Innovation and a buoyant frozen fish sector will drive revenue in 2011, according to frozen food giant Findus France, which has its eye on 10 percent growth this year.
At a press conference in Paris recently, Findus France Managing Director Matthieu Lambeaux underlined the company’s message that the frozen food sector is booming.
“Findus France saw an 8.5 percent growth in value, compared to 3.4 percent value growth for the overall frozen food sector in France,” he told journalists.
According to Lambeaux, one French shopper in two bought a Findus product, including frozen vegetables and fish, in 2010, while one in four plucked a Findus fish product from the frozen food section.
With a 28 percent slice of the market, Findus France claims the No. 1 frozen fish slot in France. And the private-equity owned firm is upbeat that the consumer penchant for frozen over fresh will further leverage sales.
“A study by GfK on 700 fish consumers shows that 64 percent of shoppers like as much, or prefer, frozen fish compared to fresh fish,” said Sophie Allemand, brand and innovation director at Findus France.
Findus France claims to have a 56 percent share of the frozen, breaded fish market and a 14 percent slice of the “natural” frozen fish market.
Helping to drive growth and achieve the firm’s targeted 10 percent growth, the company announced the launch of two new fish ranges this year at the press conference. In March, Findus will roll out a new range of natural, premium, frozen fish servings to the French market.
Pegged as 125 grams of “fleshy” fillets, the range consists of three different fish species: Norwegian salmon, Marine Stewardship Council-certified pollock and MSC-certified cod, both from Norway. The fish are packaged in servings of two 125-gram fillet pieces and priced between EUR 4 and EUR 6.70.
Tapping into growth in the soaring convenience market, the company in April will launch a “family format” for a three-tiered range of ready-prepared, whitefish meals. Each 600-gram pack is divided into four separate portions and will be sold in three varieties of sauce: Tomato and Basil, Beurre Blanc and Chives and Cream.
