Chilled fish and added-value seafood product sales continue to grow in U.K. supermarkets.
Chilled fish sales grew 4 percent to GBP 505.8 million (USD 698 million, EUR 589 million) for the quarter ending 8 August, compared to the same period last year, Kantar reported. Added-value fish sales surged 22.6 percent to GPB 126 million (USD 174 million), EUR 147 million), while breaded fish sales dropped nearly 14 percent.
“Added-value items, like sushi selections and prawn cocktails, are the main source of growth for the category, catching the eye of shoppers by offering something different,” Kantar Consumer Insights Director Michelle Coggin told SeafoodSource.
Branded products have proven especially popular, Coggin noted.
“These are treat items and people are willing to spend more on the likes of Sushi Daily, Higgidy, and Bighams," she said.
Over the past three months, 350,000 more shoppers bought chilled fish than in the same period last year, adding GBP 6 million (USD 8.3 million, EUR 7 million) to the value of the category, Coggin said.
“Shoppers have been heading to the store for chilled fish more regularly – now almost once a fortnight – with temporary price reductions proving sufficient bait to get people on the hook,” Coggin said, noting that 17 percent of all chilled fish was sold on temporary price reductions or promotions over the past three months.
Plant-based meat analogs are also a strong area of growth in the U.K. retail sector, with sales growing 18.3 percent to GBP 70.2 million (USD 97 million, EUR 81.8 million) in the most request quarter.
"Over the past 12 weeks, 22 percent of Brits purchased a plant-based meat product, a whopping 1.3 million more people than in 2020. Meat replacements have been popular for some time and the big-name brands are all now getting involved and launching new products,” Coggin said.
However, there is arguably a gap in the market for vegetarian fish-like products, “which [have] yet to prove as popular with British shoppers,” Coggin said.
“Manufacturers have a job to do to convince the public that free-from-fish [products] have all the benefits of its faux-meat counterparts, and that it tastes as good as the real thing," she said.
While overall seafood sales continue to soar, fresh meat and poultry sales dropped 10 percent during the quarter.
“The removal of restrictions has resulted in more people returning to working in offices and going out for meals, meaning there are a lower number of in-home occasions available to play into,” Kantar said.
Photo courtesy of Octus_Photography/Shutterstock
