Product Dev. | Market Insight

BPEX has produced a number of publications in the series of 'Meat Market Insights', which analyse current market trends, need states, the shopping decision tree and much more. These publications aim to provide a common understanding of the challenges and the opportunities faced by companies through out the supply chain and offers advice to drive their individual business forward and further develop this robust and sustainable industry.

These publications are available to order from the Meat and Livestock Commission. Copies (worth £295) are available free of charge to UK based butchers who are registered users.

NEW PORK MARKET INSIGHTS FROM BPEX

A new report from the British Pig Executive (BPEX) reveals a healthy pork market with a value which has steadily grown over the past three years to reach £652 million*.

New insights into the fresh pork market have recently been published in a new report: ‘Pork – A Category Update’. The report is a follow-up to the 2004 Meat Market Insights publication – ‘Pork – A Category Report’. Produced by the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) on behalf of the British Pig Executive (BPEX), the report contains latest market data, further insight into consumer shopping habits and behaviour, as well as providing butchers with suggestions for further product development in line with consumers’ changing needs.

Two distinct consumers one significant finding from the research has revealed that pork consumers can be divided into two distinct types – the ‘Pork Traditionalist’ and the ‘Modern Pork Convert’ (see below). The latter in particular recognise the values of pork as a healthy, convenient and versatile meat – everything today’s consumer demands to meet their contemporary lifestyles.

THE ‘PORK TRADITIONALIST’

BPEX butchery and product development manager, Keith Fisher says: 'The various pork cuts available do eat differently and this needs to be communicated to customers. Clear, consistent, eye-catching labelling is vital for customers in order to avoid confusion when they come into your shop – and later to ensure satisfaction and enjoyment when cooking and eating – so make sure you explain the different uses of the variety of cuts you have available. You would be surprised by the number of your customers who are too embarrassed to ask for your advice!'

He adds: 'The research shows that ‘Modern Pork Converts’ are turned on by food that is quick, easy to cook and delivers reliable results. As such, when it comes to labelling pork, such as steak, stir-fry strips, medallions and fillet, it is important to inform your customers that these cuts offer precisely these qualities and as a result help to further widen the franchise for pork. Happily, these are also the cuts that can produce the leanest pork as well as presenting a modern, convenient image.'

BPEX also urges butchers to take full advantage of point-of-sale material and advertising campaigns to promote pork, such as BPEX’s New Year ‘Lean Pork’ point-of-sale kit, to increase sales and provide customers with inspiring recipe ideas. Displaying an image of a healthy-eating pork dish, such as Pork Chop with Apricot Chutney in your shop will remind customers that pork is extremely versatile as well as being good for them.

'In fact, pork’s versatility has led a number of ‘Modern Pork Converts’ to discover pork mince which they now use regularly and with real enthusiasm,' says Keith, adding: 'Butchers should ensure that pork is well labelled with clear messages about the product, to help prompt interest and trial by customers.'

The latest in the series of meat market insights to be published by the British Pig Executive (BPEX) has shown that bacon is the most popular protein on consumers’ shopping lists. In fact, seven out of 10 bacon shoppers have made their decision to buy before they even enter the store.

The research, published in ‘Bacon - A Category Report’, also reveals that over 93 per cent of households in the country buy bacon and they are buying it in greater quantities, more often. Bacon sales continue to increase, yearly sales to the week ending 5 January 2005 showed a four per cent rise in the value of the bacon market to £1.1 billion compared to the previous year.

The research also identifies the four main uses of bacon: as part of the ‘Classic Full Breakfast’, the ‘Comforting Sandwich’, the ‘Ingredient of Vitality’ - such as adding it to pasta and salads - and the ‘Teatime and Children’s Meal’.

BPEX business sector manager, Yvonne Danson, said: 'The research in this new category report demonstrates that bacon fits perfectly into consumers’ modern lifestyles. And for the first time, a ‘Personality’ description has also been used, giving an even greater insight and depth of understanding into the consumers’ decision-making process.

'The research reveals that, with so many options available, the bacon category is potentially confusing to shoppers, so they tend to buy the same type every time, spending very little time considering alternative options.

'Bacon has the potential to perform even better if people understand that some types are better suited to different occasions - the research in the report indicates that butchers could benefit from merchandising bacon according to the usage occasion.

