Leggo My Eggo

Those millennials continue to perplex the marketing gurus!  First it was the death of diamonds, then it was the end of golf.  It now turns out that millennials are supporting both industries with great enthusiasm. 

Let’s talk about something a bit more mundane – frozen vegetables.  The freezer aisle was all but deserted over the past few years and now it is rebounding with robust sales and demand for new products.  Consumers are finding that wide variety, portion control and zero waste are all possible with frozen vegetables.  Veganism is also a contributing factor in the resurgence of the $3 Billion frozen vegetable industry.

Neilson says that the frozen food spend is around $53 Billion annually.  Nestle, with brands like Stouffers, Lean Cuisine and DiGiorno, is the leader in frozen food sales.  Conagra just purchased Pinnacle Foods (Bird’s Eye brand), adding to its already significant $2.5 Billion frozen unit.  The big players see the growth and are positioning themselves to capitalize on it.

So, in the fresh aisle of the supermarket, we need to do a better job helping customers eliminate waste and buy the portion size they need.  A 20-pound Jackfruit doesn’t help with a 2-ounce snack craving!  We as an industry need to listen to the marketplace and provide what is being asked for. If not, we’ll be screaming at the frozen producers “Leggo my potato, broccolio, carroto, et ceterao.”