Meals and Soups

The per capita consumption of ready meals in India in 2023 remained fairly low compared to the average in Asia Pacific. This modest figure can be attributed to limited market penetration and association of limited consumption occasions. Ready meals…

Since late 2022, the desire to travel has been seen amongst consumers in Hong Kong, due to the broader reopening of the country, with Japan emerging as a key destination. The revenge travel observed in 2023 has led to a significant reduction in the…

The resurgence of travel and dining out in 2023, following the post-COVID-19 era, has redirected consumption from off-trade to on-trade channels in Taiwan. With increased time spent on travel and dining at restaurants, there has been a noticeable…

The meals and soup category experienced another year of positive growth in 2023, both in total volume and value terms. Ready meals was a key contributor to the category’s development during the year, specifically frozen ready meals. The growing urban…

Retail demand for ready meals has improved in 2023 following several years of decline in Singapore, as local consumers are attempting to adjust to spending increasing time outside of the home. Therefore, demand is being driven by convenience factors.…

Meals and soups benefit from consumers’ return to busy out-of-home lifestyles in the post-pandemic landscape – particularly so in the large cities. Such options provide convenience to consumers who are seeking quick and easy meals. Added to which,…

In May 2023, COVID-19 was reclassified as a class 5 infectious disease, which is the same level as influenza. The restrictions on group activities that had been in place since the first pandemic in February 2020 were therefore finally relaxed in…

In 2023, the meals and soups category showed sales growth in volume and value terms, spurred by the return to normal lifestyles post-pandemic and the return of employees to the workplace. The general increase in the number of working women in…

With the increasing pace of life in urban areas, consumers, including a significant population of working women, are seeking meal and soup options that can be prepared quickly and with minimal effort. Products that offer easy preparation, such as…

Around the world, a rising number of consumers are looking to cut down on their consumption of meat due to concerns about health, the environment and animal welfare, and manufacturers are increasingly targeting this trend with new product…

Ready meals is recording further double-digit value growth in 2023, driven by an increase in the price of raw materials and logistics; however, growth is more moderate than it was in 2022. Retail volume sales are also growing steadily as consumption…

In 2023, the ready meals category is showing growth in both retail volume and current value terms, mirroring the trends seen in the broader meals and soups category. Demand patterns are returning to normal cycles as employees embrace everyday life…

Ready meals is seeing healthy retail sales in both volume and value terms. Overall, sales are being driven by consumers’ demand for convenience, as people have returned to their busy lifestyles – especially so in the large cities – whereby they have…

The performance of meals and soups is being supported by consumers’ return to busy lifestyles, thus leading to a higher demand for convenience. Indeed, at the end of a busy workday, people seek easy, quick, and convenient ways to prepare their meals…

Category players are customising their products to cater for various formats demanded by consumers sensitive to new lifestyle trends, such as South Korea's millennials and Generation Z, to maximise convenience. For instance, one of the habits among…

Meals and soups is set to see a noticeable slowdown in its retail current value growth rate in 2023 compared with 2022, and is expected to turn to retail volume decline. The primary reason for this is the removal of the zero-COVID policy, which has…

Growth in meals and soups spiked in 2020, when consumers were looking for easy meal solutions during the long periods they were spending at home due to the pandemic. Further healthy growth rates were also seen in 2021 and 2022, even as many consumers…