Salmon remains the most popular fish for French consumers, with smoked salmon swimming ahead of fresh and frozen product.
While 46 percent of French households buy fresh salmon and 25 percent buy frozen salmon, an impressive 72 percent will pluck smoked salmon from store shelves, according to recent figures from market trackers Kantar Worldpanel.
“Salmon is the No. 1 fish eaten by the French, ahead of cod [No. 2] and coley [No. 3],” said the firm.
In 2008, the European Union imported 600,000 metric tons of salmon valued at EUR 2.2 billion, with 75 percent hailing from Norway. The French consumed about 165,000 metric tons of salmon. Last year, shoppers paid on average EUR 22.41 per kilogram for smoked salmon, EUR 11.60 for fresh salmon and EUR 13.80 for frozen.
Kantar Worldpanel also underscored the spread of the market in terms of volume. Fresh salmon hooked 48 percent of the salmon market, compared to 34 percent for smoked salmon, 14 percent for frozen and 1 percent for breaded frozen salmon.
But in terms of value, smoked salmon actually reaped 50 percent of the salmon market, compared to 35 percent for fresh and 13 percent for frozen.
In the 12-month period through January 2010, French households bought 3 percent more fresh fish, by volume, than the previous year, while the average price fell by 1 percent. Households bought 8 percent more pre-packed fresh fish and 4 percent more fish portions.
Scallops rose considerably in popularity during the same period, with volume purchases rising 56 percent for the shelled scallop, likely on an 8 percent reduction in price.
Processed seafood witnessed consistent growth for the most part with French households upping their purchases, in terms of volume, by 5 percent for smoked fish, 3 percent for crab sticks and 13 percent for prawns, likely linked to a 5 percent drop in price. Prepared seafood actually witnessed a 2 percent slide in terms of volume, on stable prices.
The appetite for frozen fish purchases in general fell by 5 percent in French households, perhaps linked to an accompanying 2 percent rise in price.
