October 28, 2014
Canadean Research
Baked beans remain popular among UK consumers
A recent Canadean survey finds that 78% of UK households consume baked beans making it the most popular type of canned food, followed by soup (70%). Traditionally, baked beans were perceived as a meal for lower income households, such as students, but Canadean found that 76% of ABC1 consumers said they like to consume this product.
Heinz diversify as the demand for excitement grows
Despite the ongoing economic uncertainty in the UK, consumers are still brand conscious when it comes to baked beans consumption. Canadean found that Heinz is still the most established baked beans brand in the UK, with 54% of UK consumers preferring this brand over others. However, store own brands came up second at 17%, showing consumers an emerging acceptance of non-branded alternatives. Joanne Hardman, analyst at Canadean says: "Consumers are traditionally brand loyalists when it comes to baked beans, but rising food costs compared with improving perceptions of store own brands is changing this. Opportunities have arisen for private label brands to extend their product portfolios by offering a more premium product but at a lower price."
As more than half (55%) of Britons consume beans at least once a week, manufacturers need to offer the consumer something more than the ordinary baked beans product and find ways of reaching out broader audiences. One way to boost the appeal of baked beans is to link them to flavours inspired by ethnic foods. Hardman comments: "The spice trend is constantly evolving in the UK and recently, Heinz started offering their beans in a chilli, curry and barbeque range. This offers a new flavour sensation to the experience seeking consumer and brings excitement to what many consumers perceive to be a bland product." Heinz also offers their own organic range of baked beans, to cater to the wider, individual needs of UK consumers.
This information is based on a new Canadean survey of 2,000 UK adults. The survey was conducted in October 2014.