'For example, a strongly flavoured sweet cure or smoked bacon could be labelled ‘Ideal for Breakfast’, whereas bacon with a more subtle flavour might be described as ‘Great for Pasta Dishes and Salads’.

'By offering the personal touch and explaining and advising customers as to the suitability of the types of bacon to an occasion, butchers have a real benefit over multiple retailers. In addition, the availability of resources, such as recipe cards demonstrating the versatility of bacon, could also help to inspire your customers.

'Hence labelling, coupled with the merchandising of a fixture and ensuring it is well-stocked, are essential, particularly as 40 per cent of shoppers will leave a shop without buying an alternative if the bacon product they want is out of stock.

'The challenge lies in promoting and taking advantage of its contemporary use and values so it can then be more fully exploited to grow the category further.'

The report is available now and is free to butchers and levy payers, £295 to others. Click here to request your free copy of the Bacon Category Report.

Pork Pies & Sausage Rolls - A Category Report

New research has revealed a latent opportunity for butchers to boost their sales by attracting passing trade - in particular younger consumers wanting a satisfying snack while on-the-move.

The report published by the British Pig Executive (BPEX), in ‘Pork Pies and Sausage Rolls - A Category Report’, suggests that although these products have remained largely unchanged over the years, they continue to hold an enduring appeal with today’s consumers and present a huge potential for innovation in the sector.

The research reveals that pork pies and sausage rolls are becoming increasingly popular in today’s convenience, no-nonsense world. Plus, because they can be eaten cold, pork pies and sausage rolls are also ideal for a host of meal occasions, including: lunch-box snacks, children’s parties, Sunday teas and buffet parties.

Yvonne Danson, business sector manager for BPEX, explained: “The evidence suggests that by bringing both these pork products more into line with today’s savoury taste preferences, their enduring appeal can be harnessed to increase sales. Reinventing pork pies and sausage rolls could well present a real opportunity for retailers, including butchers, in the ongoing battle for the ultimate snack.

“Indeed, in the past couple of years, there has been a small positive shift in fortune for the traditional pork pies and sausage rolls. Amid competition from modern snacks such as paninis, samosas and bhajis, pork pies and sausage rolls continue to show consistent growth in their market.”

The value of the pork pie market, at £166 million, is significantly ahead of its position two years ago (£158 million) and the total sausage roll market is now worth £118 million, up 17 percent on two years ago.

The report is available free to levy payers and those involved in the British pigmeat supply chain £295 to others. Click here to register your details and receive free copies of the Meat Market Insights.

Sliced Cooked Meats - A Category Report

SLICED cooked meats represent a £1.5 billion market and are purchased by 95 per cent of homes. More than 50 per cent of the market is made up of ham which has a wider appeal than other sliced meats.

A new category report has now been produced by the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) for the British Pig Executive (BPEX). It looks at four main uses of cooked meats:

Food on the move
Quick meals
Salads
Freedom meals – informal occasions such as buffets

Pig Meat Marketing Manager Chris Lukehurst said: 'Food on the Move - mainly sandwiches - and Quick Meals use meat from the fridge where convenience, long shelf life and lower price outweigh perceptions that the product is processed.

'In fact when consumers do want to improve the quality of a sandwich they are more likely to do so by improving the bread or adding more fillings or dressings rather than by improving the quality of the ham. For Salads and Freedom Meals the meat will tend to be bought specifically for the meal and quality is much more important.

'The report introduces Taste Signatures, a simple graphical representation of how emotions influence choices and in turn how that choice satisfies a desire. These should be interesting to those in product development or communication.'

The report is available free to levy payers and those involved in the British pigmeat supply chain £295 to others. Click here to register your details and receive free copies of the Meat Market Insights.

Key Family Meal Occasions Identified by Research

New research commissioned by the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) on behalf of the British Pig Executive (BPEX) has identified three key meal occasions which have evolved from the traditional evening meal to fit in with the day-to-day pressures of modern life.

The respondents to the research, five consumer groups comprising females aged either 25 to 35 or 36 to 45, stressed the continued importance of the family evening meal but in a different format to their early childhood. Memories of casual, fun, easy and informal meals centred upon social family get-togethers have changed today to focus on three key occasions:

The Regular Family Tea
Feeding the Masses
The Regular Family Treat

The ‘Regular Family Tea’ is the daily meal where most of the family sit and eat together. Time constraints generally present the need for a quick, easy to prepare meal which involves minimal planning. Respondents said that they would welcome new ideas for quick and easy, nutritionally balanced meals to inspire them for this key meal occasion.

