Executive Summary
Introduction
Market drivers
Innovations in meal solutions
Fast growth markets
Innovation case studies
Reuters Business Insight’s industry opinion survey
Conclusions

Chapter 1 Market Drivers
Summary
Introduction
Market drivers
Exploitation of the adult/older audiences
Consumer goods insight case study
Key country learnings
Cluster share by country (Europe)
Life satisfaction/individualism
Competition with snacks/meal replacements
Likely scenarios
More “unusual” versus ‘traditional’ ethnic cuisines?
Traditional and fusion
Opportunities to tailor offerings to consumer
The changing ownership and strategies of European meal solutions companies
The demanding consumer

Chapter 2 Market Dynamics
Introduction
Meal solutions category definitions
Market size
Prepared meals sector
Market segments
Ready meals and pizzas - a market comparison
Ready meals dominate
Category analysis
What are ready meal consumers eating?
Taste trends
Current ready meals taste trends
Future taste trends
Pizza trends
Frozen is the key player
Frozen meal solutions SWOT analysis
What are consumers/retailers demanding?
Healthy/functional
Case study: Safeway Eat Smart
Organic meal solutions
Organic issues
Vegetarian meal solutions
Vegetarian innovation
Branded versus private label
Comparative market shares
Margin issues
Manufacturer trend: restaurant branding
Case study: Heinz’s Boston Market HomeStyle ready meals - successfully bringing the restaurant experience home
Introduction
Case study: Young’s Bluecrest - a true category player
Introduction
Premium
Indulgence is fuelled by lifestyle and macro events
Economy and mainstream private label
When, where and what are consumers eating?
Key retail channels - meal solutions

Chapter 3 New Product Development Trends in Meal Solutions
Summary
Introduction
Chilled and frozen ready meals: Innovation drives growth
Country NPD analysis
Sweden
An innovative market - sophisticated retailer brands
Chilled ready meals are the strongest performers
Frozen pizza suppliers need to act now to avoid future domination by chilled
US
US frozen foods have Federal Government support
US product highlights
Netherlands
Chilled is rapidly gaining on frozen
Health and convenience offerings
The largest European market for pizzas
France
French may be indulgent but are not taking the ethnic route so readily
Spain
Consistent growth across the categories
Italy
Future view to greater diversity in NPD
Italy continues to be a fast growth market opportunity
Case study: Heinz soups and pastas - packaging innovation
Key new product development implications

Chapter 4 Fast Growth Meal Solutions Markets
Summary
Introduction
Snacking on the increase
The emergence of a three-tiered market of low, medium and fast growth countries
Ready meals opportunities
Chilled ready meals
Pizzas
Frozen pizzas
Chilled pizzas
Other issues

Chapter 5 Innovations in Meal Solutions Case Studies
Summary
Introduction
Taste the Difference: J Sainsbury profitably enters the “premium” market
Background
Product innovation
Marketing
Growth potential
Product innovation
Marketing
Growth potential
Introduction
Product innovation
Marketing innovation
Growth potential
Dietary Specialties: a taste of the future?
Introduction
Product innovation
Marketing
Growth potential

Chapter 6 Industry Opinion Survey
Summary
Introduction
Country differences
Key market drivers
Key new product development drivers
Drivers of new product development
The NPD cycle
Branded versus private label market growth opportunities
Key growth opportunities by meal occasion
Key retail channels - meal solutions
Conclusions

Chapter 7 Report Conclusions
Introduction
Core trends
Healthy eating
Food as fashion?
Manufacturer strategies
The convergence of mealtimes - the growing importance of snacking
The challenge of “conversion” - low penetration markets and skeptical consumers

