Frozen meals have been around since 1953, when the first “TV dinner” was introduced. It was designed to provide a number of separate food choices—usually including a protein (meat) and sometimes vegetables, potatoes, and/or a dessert—in separate compartments so one could get a full meal without a lot of preparation time. The first generation of these convenience meals was packaged in an aluminum foil tray that could go right in the oven, then serve as a dish when fully cooked.
TV dinners were originally considered a fad, and didn’t gain a lot of momentum early on. Later, as affordable microwave ovens for residential use because more readily available in the late 60s and early 70s, there was a short resurgence in the popularity of frozen meals once again.
Over the years, the blandness and unexceptional quality of the food itself caused a decline in the overall popularity of TV dinners. However, in today’s fast-paced society where people don’t have the time to do extended grocery shopping trips or prepare meals from scratch, frozen meals are gaining large momentum again—partially because of the convenience, but more so because manufacturers have taken note that just because someone wants ease-of-use doesn’t mean they want to sacrifice nutrition or quality.
Smart marketing is helping push forward the popularity of frozen meals, and is making good progress in challenging people’s perception of these meals being unpalatable. For example, manufacturers are catering to busy families by providing meals that can be heated quickly, but that also appeal to people who want options such as vegan meals, low-calorie/low-fat choices, or meals that can be eaten by people with food allergies. Making the packaging more environmentally friendly has also helped the cause.
In a convenience store setting, variety is still the spice of life. Sales for frozen meals, frozen pizzas, frozen breakfast goods, frozen desserts, frozen drinks, and other frozen option sales are soaring. Atlantic Dominion Distributors can help you capitalize on this accelerating surge by providing the largest selection of frozen foods for retailers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia from all the top manufacturers in the country. We’re ready to help you develop a product mix that will appeal to your customers and move your frozen food profits forward.