‘Feeding the Masses’ is the second meal occasion identified from the research. It highlights the challenge for today’s modern families to produce a meal that can be eaten by different members of the family at different times during the evening. For example, pork and beans served to younger children at the beginning of the evening could be transformed into a cassoulet for adults later on.

The final meal occasion is identified as the ‘Regular Family Treat’. This is all about the family relaxing and unwinding together with an unhurried meal - a temporary interlude from the pressures and concerns of everyday life. These meals tend to be quick to prepare and easy to portion, with minimal cleaning up. They also tend to be made from ingredients that would not normally be eaten during the remainder of the week.

BPEX product manager, Tina Mulholland, explains: 'Having identified these key meal occasions, BPEX is developing three new recipe booklets for consumers which aim to demonstrate how pork can help provide a solution to the very real issues faced by families in attempting to reconcile busy lifestyles with the need to eat well.

'In producing these recipes, we are working closely with a group of independent consumers to make sure that each of the dishes satisfies the need states identified by the research.'

The first in the series of recipe books will be available from October.

SAUSAGES CONFIRMED AS ONE OF THE NATIONS FAVOURITE FOODS - 26/10/2005

With a market value of over half a billion pounds* and a household penetration of nearly 90%*, sausages are undeniably one of the nation’s favourite foods, whether eaten in or out of the home.

This latest market data and insights into the sausage market have been published in ‘Sausages - A Category Update’ - a follow-up to the 2003 Meat Market Insights publication - ‘Sausages - A Category Report’ - produced by the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) on behalf of the British Pig Executive (BPEX).

This new report offers further insight into changing consumer shopping habits and behaviour, as well as the latest market data. It provides retailers and manufacturers with essential information to help them to develop products which reflect consumers’ changing needs.

The sheer variety of sausages means that they are popular amongst both children, who prefer simple flavours and tastes, and adults who appreciate the range of flavour combinations that are available today.

The report reveals that when given the choice between premium, standard and economy sausages, the majority of shoppers are now selecting sausages from the standard quality or higher ranges, with 29%* purchasing standard and premium sausages only. This indicates that consumers are more willing to pay that little bit extra and trade up for a higher quality product.

Loose sausage sales have increased by 3% year-on-year to a market share of 15.6%*. With butchers continuing to command the lion’s share of the loose sausage sector (nearly 72%*), this could indicate that consumers’ growing awareness and concern about food ingredients is allayed by the home-made, personal touch offered by independent butchers. In addition, with many consumers looking for a guarantee of quality, butchers registered with and displaying the BPEX Quality Standard Mark can add even more value to their business by offering their customers the assurance they need to shop with confidence.

In the supermarkets, multiple retailers’ own-label sausages dominate the market both in terms of value (67.6%* market share) and volume (71%*). However, fresh and frozen branded sausages have demonstrated strong growth in the last year, up 3%* to 21.7%* market share for fresh and up 7%* to 6.3%* for frozen.

MLC marketing and consumer affairs director, Richard Lowe, said: 'This Category Update offers a new level of insight into the market, providing an even deeper understanding of consumer shopping behaviour. Psychometric measures have been used to evaluate how the emotions and values associated with sausages are changing. These tell us that the sausage remains firmly established as a traditional family favourite and a vital part of a cooked breakfast, but also that, along with consumer concern about food values, there is a growing awareness that the quality of sausages has improved over the years.

Lowe continued: 'The report contains a number of recommendations for retailers and manufacturers based on the research, but the overriding message is that, as one of the nation’s favourite foods, sausages are a regular top-up shop item for consumers - therefore retailers cannot afford to be out of stock.'

‘Sausages - A Category Update’ is available now - to request copies, please contact BPEX on 01908 844 114.

* Data Sources: TNS Superpanel, TNS Family Food Panel, The Marketing Clinic

Meals limited to roasts and chops
Perceive other pork cuts to be fatty
Not particularly confident cooks of pork so are less adventurous with the variety of cuts

THE ‘MODERN PORK CONVERT’

Confident cooking with pork
Familiar with a wide range of pork cuts
Turned on by diced pork or strips for use in stir-fries Convenience of pork matches their lifestyle Convinced that pork is leaner, more versatile and more enjoyable than previously imagined


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