Synthèse

The global frozen food market has grown significantly, with the European market accounting for over 35% of the total. In particular, Europe is characterized by high consumption in countries such as Germany, the UK and France. The market is driven by growing consumer demand for convenience and ready-to-cook meals, particularly among millennials with busy lifestyles. A report by Grand View Research estimated the market to be worth $177.07 billion in 2021, with CAGR projections of 5.2% leading to $279 billion by 2030. This growth is partly attributed to the expansion of supermarkets and hypermarkets. The fast-food sector, a major consumer of frozen ready meals, has also seen an upward trend, with a recovery following the COVID-19 directive leading to 5% growth in the out-of-home catering market in 2021 compared with 2020, but still down 11% on 2019 levels.

Due to the impact of the pandemic on eating habits, such as the increase in home cooking and the convenience of frozen foods during restaurant closures.

Transformative trends in the French frozen food market

The frozen food market in France has witnessed a wide range of transformative trends over the years, shaping consumer preferences and driving market growth. Despite setbacks such as the horsemeat scandal that shook consumer confidence, the French frozen food market has bounced back, performing robustly with sales reaching around €9 billion and a staggering 2 million tons. Notably, almost all French households - 98.6% - consume frozen foods, indicating substantial market penetration.

One notable trend in the French market is the growing demand for convenience in meal preparation. As lifestyles become increasingly hectic, consumers are turning to frozen foods that require a minimum of preparation effort. This trend has catalyzed the growth of the ready-to-heat meals sector, which accounts for the lion's share of the frozen food market in the USA, and a similar trend is emerging in France. At the same time, the fast food industry, known for its intensive use of frozen ready meals, has become a major growth driver for the frozen food market. The fast-food sector rebounded strongly after the COVID-19 affair, indicating that consumers' shift towards convenient eating habits is sustainable.

In addition, the trend favors companies offering frozen food solutions to a variety of institutions, including educational establishments, retirement homes, healthcare facilities, as well as catering services. For example, the number of secondary schools has risen slightly, driving up demand for frozen products for canteen meals. In line with this institutional demand, distribution channels for B2C frozen products have been diversified, with supermarkets and hypermarkets leading the way.

Generalist stores such as Carrefour, E. Leclerc and Intermarché account for a dominant market share of around 58% in the supermarket segment. However, specialist frozen food stores are also gaining ground, with banners such as Picard, Thiriet, Place du Marché and Ecomiam expanding their presence. Picard, in particular, has over a thousand stores in France, while Thiriet, although second in terms of market presence, has an 87% preference for products of French origin. The dynamics of this sector indicate that consumer preferences are moving strongly towards products whose local origin is recognized, and towards an increased offer in the organic segment.

Interestingly, technological advances also suggest a potential move away from traditional freezing methods. For example, hydrotreatment protection now offers an alternative that could be extended to other products

As we explore the frozen food market, we come across a constellation of key players who have played a decisive role in shaping the sector's current structure. Each entity, with its unique strengths and strategies, has marked its territory in this cold, competitive world. Here's a closer look at the key contributors who are keeping a cool head in the marketplace:

  • Picard: The undisputed specialist and market leader Dominating the frozen food retail landscape, Picard is a model of success and influence. With over a thousand stores throughout France and a commitment to offering a wide range of high-quality frozen products, Picard is the preferred destination for many freezer connoisseurs. The company's commitment to stocking a majority of products of French origin and the continuous innovation in its product ranges keep it relevant and respected.
  • Thiriet: Strategic expansion Second only to Picard in terms of market presence, Thiriet is a strong contender in the specialized frozen food distribution sector. The brand is not content with its significant market share, but is also looking to expand its footprint through strategic partnerships with general retailers and innovative store concepts that respond to consumers' evolving taste for "eating well"
  • Place du marché (formerly Toupargel): The phoenix rises from the ashes Formerly known as Toupargel, Place du marché has had an inspiring post-sale turnaround story. Today, with strong sales, it has firmly positioned itself in the market, demonstrating resilience and a strong comeback spirit.
  • Ecomiam: Quality advocate with local pride As a leading name in specialist distribution, Ecomiam boasts a product range with a strong emphasis on French origin, and a vast choice that caters for changing tastes, including organic options. Its strategy of investing in marketing and exploring environmentally-friendly packaging solutions illustrates its alignment with modern consumer values and environmental awareness.

These key players, along with other participating brands, define the contours of the frozen food market through their operational tactics, commitment to quality and customer-focused innovation. Their collective efforts not only drive the industry forward, but also ensure that consumers' freezers are never short of delectable, convenient meal options.

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  • Nombre de pages : 30 pages
  • Format : Version digitale et PDF
  • Dernière mise à jour : 19/05/2023
Détail des mises à jour

Sommaire et extraits

1 Market overview

1.1 Presentation and definition

Deep-freezing is the process of rapidly lowering the temperature of a foodstuff, while still fresh and wholesome, to -18°C at the core. Freezing, a similar but less efficient process, offers less rapid cooling.

