In Retail World’s March issue we found out what seafood brands are doing to make the seafood category one of convenience, health and sustainability.
For instance, Simplot and its brands – such as John West, Birds Eye and I&J – are said to be always looking to find ways to improve and evolve the seafood offer.
“When it comes to packaged seafood, convenience and health are the main shopping drivers for consumers,” says the company.
“However, increasingly they are looking for products that deliver a more premium taste experience, quality cues and versatility. [This] is why John West Deli Tuna was recently launched delivering a premium loin cut of tuna with deli style infused oils.
“Sourcing of fish [also] continues to be front of mind with consumers, knowing that the fish they are consuming comes from sustainable sources is important.”
According to Simplot, this is particularly important as warmer water temperatures change the habitats and behaviours of fish, which is seeing fish populations move to find cooler waters.
“This requires us to continue to explore and identify new and sustainable fisheries,” says Simplot.
Huon addresses ‘fear of failure’
Huon Aquaculture has recently undertaken a deep dive research project into the Australian seafood consumer.
According to the research, the number one hurdle for the category remains a ‘fear of failure’.
“If a consumer is not 100% comfortable with preparing a seafood meal, then they avoid it,” says Huon Aquaculture General Manager of Sales & Marketing Callan Paske.
“Even the ‘MasterChef effect’ struggles to convince a non-seafood eater to experiment and try a new source of protein.
“Our research also indicated that seafood is still the animal protein with the lowest household penetration.
“This provides a huge opportunity for seafood to continue to take share in the national protein market, however, we have to overcome the ‘fear’ mindset of these consumers in order to drive the category forward.”
By providing a pre-packaged product that is easy to cook, and contributes to taking away the fear of failure, Mr Paske says Huon sees continued success for this category.
“Globally (and in some local store trials),” he says, “we have seen major retailers remove their in-store seafood delis and move all of their fresh seafood offering into a pre-packaged format.
“Rather than having a negative impact on the category, it has in fact encouraged trial and according to Tesco in the UK, contributed to sustainable category growth (with an extra benefit of a lower cost to serve for the retailer).”
To find out more about what seafood brands are doing, read Unpacking the demands of prepacked seafood in the latest Retail World magazine.