Volume sales of ready meals are growing, but only just. Penetration of the category rose a modest 0.2% this year, and growth in chilled ready meals can be attributed almost entirely to rising average prices in own label.

The average price per kg of chilled ready meals has risen 2% this year, driven in part by a rise in full-price sales (up 0.6%). This year, 42.5% of sales were sold on promotion, compared with 42.8% last year. 

However, in frozen ready meals, more shoppers and bigger basket sizes drove value growth. 

Average prices are actually in slight decline of 0.3% in frozen. That's been driven by own label prices dropping 1.4% on average as sales on promotion grew 18%.

Own label frozen ready meals have extended their lead against branded lines this year, with sales up £20.6m (vs brands' £11.5m decline). Frozen brands have been struggling to engage shoppers this year. 

Chilled ready meals are dominated by private label but branded lines have seen stronger growth this year (6.2% compared with own label's 2.1%). 

Wandi Zhang, Kantar Worldpanel British

Average prices in soup increased 3.8% this year, led by a shift away from temporary price reductions. However, the £19.7m added through price wasn't enough to compensate for the £23.4m value lost as fewer shoppers bought soup less often.

The long, hot summer was one reason behind the reduced purchase frequency. Another was that 25.8% of ambient soup sales were on x for y deals this year, up from 21% year on year. 

Wet ambient soup is dominating the category (accounting for 54.6% of the market), but sales for the sector dipped 0.8% with sector titans Heinz and Baxters both losing value. 

In total, branded wet ambient soups launched 37 new products this year, a third of the size of own-label NPD. As a result, wet ambient soup shoppers moved £1.6m of their spend from branded SKUs to own-label products.

Fresh soup value sales are up 4.4%, with private label making up 60% of category sales - spearheaded by the likes of M&S, Sainsbury's and Tesco's own-label ranges. 

Jennifer Fletcher, Kantar Worldpanel Fresh