UK frozen food sales rise by £872m

The pandemic has resulted in a massive sales boost for frozen foods of over £870m, according to a recent report by the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF).

Retail frozen food sales in the UK have increased by £872m, and the value of frozen food sold in the UK stores is now worth £7.21bn.

This represents a year-on-year growth of 13.8%, compared to total grocery, which grew at 11.3%, and fresh and chilled at 9.3%.

Richard Harrow, BFFF’s chief executive, said: “It’s 10 years since we produced the first Frozen Food Report. In that time, the frozen food market has experienced impressive growth, improved quality perception and faced some of its greatest challenges.

“Since 2005 the retail market has seen a steady growth rate, achieving a 3.3% category average growth rate (CAGR) to reach a value today of £7.21bn. The market was boosted in 2020 by the pandemic lockdown, adding a massive £889m as sales moved from the foodservice market into the retail sector. Despite the challenges of 2020, and in some cases because of them, the UK’s frozen food industry continues to be a real success story.”

He added: “March 2020 was a record month for online penetration, which increased by 140,000 households, and further research in October found only 26% of shoppers stated they intend to revert to pre-pandemic shopping habits, with 55% saying they will never shop in the same way again. 

“This means, potentially, 74% of shoppers will maintain their online shopping habits long-term.”