'Healthy' deep fryers drive 15% market value growth

The deep fryers market increased by just over 2% in volume terms and enjoyed around 15% value growth in the 12 months to this February.


The latest research by GfK shows that this added an extra £490,000 to the sector over the period.

The company says it is the low-oil type of fryer that has seen consecutive months of growth, accounting for 49% of the market value by February. This clearly indicates that consumers are becoming more aware of their health in general, says GfK.

The surge in the market has predominantly come from consumers opting for higher quality and more expensive deep fryers than in the past, stimulated by manufacturers offering a wider and more premium variety of low-oil products.

Grocers and the mail order channel accounted for half of the products sold, seeing 6% and 24% volume growth respectively.

Meanwhile, the internet has been instrumental in educating shoppers as well as gaining their confidence in a specific product area, says GfK. Deep fryers bought online increased by nearly a third in value, up by £140,000 on February 2011, with premium prices largely driving the market. It seems consumers will spend more on high-end products via the internet as they feel they are getting more for their money and far more information through this medium.

The deep fryer sector has contributed significantly to overall small kitchen appliances value growth of 1.4%, together with other premium categories such as coffee machines and high-end foodprep appliances.