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Summary of our market study
The global market for frozen French fries is growing significantly, with estimated sales of $40 billion by 2022 and an average annual growth rate of 5%
Europe boasts some of the highest consumption rates, with France a key player due to its high-quality potato production and consumption of 24 kg per capita per year.
On the retail front, sales of oven-baked French fries grew by a substantial 33%, and the frozen potato segment as a whole captured a 7% market share by value in 2020 in France.
Although a major potato exporter, France imports most of its frozen French fries, but recently investments have been made by foreign players such as Agristo and McCain to produce in France.
With increasing urbanization and the proliferation of fast-food chains, frozen French fries have become an integral part of meals throughout France.
Demand in France is buoyant, and the French fast-food market is showing very strong growth, with sales topping 20 billion euros.
The potato processing sector generated sales of around 1 billion euros.
France imports 90% of its consumption, particularly from Belgium.
Frozen French fries market players
- McCain Foods: The undisputed market leader, McCain holds over 40% of the market and has three plants in France.
- Agristo NV: This family-owned Belgian company has extended its geographical presence by investing heavily in a new production plant in France, demonstrating both its growth ambitions and its confidence in the potential of the French market.
- Aviko B.V. holds a significant share of the European market for frozen French fries.
- Lamb Weston, from the USA, is another giant in the frozen potato segment.
- The Carrefour group and the major food retailers are major players in the market.
- Picard Surgelés specializes in frozen food retailing in France, and has played a key role in the growth of the country's frozen food segment.
- Bonduelle, a generalist in the processed vegetable market, remains an important player
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
The frozen French fries market encompasses all frozen French fries producers in France, as well as distributors, whether supermarkets or specialist stores. In addition, a large proportion of frozen French fries are produced for the catering trade. Frozen French fries are becoming increasingly popular, thanks to their convenient storage and preparation, and their low cost. Producers are capitalizing on this craze by expanding their range, offering a plethora of different cuts and elaborate flavors.
The global market, estimated at $39.96 billion in 2022, is booming and set to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% to 2030. Frozen French fries, usually seen as a side dish, but increasingly becoming a meal in their own right with the popularization of poutine and the variations offered by McCain, have taken advantage of urbanization and the development of fast-food restaurants to establish themselves as a must-have product of our time. Many international companies compete fiercely in this segment, but Canada's McCain stands out as the undisputed market leader.
The French market is also booming, but is highly dependent on imports. This has given rise to the "French fries" paradox: while French fries are traditionally very popular in France, and France is one of the world's leading potato exporters, it is heavily dependent on its Belgian and Dutch neighbors in the frozen fries segment. This is mainly due to the lower costs and more flexible regulations of our European neighbors. However, a desire on the part of the French to consume more locally is encouraging foreign players to set up in France, favoring northern regions such as the Hauts de France.
However, the sector has been disrupted by the global context, suffering in turn from the 2021 energy crisis and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, heavily impacting the price of energy and sunflower oil, a major ingredient in French fries. As a result, restaurateurs are having to cut their margins or raise their prices to adapt to these new obstacles.
1.2 A growing global market
Frozen French fries are one of the world's most popular snacks, widely used in households and restaurants. The product's advantages include speed of use, storability and portion control, all of which contribute to the growing number of consumers worldwide. The size of the global frozen French fries market was estimated at ...
1.3 A growing market and a leading player
Unfortunately, no data is available on the size of the French market for frozen French fries. However, we can estimate its size and identify trends by looking at a larger market: the potato processing and preservation market, identified by NAF code **.**Z. This sector comprises :
potato processing and preservation, preparation of ...
1.4 International trade
International trade figures for frozen French fries are grouped under CN* code ********: potatoes, uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water, frozen. We can therefore use this code to identify import and export trends, as well as France's main trading partners.
Exports:
French exports of products under code ***** France, **** - ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 The French and French fries
Consumption of French fries in Europe is among the highest in the world, with an average of ** kg per person per year, equivalent to ** million tonnes. Belgium leads the way, with ** kg per capita per year, followed by the Netherlands (***).
Average annual individual consumption of Europe's biggest consumers of French fries Europe, ...
