I. Executive Summary

The Products
• Market Definition
• Most Are Microwaveable
• Products Eaten as Meals or Snacks
The Market
• Market Size and Growth
• Factors Affecting Market Growth
• Projected Market Growth
• Table 1 -1 : Retail Sales and Growth of U.S. Hand-Held Foods Market, 1993—2000 (dollars)
• Entrees the Largest Category
• Figure 1-1 : U.S. Hand-Held Food Sales by Product Category, 1995 (percent)
The Marketers
• Over 300 Marketers
• Major Marketers
• Marketing Trends
• Product Trends
• Consumer Advertising Expenditures
Distribution and Retail
• Methods of Distribution
• Supermarkets Are Key Retail Channel
The Consumer
• Frozen Hot Snack Purchasers
• Burrito Purchasers
• Microwaveable Hamburger/Cheeseburger Purchasers
• Frozen Breakfast Sandwich Purchasers
Scope and Methodology
• Scope of Report
• Methodology

II. The Products

Scope of Report
• Market Definition: Bread Component Plus Filling or Topping
• Products Eaten Hot
• When Hand-Held Foods Are Eaten
• Focus on Retail
• Excluded Products: Breaded Foods, French Fries, Toaster Pastries, Whole Pizza
Product Categories
• Background
• Two Categories
• Entrees
• Breakfast Sandwiches
• Appetizers/Snack Rolls
• Frozen vs. Refrigerated
Technology
• Products Developed for Microwave Reheating
• Easier Said Than Done
• Microwave Sleeves
• "Microwave Experts"

III. The Market

• Figure 3-1: Estimated U.S. Retail Sales of Hand-Held Foods: By Product Category, 1993-1995 (dollars)
Market Size and Growth
• Methodology of Sales Estimates
• Non-Supermarket Sales Factored In
• Sales of Hand-Held Breakfast Sandwiches Excluded
• Retail Dollar Sales Top $ . Billion in
• Table 3-1: Estimated U.S. Retail Sales and Growth of Hand-Held Foods, 1993-1995 (dollars)
• Pound Volume 655 Million in 1995
• Table 3-2: Estimated U.S. Retail Sales and Growth of Hand-Held Foods, 1993-1995 (pounds)
• Entrees Lead Hand-Held Foods Sales
• Appetizers/Snack Rolls a Far Smaller Category, But Faster-Growing
• Table 3-3: Estimated U.S. Retail Sales of Hand-Held Foods: By Product Category, 1993-1995 (dollars)
• Figure 3-2: Share of U.S. Sales of Hand-Held Foods: Frozen vs. Refrigerated, 1995 (percent): Frozen Entrees, Frozen Appetizers, Refrigerated Entrees, Refrigerated Appetizers
Market Composition
• Hand-Held Entrees Constitute the Largest Category
• Table 3-4: Share of U.S. Retail Sales of Hand-Held Foods: By Product Category, 1993-1995 (percent): Entrees, Appetizers/Snack Rolls
• Frozen vs. Refrigerated Foods
• Frozen Hand-Held Entrees Ring Up Two-Thirds of Total Sales
• Table 3-5: Share of U.S. Sales of Hand-Held Foods: Frozen vs. Refrigerated, 1993-1995 (percent): Frozen Entrees, Frozen
• Appetizers, Refrigerated Entrees, Refrigerated Appetizers
• Supermarkets Lead Sales, Followed by Convenience Stores
• Figure 3-3: Share of U.S. Sales of Hand-Held Foods by Retail Outlet, 1995 (percent): Supermarkets/Grocery Stores, Convenience Stores, Warehouse Clubs, Vending Machines
Factors Affecting Market Growth
• Household Composition Has Changed Significantly
• Married, With Children?
• Labor Pains
• A Nation of Grazers and Snackers
• Kids, Teenagers a Driving Force
• Ethnic Diversity Shapes Products, Adds Choices
• Convenience and Variety Are Big Selling Points
• Price/Value Relationship also Important
• Competition from Fast-Food Industry Though Fast-Food Restaurants Create Consumer Awareness
• Competition from Supermarket Foodservice
• Competition from Other In-Store Foods
• Hand-Held Foods More Convenient to Have at Home
• Increased Microwave Oven Use at Home and at Work
• Limited Freezer Space in Stores
• Figure 3-4: Projected Growth of U.S. Retail Sales of Hand-Held Foods, 1996-2000 (dollars)
Market Projections
• Sales to Near $1.8 Billion by
• Table 3-6: Projected U.S. Retail Sales and Growth of Hand-Held Foods, 1996-2000 (dollars)

