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FROZEN FOOD Oriental Merchant builds frozen range Oriental Merchant, promoted as a leading importer of Asian dry grocery for the past 30 years, describes itself as the Asian food specialist representing many leading brands from all over Asia. The company’s frozen food division, according to Chief Commercial Officer Frozen Food Australia Shelene Lok, is now following the journey that Asian dry grocery had taken in building a comprehensive range of authentic Asian frozen products. “We see the Asian frozen food category growing year on year,” she said, “and we aren’t only gaining greater foothold in traditional Asian grocery stores nationally, but also expanding into more mainstream stores as the importance and potential of the category ... gains more freezer space as compared to two or three years ago.” Ms Lok notes several reasons for consumers choosing Asian cuisine. “More Australians \[have been\] travelling to popular Asian destinations, including Korea, Japan, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China \[and others\], for their holidays, exploring and tasting Asian cuisines and liking them,” she said. “This in turn, creates greater awareness of Asian cuisines as a whole.” She adds that increasing numbers of Asian migrants have brought along their food influences and inspirations to this country. “\[This\] diverse culture gives rise to consumers willing to experiment with different types of cuisines and be bolder in their food adventure,” Ms Lok said. In terms of frozen, Ms Lok cites “time poor consumers who want convenience, easy to prepare \[food\] from the freezer to cook to the table in the shortest possible time”. This is what Oriental Merchant can offer in its range of products, she adds. Oriental Merchant has launched more than 25 new lines in the past six months. The company highlights the expansion of Buono’s range of non-dairy Asian desserts, which now includes Boru Boru bubble tea ice- cream. This Thai product is available in Genmaicha and Thai Tea flavours. Balfours considers virus and beyond According to Balfours Bakery Brand Manager James Askham-Levy, frozen food is positive in both unit and dollar measures (SA Grocery Unweighted data MAT to 22/3/20). This is driven, he says, by a recent price rise and the performance of frozen single serves within the recent climate of staple stockpiling. “Besides the obvious climate of social distancing and self-isolation, \[Balfours is\] finding the niche options are starting to find themselves ever increasingly mainstream,” he said. “Food and beverage, as a category, was moving towards premiumisation with increased focus on health benefits, such as added and removed ingredients, before Australia was impacted by the COVID-19 infection. “These macro trends will continue to ripple through the frozen savory category, but the category will start to see increased vegetarian and vegan-friendly options in the freezer with more adventurous flavours and increased emphasis on a wholesome production process. “Last year, we released a range of vegan savouries into the fresh SA market and they’ve become one of our most popular family of savouries. This consumer preference for what we’d otherwise consider niche dietary options, is being adopted by mainstream consumers looking for meat-free alternatives.” Mr Askham-Levy also noted: “The ecological concerns around sustainable packaging will present customers and consumers with a few headaches in the coming months and years.” Fruity for frozen In the four weeks to March 22, Nielsen Homescan research reveals, frozen fruit recorded an all-time high for volume growth (up 39.3 per cent). This was the same for vegetables, with frozen sales up by 59.8 per cent. “With more time at home and less desire to frequent stores due to the risk of COVID-19 exposure, Australians are shopping for produce differently than we’ve seen in the past,” Nielsen Australia Fresh Industry Lead Melanie Norris said. “Similar to consumers in North America, the latest data highlights that Australians are stocking up on fruits and vegetables that have a longer shelf-life, and in some cases seeking produce options that are more cost-effective, such as canned or frozen fruit and vegetables. In the month of March, both shelf-stable and frozen produce have seen unprecedented sales growth.” Over the following months, Ms Norris suggests that retailers and brands could consider finding new ways to inspire consumers to use the fruit and vegetable options they’re buying. “Recipe ideas using longer lasting vegetables with stockpiled pantry items, or creative ways to use frozen and canned produce could help to drive consumption,” she said. “Working with smaller outlets to provide home delivery options may also assist in facilitating produce purchases for those who are homebound and unable to make it out to their local store.” JUN, 2020 RETAIL WORLD 45