There are several techniques for freezing a product:

  • Contact freezing, reserved for thin foods (fish fillets, for example), is achieved by introducing the food between two plates through which a fluid circulates at -35°C.
  • The forced-air circulation technique, better suited to smaller products such as vegetables, involves placing products in tunnels where freezing air (-35°C) circulates rapidly.
  • The immersion method, adapted to irregularly-shaped products, involves immersing the food in a fluid at a very low temperature, such as liquid nitrogen.
  • IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) involves immersing foodstuffs in a liquid gas. More expensive, it is better suited to fragile products.

These complex industrial techniques mean that the core temperature of products must always be maintained below -18°C, which presents distributors with a real technical challenge.

This study on frozen products will focus on the different market segments, business-to-business and business-to-consumer, and the different forms they can take. Regarding B2C trade, the GSA (Grandes Surfaces Alimentaires) is in the lead, with total sales of 2.4 billion euros in 2021, compared with 921.2 million euros for specialist chains. [LSA]

1.2 The global market

According to a study by Grand View Research, the global frozen food market is estimated at $***.** billion in ****. Average annual growth is expected to be *.*% between **** and ****, generating sales of $*** billion by ****. The creation of supermarkets and hypermarkets has driven market growth in recent years.

The trend in frozen food market ...

1.3 The French frozen food market

The frozen food market has been particularly turbulent in recent years following the horsemeat scandal from the Spanghero factory. It turned out that Findus had been selling products labeled "pure beef" when they were made from horsemeat. The ensuing investigation revealed the weaknesses of meat traceability in Europe and eroded consumer ...

1.4 Foreign trade

Given the variety of frozen products on the market, in this category, we focus on foreign trade in frozen beef, one of the most critical segments of the European frozen food market.

Using the UN Comtrade website, it is therefore possible to obtain the graph below corresponding to foreign trade associated ...

1.5 Covid-19 pandemic boosts frozen food market

The Covid-** crisis has positively impacted the frozen food market in France. Indeed, with government-imposed restrictions such as confinement and restaurant closures, the French have been led to spend more time at home, turning to frozen foods to facilitate their daily diet.

More specifically, the sweet frozen food segment saw its ...

2 Demand analysis

2.1 Fast food, a growth driver for frozen ready meals

The fast food market growth drives demand for frozen products, mainly frozen-ready meals. With increasingly busy lifestyles, consumers are looking for practical solutions for their meals. Frozen ready meals offer a quick and convenient option while allowing consumers to control ingredients and choose healthier options. This trend is contributing to the ...

2.2 Foodservices

Another demand segment, Business to Business this time, is the sale of frozen products to catering establishments. These include :

Educational establishments Retirement homes and social establishments Companies and government bodies Hospitals and health establishments Catering

Education

There will also be a slight increase in the number of public and private secondary ...

2.3 Traditional catering

Restaurants can call on wholesalers for frozen food deliveries as part of their B*B business.

Trends in French household consumption of catering services

The graphs below illustrate several indicators representative of the traditional food service market (***).

Number of businesses registered under NAF code ****A (***) France, ****-****, in number of establishments Source: ...

3 Market structure

3.1 BtoC distribution - Food superstores

The business-to-consumer segment corresponds to the distribution between a company and a consumer.

A survey carried out by YouGov in **** gives an idea of the distribution channels for frozen foods preferred by the French.

Answer to the question "Which retailer do you usually buy your frozen food from?" France, ****, in Source: ...

3.2 B2C distribution - specialized channels

Among the most important are Picard, Thiriet, and Ecomiam. [***]

Picard

Picard, with its *,*** stores in France, remains the undisputed leader in the specialist retail channel,by the beginning of ****, Picard will have *,*** stores. The company achieved sales of *.* billion euros in ****, a figure stable compared with previous years. Picard also has ...

3.3 Business to Business distribution

Business-to-business distribution, which involves the delivery of frozen products between two companies, accounted for **% of the frozen food market in **** according to Unigrains data. This type of distribution can occur between a frozen food manufacturer (***).

Gira Foodservice has collected data on this distribution segment. This data dates back to **** but gives ...

4 Offer analysis

4.1 Frozen products on the market

To build an overview of the frozen food offer, we can analyze the request of Picarda specialized retailer. The company distinguishes between :

fruit and vegetables meat and poultry fish and shellfish

These dishes can be sold in various forms:

aperitifs starters, tarts, and salads ready-made meals breads and pastries pastries ice ...

4.2 Low prices and frozen food prices

Prices for private customers

By analyzing prices of Picard products, we can establish that they are :

between *.** euros and * euros for vegetables ; between *.** euros and * euros for fruit; between * euros and * euros for meat and fish products.