IV. The Marketers

• Figure 4-1: Estimated Share of U.S. Retail Sales of Hand-Held Foods by Marketer, 1995 (percent)
The Marketers
• Over 300 Marketers
• Market Fairly Fragmented
• Major Marketers
• Niche Marketers
• Recent Mergers and Acquisitions
• Table 4-1: Selected Marketers and Brands of Hand-Held Foods
Marketer and Brand Shares
• Note On IRI Sales
• Chef America Increases Lead as Top Player
• Through Appetizer Sales, Pillsbury Ranks Second
• Heinz in Third Place with Bagel Bites
• ConAgra Fourth with Mixed-Plate Approach
• Table 4-2: Estimated Share of U.S. Retail Sales of Hand-Held Foods: By Marketer, 1994 vs. 1995 (percent)
• Chef America Dominates Hand-Held Entrees
• Sara Lee Holds #2 Spot
• ConAgra Takes Third; Camino Real Foods Now Fourth
• Schwan's Tony's Pizza Service in Fifth Place
• Table 4-3: Market Share and Sales of Hand-Held Entrees, 1994 vs.1995 (dollars and percent)
• Pillsbury # in Appetizers/Snack Rolls
• Heinz Second with Bagel Bites
• Balance of Category Fairly Fragmented
• Table 4-4: Market Share and Sales of Appetizers/Snack Rolls, 1994 vs. 1995 (dollars and percent)
Competitive Profiles
• Campbell Soup Co.
• Chef America, Inc.
• ConAgra, Inc.
• Grand Metropolitan Plc
• H.J. Heinz Co.
• Hormel Foods Corp.
• Sara Lee Corp.
• Schwan Sales Enterprises, Inc.
• J.R. Simplot Co.
• White Castle System, Inc.
Marketing Trends
• Marketers Pursue Alternative Avenues of Distribution
• A Push to Group Products Together in Store Freezers
Product Trends
• Heartier Portions
• Pizza Flavors
• Mexican Flavors
• Are Gyros the Next Rising Star?
• Vegetarian Selections
• Breakfast Offerings
• List of New Product Introductions
• Table 4-5: U.S. Market for Hand-Held Foods: Selected New Product Introductions, 1995-May 1996
Packaging
• Single-Serve vs. Multipack
Consumer Advertising Expenditures
• Advertising Nearly Doubles to $22 Million
• Chef America Is Leading Advertiser
• Television Is Medium of Choice
• Non-Measured Advertising
Consumer Advertising Positioning
• Ads Combine Family-Appeal and Convenience
• Hot Pockets for "A Hot Meal Without a Big Deal"
• Totino's Hearty Pockets Fill the Bottomless Pit
• Family Snacks on Totino Pizza Rolls
• Health and Taste
• Less Fat
Consumer Promotions
• Coupons
• In-Store Demos
• Sweepstakes and Merchandise Give-Aways
Trade Advertising and Promotions
• Most Promotions are Standard
• Retailer Incentives
• Trade Advertising

V. Distribution and Retail

Distribution
• Two Main Methods of Distribution
• Warehouse Delivery
• Direct Store Delivery
• Advantages of Warehouse Delivery
• Disadvantages of Warehouse Delivery
• Advantages of Direct Store Delivery
• Disadvantages of Direct Store Delivery
• Smaller Marketers Frequently Work Through Brokers
• Vending Machine Delivery
Retail
• Supermarkets Are Key Retail Channel
• Convenience Stores an Important Contender
• Warehouse Clubs
• Vending Machine Sales
• Consumer Demand, Vending Technology Growing
At the Retail Level
• Placement of Items Varies
• Save-Mart's Reset
• Refrigerated Items Generally Housed in the Deli
• Limited Freezer and Refrigerated Space
• Slotting Fees
• Advertising and Promotions
• Retail Margins

VI. The Consumer

Consumer Use
• Notes on Simmons Market Research Bureau
• Categories Covered
• Frozen Hot Snack Purchasers
• Burrito Purchasers
• Microwaveable Hamburger/Cheeseburger Purchasers
• Frozen Breakfast Sandwich Purchasers
• Table 6-1: Demographic Characteristics Favoring Purchase of Hand-Held Foods
• Table 6-2: Demographic Characteristics Favoring Purchase of Hand-Held Foods by Brand

appendix I: examples of consumer and trade advertising and promotions

appendix II: addresses of selected marketers