2.2 Frozen French fries: the star of frozen potato products
Purchases of frozen French fries are divided between two types of player: restaurateurs and distributors. We'll start by looking at distributors.
Since ****, sales of oven-baked French fries have grown by a significant **%. This product category has made a major contribution to the expansion of the frozen potato sector, accounting for almost ...
2.3 Good figures from the foodservice sector support demand for frozen French fries
According to the Groupement Interprofessionnel pour la Valorisation de la Pomme de Terre (***), the French currently consume ** kilos of potatoes in the form of French fries, mashed potatoes, frozen fried potatoes and potato chips, compared with ** kilos fresh. This trend explains the strong interest shown by major international frozen-fry groups in ...
2.4 Increasingly local and organic demand
There is a strong demand for local frozen French fries, made from local produce and produced in the same region. According to Insee, three out of four French people say they are prepared to pay more for a product made in France[***].
Demand is also shifting more and more towards organic ...
2.5 France's favourite frozen food brands
A number of major frozen food brands dominate the French market: Findus, Picard and McCain. In this section, we look at how the French rate these brands.
Appreciation of different frozen food brands France, ****, in Source: ****
The French don't have any clear-cut preferences when it comes to the various frozen food ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Market organization and dynamics
The potato processing industry involves a wide range of players, from companies specializing in the production and selection of seed potatoes (***) to distributors and restaurateurs. [***]
Source: ****
3.2 Characteristics of companies in the sector
Unfortunately, it is not possible to access figures for the frozen French fries sector, so we'll be looking at the potato processing and preservation sector, identified under NAF code **.**Z, as in *.*.
Number of companies operating in potato preservation and processing France, ****-**** Source: ****
The number of establishments operating in potato ...
3.3 Distribution largely concentrated in the north
The distribution of potato processing and preservation plants is extremely heterogeneous.
Source: ****
There is a high concentration in the north of France, with ** establishments in the Hauts-de-France region. This is due to the region's proximity to the Netherlands and Belgium, our two main buyers of prepared potatoes (***). There are also a ...
3.4 France increasingly attracts foreign players
Although France is the world's leading potato exporter, it imports most of its French fries from Belgium and the Netherlands (***). However, this situation is changing. French fry manufacturers, including Belgian companies and Canadian giant McCain, are increasingly investing in French fry production in France, anticipating growth potential in the French ...
3.5 The savoury frozen food segment, driven by specialist stores
As in other sectors of the food industry,the Covid-** crisis and successive confinements have boosted sales of salted frozen foods. This trend was also observed among specialist retailers. After an exceptionally strong year in ****, sales momentum remained high in ****.
Although supermarkets (***), specialist chains are up *.*% on ****, with sales of ***.* million ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 A vast range of products and the growth of organic produce
A varied offer:
The biggest players in the frozen French fries sector diversify their offer by proposing different flavors, different cuts, different cooking methods and different ranges. McCain 's website, for example, offers ** different references for frozen French fries. To this we can add the five potato references offered by the ...
4.2 Varied price ranges
The table below lists the prices of the main references in the frozen French fries segment on Carrefour's e-commerce site.
4.3 Highly variable raw material prices
Overall, prices have risen for ware potatoes, from €*.**/kg in **** to €*.**/kg in **** (***).
change in average price per kg of potatoes France, **** - ****, in € Source: ****
Although players in the frozen French fries sector have access to lower prices, since they buy directly from producers with whom they negotiate prices, the graph ...
4.4 Snacking, the new trend that's seducing people
The small frozen meals segment enjoyed dynamic growth, illustrating consumers' preference for quick meals, even in times of confinement. According to IRI's cumulative annual data for ****, this segment saw its volumes increase by *%, fuelled mainly by snacking, which grew by **%. At the same time, growth in aperitif products was more moderate, ...
4.5 An ever-growing list of ingredients
Traditional French fries are made from just two different ingredients: potatoes and oil. However, producers of frozen French fries tend to add ingredients to their recipes, which worries consumers and the associations that represent them. As a result, potato content varies between brands of fries.
Potato content in frozen French fries ...
