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THE FREEZER FINDS A NEW FOLLOWING Shoppers are warming to the freezer aisle as awareness of product quality, variety and convenience grows. By Hailey Settineri. FROZEN FOOD T he freezer has attracted record-level customer numbers and sales over the past year. Initially, the growth was driven by shoppers’ uncertainty around Covid-19, but these record levels are continuing, with customers recognising the benefits of good quality frozen food products. According to a spokesperson for Simplot Australia, the outlook for frozen categories in 2021 is positive. Many of the frozen categories boast sales higher than those of pre-Covid times. “Compared with the same three months of the year in 2019, frozen seafood sales are 26 per cent higher, frozen potato sales are 23 per cent higher, and frozen vegetable sales are four per cent higher,” Simplot Australia said, citing IRI MarketEdge data for a recent three-month period. Simplot Australia says the pandemic sent shopping habits and the way we interact with food into a spin, with the freezer aisle becoming a destination when ambient shelves were stripped bare. This disruption to usual habits led to something of a ‘discovery phase’ among consumers who previously may not have frequently shopped the freezer aisle. “This was especially true for younger consumers and/or light buyers as they started to see the freezer through a new lens,” Simplot said. “Younger consumers in particular found themselves buying from categories they never had before and using products like frozen veg. These consumers quickly realised it was a smart way to shop and cook.” Trends driving interest in the freezer aisle include the desire for convenience (while still delivering on consumers’ expectations of quality, taste and nutritional benefits), replicating the out-of-home dining experience in the home (experimenting with flavours and formats and seeking premium/indulgent offerings), and conscious consumption (both from an environmental and personal health perspective). “The grocery store’s freezer section is starting to regain a lot of influence and isn’t an area to underestimate,” Simplot said. “We’re continuing to show consumers just how versatile frozen food products and ingredients can be.” Simplot is innovating across the frozen TO PAGE 18 JUN, 2021 RETAIL WORLD 17