Frozen food: what shoppers really think

With their prepared format and long shelf lives, frozen foods offer convenience and reduce food waste, but these advantages have sometimes been overshadowed by negative perceptions. We wanted to test if the stereotype of frozen food being inferior to fresh was starting to shift.

We surveyed 1,000 consumers in the US and UK to explore attitudes towards frozen foods, pinpointing where brands can win on messaging – and where more work is needed to change opinions. We also looked at other factors holding consumers back from buying frozen foods, and what steps brands can take to drive purchasing in the category. 

Quick summary

• Many consumers still see frozen food as inferior to fresh, especially in taste and texture.
• US shoppers: 40% think frozen food tastes worse; 44% say texture is worse.
• UK shoppers: 31% think taste is worse; 35% say texture is worse.
• Frozen food is valued for convenience, cost-effectiveness, and reducing food waste.
• Brands should educate consumers on frozen food’s nutrition and freshness.
• Addressing freezer space and in-store placement could drive more purchases.

Taste and texture of frozen foods is still an issue

It’s probably no surprise that the general consensus among consumers is that fresh is best when it comes to taste and texture – but to what extent? In the US, 40% of shoppers believe frozen food tastes worse than fresh, and 44% think it has a worse texture [view full US data]. 

While these are big numbers, it’s encouraging to see that a quarter of consumers think frozen foods actually have a better taste and texture. The remainder believe the taste and texture is the same, putting frozen and fresh on level ground. 

American frozen food brands should take heart that the right messaging can move the needle on perceptions, as seen in the UK, where opinions are more favourable. Here, a lesser 31% of consumers think frozen foods have a worse taste, while 35% believe the texture is worse. But the majority of people think there’s no difference between fresh and frozen foods showing that parity is achievable.    

Consumers need educating about freshness and nutrition of frozen foods

After hundreds of food miles and days in the refrigerator, fresh food is rarely as fresh as we think it is. In contrast, frozen produce is often harvested at peak ripeness and frozen shortly after, preserving the freshness. Despite this, 50% of US consumers think the freshness of frozen foods are worse than their non-frozen counterparts (versus 28% who think they’re better and 22% who think they’re the same).

When it comes to nutritional content, the majority of US shoppers think it’s the same in frozen foods (40%), while 36% think it’s worse and a quarter believe it’s better. This would suggest scope for education around the effectiveness of freezing for preserving the nutritional value of foods.

In the UK, the freshness of frozen food has a slightly better reputation: a third think it’s better than fresh and 30% think it’s the same, while 37% believe it to be worse. People are less likely to think that freezing degrades nutrients, with only 23% saying the nutritional value of frozen food is worse. Nearly 48% think fresh and frozen foods are on a par for nutrition, but 29% think frozen is better [view full UK data]. 

To be truly successful, any education piece should not only focus on the freshness of frozen foods but also the quality of the ingredients. There is a perception of frozen food as highly processed: 39% of US consumers and 34% of UK consumers say they don’t buy frozen products because they want to avoid processed foods. Consequently, where the freezing process allows for the avoidance of artificial preservatives, this should be shouted about. 

Frozen food wins in two key areas

Two areas that represent quick wins for marketers of frozen foods are choice and price – consumers already believe frozen foods are cheaper than fresh and offer more choice. More than 58% of US consumers and a huge 68% of UK consumers say that frozen foods are better than fresh when it comes to cost. 

Doubling down on value messaging could make sense, especially as inflation keeps the cost of food high and consumers continue to seek ways to bring their grocery bills down. All age groups share the perception that frozen foods are good value so calling out frozen as a way to economize should resonate broadly.  

What’s more, frozen food brands needn’t be overly focused on R&D, since consumers already believe there’s a good choice of frozen foods available. In the US, 47% think there’s a better choice of frozen foods than fresh, and 45% think the same in the UK. Just over 25% and 22% respectively think there’s a worse choice of frozen foods, but, overall, the figures suggest that a lack of choice isn’t a big factor preventing sales in the category. 

Shoppers need bigger freezers 

If a lack of choice isn’t holding back sales of frozen foods, then what is? The biggest reason according to our respondents is a lack of freezer space: 58% of Brits and 42% of Americans say they don’t have a big enough freezer. 

This problem is most likely to affect older consumers, especially in the UK, where 68% of over 50s say they lack freezer space. It’s not clear if this is because they have smaller kitchens or because they are already using a lot of freezer space, for example by batch cooking, so more research is needed.

Interestingly there is a solution to this problem, and it’s one that consumers show enthusiasm for: smaller pack sizes. When asked what factors might encourage them to buy more frozen food, 35% of Brits and 32% of Americans answered smaller pack sizes, making it the top answer. 

One other idea, which could help with this problem, is selling frozen foods free of packaging and allowing consumers to ‘scoop their own’ quantities. This is something some UK retailers are already experimenting with. Our data shows that 21% of UK shoppers and 17% of US shoppers believe this would increase their likelihood to purchase. 

Breaking out of the freezer aisle could unlock sales

We also explored if changes to merchandizing could help make frozen foods more accessible to shoppers and found that integrating frozen foods with non-frozen could make a difference. Just under a quarter of Brits would be encouraged to purchase if frozen foods were displayed either alongside complementary ingredients, or alongside chilled and ambient foods. 

A quarter of Americans agree that seeing frozen foods next to complementary ingredients would boost their chances of buying it but only 14% think placing frozen and chilled options together would change their shopping habits. US shoppers are more likely to want to see curated collections of frozen food, such as plant based or party food (21%). 

But while breaking out of the freezer aisle promises more eyeballs for frozen products, for brands that can’t negotiate special cabinet space, simply increasing point-of-sale branding could be equally effective. A quarter of shoppers in both markets say better merchandizing/branding in the freezer aisle would encourage them to purchase.