British shoppers are increasingly switching from fresh to frozen food in an effort to reduce spending amid the cost of living crisis, according to retail data from Kantar reported by the BBC. Food price inflation in the UK has reached 18.2%, driven by high energy costs and shortages of salad vegetables due to adverse weather in Europe.
Data for the 12 weeks to 20 March shows that frozen chicken sales volumes rose by 5.9%, while sales of frozen prepared foods, including ready meals, pizzas and chips, increased by 2.6%. Overall grocery volumes fell by 4%, but frozen food volumes remained steady, indicating a shift in consumer behaviour.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar UK, told the BBC that frozen food is performing “notably better” than fresh, partly due to the cost of living pressures. A separate survey of 2,000 British adults by Opinium for Zipzero found that a quarter of shoppers are buying more frozen food, 30% are purchasing more reduced items, and 21% are buying less meat and fish.
Mohsin Rashid, Zipzero’s chief executive, noted that high food inflation has forced Britons to change their shopping habits, including trying cheaper brands, turning to vegetarian diets, and stocking up on frozen goods. The frozen food specialist Iceland has also increased its market share to 2.3% of UK grocery spending during the period.