5 Regulations
5. Regulations governing frozen French fries
The decree of September **, **** on specifications applicable to various frozen fruits and vegetables sets out the rules governing frozen pre-fried potatoes. Updated in September ****, this text issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade and Crafts and the State Secretariat for Consumer Affairs, stipulates that :
deep-frozen pre-fried potatoes may only be prepared ...
6 Positioning the players
6. Player segmentation
- Bonduelle Groupe
- Intersnack (Knabber Geback Group)
- Fruits de la terre
- McCain Food
- Dr Oetker
- Lamb Weston
- Aviko
- Agristo
- Carrefour Groupe
- E.Leclerc
- Casino Groupe
- Auchan groupe
- Picard Surgelés
- Lidl
- Cité Gourmande
List of charts presented in this market study
- Forecast for the global frozen French fries market
- Trends in the size of the French potato processing and preservation market
- French exports of products falling under CN code 8 07101000
- Main buyers of French NC8 code items 07101000
- French imports of products falling under CN code 8 07101000
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Latest news
Casino CEO Philippe Palazzi takes over Monoprix and Naturalia - 24/09/2024
- Monoprix sales: 4.3 billion euros.
- Total number of Monoprix stores: 861, including 338 integrated.
- Total number of Naturalia stores: 232, including 170 integrated and 62 franchised.
- Share of Monoprix sales in the new Casino: 50% of the total (4.3 billion euros out of 9 billion euros at December 31, 2023).
Bonduelle abandons its bagged salads in the face of pressure from retailers - 02/09/2024
- - Bonduelle announces the divestment of its bagged salad business in France and Germany.
- - The Bonduelle group has been facing a structural decline in salad consumption in France and Germany for the past ten years.
- - Les Crudettes, which is in exclusive negotiations with Bonduelle to take over the French business, employs 2,300 people and boasts annual sales of 1.2 billion euros.
- - The Saint-Mihiel salad plant could close in spring 2025, affecting 159 employees.
- - Sales in Bonduelle's salad segment have fallen by 15% over the last seven years.
- - Bonduelle's overall sales fell by 1.4% to 2.37 billion euros for the year 2023
- -2024. - 73% of non-cooked frozen vegetables sold at retail are marketed under private labels, according to Circana.
- - Bonduelle employs over 11,000 people and operates in nearly one hundred countries.
Bonduelle sells its bagged salads in France and Germany - 30/08/2024
- Bonduelle's total sales for the year ending June: 2.4 billion euros.
- Percentage of sales represented by the global bagged salad business sold: 7%.
- Sale of 65% of US canned vegetables and Long Life frozen foods business in 2022: 625 million euros.
Bonduelle: cool weather to penalize sales in 2023-2024 - 06/08/2024
- Bonduelle sales for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024: 2.372 billion euros.
Picard creates an observatory dedicated to the food of tomorrow. - 21/06/2024
- - 68% of French people believe that eating seasonal produce is the key to healthy eating.
- - 42% of French people see homemade food as a solution to eating better.
- - 48% of French people prefer seasonal fruit and vegetables.
- - 46% of French people prefer fresh, local produce.
- - Over a third of French people use frozen foods to eat more fruit and vegetables every day.
- - 50% of French people adopt a more balanced diet for weight reasons.
- - Only 22% of French people make the connection between their diet and their level of immunity, and 11% with their psychological state.
- - 22% of those surveyed consider that eating well means eating organic or pesticide residue-free products.
- - 17% prefer Nutri-score A and B or label products.
- - 46% of 18-24 year-olds cite lack of time as an obstacle to eating well.
- - 53% of French people see frozen products as a quick and economical way to eat a balanced diet.
- - 20% of those surveyed perceive frozen products as being of lower quality than fresh.
- - 57% of French people want brands committed to products from local agriculture
- - 44% of French people want brands to pay producers well.
Picard, the best recipes from the king of frozen foods - 20/05/2024
- - Freezers in over 90% of homes today
- - Picard's EY Parthenon ranking: fourth place, behind Action, Décathlon and Leroy Merlin.
- - Number of Picard outlets: over 1,000.
- - Percentage of Picard capital held by the Zouari family since 2019: 49%, with a call option to increase their stake to a further 51% held by British fund Lion Capital.
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the frozen French fries market | France
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