In 2020, sales of frozen food grew in both dollars (up 21 percent) and units (up 13.3 percent), with nearly all types seeing double-digit sales increases, according to the Power of Frozen 2021 report, produced by the American Frozen Food Institute and FMI.
The top three frozen food categories with the largest percentage of dollar growth in 2020 include seafood (up 35.3 percent), poultry (up 34.7 percent), and appetizers (up 28.9 percent.)
“The frozen food aisle has been a growth driver for retailers since 2016 with acceleration ahead of most other departments,” said AFFI President and CEO Alison Bodor, in a statement. “Frozen foods are a pandemic powerhouse ringing in $65.1 billion in retail sales in 2020, a 21 percent increase compared to a year ago.”
“Shoppers are nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and are having more family meals at home than ever before. They are looking for meal plans, culinary creativity, and convenient, cost-effective solutions,” said FMI vice president of industry relations Doug Baker, in a statement. “The frozen foods category offers these benefits to shoppers and that’s why we see all areas—from meal ingredients to meal solutions—reaching new audiences and increasing purchases.”
