
- 5.2.3 Online Retail Stores
- 5.2.4 Other Distribution Channels
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5.3 Geography
- 5.3.1 United Kingdom
- 5.3.2 Germany
- 5.3.3 France
- 5.3.4 Italy
- 5.3.5 Spain
- 5.3.6 Russia
- 5.3.7 Rest of Europe
6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
- 6.1 Most Adopted Strategies
- 6.2 Market Share Analysis
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6.3 Company Profiles
- 6.3.1 Nomad Foods Limited
- 6.3.2 Nestlé S.A.
- 6.3.3 The Oetker Group
- 6.3.4 Unilever PLC
- 6.3.5 Orkla ASA
- 6.3.6 Kerry Group plc.
- 6.3.7 Fjordland AS
- 6.3.8 Mamma Foods (Saarionen Eesti OÜ)
- 6.3.9 VegMe
- 6.3.10 Bell Food Group AG
- *List Not Exhaustive
7. MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS
** Subject To AvailablityEurope Ready Meals Industry Segmentation
A ready meal is a meal sold in a pre-cooked form that only requires reheating.
The European ready meals market provides an in-depth analysis of the sales and growth of the ready meals segment in Europe, along with the opportunities and trends in the market. The market is segmented by product type, distribution channel, and geography. Based on product type, the market is segmented into frozen ready meals, chilled ready meals, canned ready meals, and dried ready meals. Based on distribution channel, the market is segmented into supermarkets/hypermarkets, convenience stores, online retail stores, and other distribution channels. Based on geography, the market is segmented into the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and the Rest of Europe.
For each segment, the market sizing and forecasts have been done on the basis of value (in USD billion).
| Product Type | Frozen Ready Meals |
| Chilled Ready Meals | |
| Canned Ready Meals | |
| Dried Ready Meals | |
| Distribution Channel | Supermarkets/Hypermarkets |
| Convenience Stores | |
| Online Retail Stores | |
| Other Distribution Channels | |
| Geography | United Kingdom |
| Germany | |
| France | |
| Italy | |
| Spain | |
| Russia | |
| Rest of Europe |
Europe Ready Meals Market Research Faqs
What is the current Europe Ready Meals Market size?
The Europe Ready Meals Market is projected to register a CAGR of 5.67% during the forecast period (2024-2029)
Who are the key players in Europe Ready Meals Market?
Nomad Foods Inc., Orkla ASA, Kerry Group plc., Bell Food Group AG and Fjordland AS are the major companies operating in the Europe Ready Meals Market.
What years does this Europe Ready Meals Market cover?
The report covers the Europe Ready Meals Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The report also forecasts the Europe Ready Meals Market size for years: 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Europe Ready Meals Industry Report
Statistics for the 2024 Europe Ready Meals market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Europe Ready Meals analysis includes a market forecast outlook to 2029 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.