List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Meal solutions sector value (US$m) and per head expenditure (PHE), (US$/head), 2001
Figure 1.2: Higher growth of adult and senior consumers, (approximated) 1997—2001
Figure 1.3: Values cross of key groups
Figure 1.4: Key consumer behaviour influences
Figure 1.5: The demanding consumer and its effects
Figure 2.6: Prepared meals sector value (US$m) and Per Head Expenditure (PHE), (US$/head), 2001
Figure 2.7: Market share of prepared meals sector (% value), 2001
Figure 2.8: Chilled ready meal sales by ethnic segment (US$m), 2001
Figure 2.9: Frozen ready meal sales by ethnic segment (% value), 2001
Figure 2.10: Pizza market by category, (% value), 2001
Figure 2.11: Convergence of pharmaceutical drugs and meal solutions.
Figure 2.12: Safeway (UK) Eat Smart Jacket Potato and Balti Cooking Sauce
Figure 2.13: Boston Market’s ‘Homestyle’ range (side dishes)
Figure 2.14: A selection of Young’s frozen, chilled and licensed range
Figure 2.15: Industry opinion survey: relative importance of competing sectors within prepared meals over the next two to three years
Figure 2.16: Manufacturers will push more of their products through alternative distribution centres
Figure 2.17: Unilever’s ‘Rocket’ meal solutions kiosk at Waterloo train station, London, UK
Figure 3.18: The mega-trends shaping prepared meals NPD
Figure 3.19: Meal solutions launch overview by category, 1999—2001
Figure 3.20: Heinz packaging innovation - single serve soups and pastas
Figure 5.21: Taste the Difference meat lasagne
Figure 5.22: Sainsburys
Figure 5.23: enjoy! frozen ready meal range
Figure 5.24: Dietary Specialties meal solutions
Figure 6.25: Geographical split of potential for chilled meal solutions between 2002 and 2007
Figure 6.26: Geographical split of potential for frozen meal solutions between 2002 and 2007
Figure 6.27: The likely growth of the overall frozen meal solutions sector in 2007
Figure 6.28: The new product development cycle
Figure 6.29: Predicted growth of branded versus private label chilled foods in 2007
Figure 6.30: Predicted growth of branded versus private label frozen foods in 2007
Figure 6.31: The potential for frozen food demand growth during typical daily consumption periods to 2007
Figure 6.32: Manufacturers will push more of their products through alternative distribution centres

List of Tables
Table 1.1: Higher growth of adult and senior consumers, 1997—2001e
Table 1.2: Ready meals: best growth prospects (US$m), 2001—2007
Table 1.3: UK population trends (000’s): 1997—2007
Table 1.4: Lifestyle determinants and impacts on consumer behaviour
Table 1.5: Lifestyle determinants and impacts on consumer behaviour
Table 1.6: Four key personality types
Table 1.7: Cluster share by country (Europe)
Table 2.8: Prepared meals sector value (US $m) and Per Head Expenditure (PHE) (US$/head), 2001
Table 2.9: Prepared meals sector value growth (US$m) 1996—2001
Table 2.10: Country market share of prepared meals sector (US$m) 2001
Table 2.11: ready meals and pizza growth comparison (US$m), 1996—2007e
Table 2.12: Chilled ready meal sales by ethnic segment (% value), 2001 and 2007
Table 2.13: Frozen ready meal sales by ethnic segment (% value), 2001
Table 2.14: Ethnic ready meals growth trends (frozen and chilled) 2001 versus 2007 growth estimates
Table 2.15: Pizza market growth (US$m) 1996—2001
Table 2.16: Pizza market growth comparison (US$m), 1996—2007
Table 2.17: Organic ready meal market, by country (US$m) 2000—2007e
Table 2.18: European frozen food % value shares (approximated) 2001
Table 2.19: US frozen food key categories: private label versus brands 2001
Table 2.20: US frozen food key categories: private label versus brands 2001
Table 2.21: Boston Market’s ‘Homestyle’ main entrees (selected)
Table 3.22: Sweden: ethnic segment splits in frozen and chilled ready meal categories (% value), 2001
Table 3.23: UK: ethnic share splits in frozen and chilled ready meal categories (% value), 2001
Table 4.24: Prepared meal sector growth forecast by country (US$m) 2001—2007
Table 4.25: Ready meals: best growth prospects (US$m), 2001—2007
Table 4.26: Pizza: best growth prospects (US$m), 2001—2007
Table 5.27: Key medical conditions, prevalence (per 100,000 population*) by country, 1998
Table 6.28: Key market drivers to 2007
Table 7.29: Frequency of snacking and meals missed in Europe (2001)