Prices for food professionals

When selling frozen products to food professionals, it is essential ...

4.3 Towards the obsolescence of deep-freezing?

Hydroprocessing protection: a revolution?

Agro Media notes that advances have been made in food preservation recently. For example, the Centre de Développement Bioalimentaire du Québec has developed a new food preservation process: the "hydroprocess de protection," or HPP for short.

HPP involves vacuum-packing pressure-resistant foods and subjecting them to ...

5 Regulations

5.1 Respecting the cold chain

All players in the frozen food market (***) are obliged to respect the cold chain, i.e., to ensure that frozen foods are kept at a negative temperature that complies with regulations. The core temperature must always be below -**°C and the ambient temperature between -**°C and -**°C. This ...

Liste des graphiques

  • Evolution de la taille du marché de produits surgelés
  • Répartition de la taille du marché des produits surgelés par type de produit
  • Chiffre d'affaires HT des entreprises de commerce en détail de produits surgelés
  • Chiffre d'affaires de la restauration rapide (code NAF 56.10C)
  • Réponses à la question "Au travail, où mangez-vous le plus souvent ?"
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Dernières actualités

Auchan ouvre son premier magasin sans caisse - 29/09/2021
  • L’enseigne détaillera son plan de déploiement des Auchan Go à travers le pays
  • Comme l’ont rapporté nos confrères de Libre Service, le premier magasin dans le Nord de la France de 38 mètres carrés est ouvert 24h sur 24 et propose quelque 500 produits à sa clientèle
  • Tous les produits sont pesés et payés automatiquement grâce à une application mobile  pour se débarrasser des files d'attente
Auchan : Nouveau Départ - 06/12/2023
  • Fondation d'Auchan par Gérard Mulliez en 1961.
  • Les hypermarchés Auchan représentent 80% du chiffre d'affaires de la société.
  • La part de marché d'Auchan est passée de plus de 10% il y a cinq ans à 8,4% actuellement.
  • Echec de la tentative de rachat de Carrefour par la famille Mulliez en octobre 2021.
  • Auchan et Intermarché cherchent à former une alliance pour l'achat de produits, ce qui leur donnerait une part de marché combinée de 30%.
  • Auchan et Intermarché ont tenté de se partager près de 300 hypers et supermarchés que Casino doit vendre.
Auchan a connu un nouvel exercice « difficile » en 2023 - 22/02/2024
  • -Perte nette Auchan en 2023 : 379 millions d'euros
  • - Bénéfice de l'année précédente : 33 millions d'euros
  • - Position d'Auchan dans le secteur de la distribution en France : 5ème
  • - Produit des activités ordinaires (chiffre d'affaires) en 2023 : baisse de 1,7% à 32,9 milliards d'euros
  • - Part des hypermarchés dans le parc de magasins Auchan : 21%
  • - Acquisition de magasins Casino par Auchan et Intermarché : 70 supermarchés, 26 hypermarchés dont cinq d'une taille supérieure à 9.000 m2, et deux drives

Entreprises citées dans cette étude

Cette étude contient un panorama complet des entreprises du marché avec les derniers chiffres et actualités de chaque entreprise :

Auchan groupe
Picard Surgelés
Place du Marche (Toupargel)
Thiriet
Maximo
Pomona Groupe (Passion Froid)
Sysco Groupe - Davigel
Transgourmet France
Martin-Brower France
Orly Gel
M&M Quality Food
Ecomiam

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Ajouts et mises à jour

  • 01/03/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Picard Surgelés
  • 01/03/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Sodebo
  • 02/01/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Auchan groupe
  • 04/11/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Picard Surgelés
  • 04/11/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Sodebo
  • 04/10/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Routhiau Groupe
  • 01/10/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Auchan groupe
  • 03/08/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Sodebo
  • 03/08/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Picard Surgelés
  • 03/07/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Cargill France
  • 03/07/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Sodebo
  • 03/07/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise McCain Food
  • 03/07/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Iglo (Nomad foods)
  • 03/07/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Fleury Michon
  • 03/07/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Findus France
  • 14/06/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Auchan groupe
  • 22/05/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise E.Leclerc
  • 22/05/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Carrefour Groupe
  • 22/05/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Escal Sea Food
  • 19/05/2023 - L'étude a été complètement mise à jour par un analyste Businesscoot. En plus de cette revue complète, une partie sur les différents canaux de distribution a été développée. Une description détaillée des différents leaders spécialisés du marché a également été ajoutée.
  • 02/05/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Picard Surgelés
  • 09/03/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Auchan groupe
  • 07/03/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Ajinomoto
  • 26/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Bonduelle Groupe
  • 21/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Transgourmet France
  • 21/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Thiriet
  • 21/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Place du Marche (Toupargel)
  • 21/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Pomona groupe Passion Froid
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