If you’re looking to target a specific market with your frozen food products, this article is for you.
Frozen food has come a long way in recent years. It is no longer seen as a last resort for someone who can’t cook but as a viable and convenient option for food any time of day.
For many, prepared frozen food is the closest alternative to home-cooked meals. It is quick, easy, and can be just as healthy as its fresh counterpart. Frozen foods in raw form are also very common as an alternative to buying fresh.
In this article, we’ll review the target market for frozen food and understand the reasons why they buy frozen rather than the alternatives which are buying fresh or eating out.
Who is the Target Market for Frozen Food?
To best understand the target market for frozen food we need to understand why people buy frozen food instead of buying ready-to-eat foods, fresh foods, or going out to eat. So what is it about frozen food that attracts them to it?
By answering this question we can divide the market for frozen food into the following customer segments:
- Individuals or young couples with no interest in cooking
- Busy families with little time to cook
- People looking for good alternatives to buying fresh
- People with dietary restrictions or food allergies
- People who want to save money by buying in bulk
- Restaurants
- Wholesalers
Let’s look at each of these segments more closely.
#1. Individuals or young couples with no interest in cooking
Many individuals and young couples simply don’t enjoy cooking or don’t have the time to do it. For them, frozen food is often the best alternative as it is quick and easy to prepare.
Frozen food can also be a healthier alternative to take-out or fast food if it contains fewer preservatives and unhealthy additives. And with the rise of healthy eating, there are now many frozen food options available that are low in calories, fat, and sodium.
Now even healthy fast food options come frozen making it easier than ever to have a healthy meal without having to cook.
What this target market for frozen food looks for is convenience, and healthy alternatives to fast food. They are willing to pay a premium for products that meet these criteria.
#2. Busy families with little time to cook
Many families with both parents working all the time simply don’t have the time to cook meals from scratch. For them, frozen food is often a lifesaver as it can be quickly prepared and doesn’t require much cleanup.
Families buy both prepared frozen foods which you just need to put in the microwave or oven as well as frozen raw ingredients like vegetables, meat, and fish. For instance, a parent looking to fix a quick dinner could buy a frozen pizza or lasagna, while someone looking to cook a healthy meal could buy frozen salmon fillets and some vegetables.
Such families may also stock up on frozen snacks like frozen yogurt or ice cream.
#3. People looking for good alternatives to buying fresh
While we would all love to always buy fresh, sometimes it’s just not possible. Frozen raw food can be a great alternative as it is often just as nutritious as its fresh counterpart.
Frozen fruits and vegetables, for instance, are picked at their peak ripeness and then flash-frozen to preserve their nutrients. This means that they can sometimes be even more nutritious than fresh fruits and vegetables that have been transported long distances and have been sitting on grocery store shelves for days.
Likewise, fish that has been frozen on the boat right after being caught is often fresher than fish that has been transported fresh and then sits in the grocery store for days.
What this customer segment of the target market for frozen food looks for is nutritional value and freshness. And they are usually willing to pay more for such products.
#4. People with dietary restrictions or food allergies
People with dietary restrictions or food allergies often have a hard time finding foods that they can eat. This is especially true for people with multiple food allergies.
Fortunately, there are now many frozen food options available that cater to special diets such as gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, etc. This makes it much easier for people with dietary restrictions to find foods that they can eat.
This makes people with dietary restrictions a key target market for frozen food because once they find a product that they can eat and like, they are likely to become repeat customers.
#5. People who want to save money by buying in bulk
Many people choose to buy frozen food in bulk to save money or because they can only go do groceries once or twice a month. This is especially true for people who have large families or who entertain often or families where one or both parents travel a lot.
Buying in bulk can help you save money and trips to the grocery store. Such people, especially, if they have a dedicated freezer in the garage or the basement can stock up on frozen food and have it last for months.
These people are also likely to cook at home in larger quantities and freeze the food for later. For instance, someone could cook large quantities of soup and freeze it. Or they could cook minced meat and freeze it. This way they always have homemade food (frozen, of course) on hand when they need it.
#6. Restaurants
Restaurants often buy frozen food because it is a convenient and cost-effective way to get ingredients for their recipes. For instance, a restaurant could buy bags of frozen chicken nuggets instead of having to bread and fry chicken breasts every day.
Frozen food is also often used as a way to reduce food waste. For instance, if a restaurant only needs half a bag of frozen spinach, they can just use half the bag and save the rest for later. This is much easier than having to find a way to use up leftover fresh spinach before it goes bad.
Another advantage of using frozen food is that it is often already pre-cooked or pre-prepared. This means that restaurants can just heat it up and serve it, which saves time and labor costs. This is more likely to be the case in fast-food and fast-casual restaurants rather than a fine dining establishment.
#7. Wholesalers
Wholesalers are another important target market for frozen food. This is because they sell frozen food to other businesses, such as restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores.
Wholesalers often buy in bulk and get discounts for doing so. They then pass on these savings to their customers. This makes them an essential part of the frozen food supply chain.
Wholesalers also have the storage and transport infrastructure to handle frozen food. This is important because frozen food needs to be kept at a certain temperature to remain fresh.
Finally, wholesalers often have relationships with food manufacturers and can get exclusive deals on products. This makes them a key player and an important segment of the target market for frozen food.
Conclusion
The target market for frozen food includes consumers as well as businesses.
Consumers include individuals, young couples and families. Individuals or young couples with no interest in cooking will often turn to prepared frozen food as a better alternative to fast food or eating out.
Similarly, busy families with little time to cook will stock up on frozen food – both prepared and raw – as will people who buy in bulk to save money or limit trips to the grocery store. People with certain dietary restrictions are also a target market for frozen food.
Finally, businesses like restaurants and wholesalers buy, store and transport frozen food for convenience, lowering costs and playing a role in the frozen food supply chain.