Ready Meals in Pakistan

Euromonitor International
January 2021
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LIST OF CONTENTS AND TABLES

KEY DATA FINDINGS.................................................................................................................. 1
2020 IMPACT ............................................................................................................................... 1
Some turn to ready meals as consumer foodservice outlets close but most opt for home-made
alternatives ............................................................................................................................... 1
Sales remain limited to affluent urban consumers .................................................................... 1
RECOVERY AND OPPORTUNITIES .......................................................................................... 1
Sales will continue to be hindered by low female employment ................................................. 1
Urbanisation will support sales growth from low base .............................................................. 2
New entrants likely to tap into expanding niche ........................................................................ 2

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READY MEALS IN PAKISTAN Passport 1

READY MEALS IN PAKISTAN

KEY DATA FINDINGS
▪ COVID-19 lockdown results in some opting for ready meals as an alternative to consumer
foodservice but most opt for home-made meals
▪ Sales remain negligible in 2020
▪ Sales likely to remain insignificant in forecast period, despite seeing growth from a low base

2020 IMPACT

Some turn to ready meals as consumer foodservice outlets close but

most opt for home-made alternatives
The impact of COVID-19 is expected to be minimal for ready meals. On the one hand, many
were unable to access consumer foodservice as a result of lockdowns, while others opted to
avoid consumer foodservice outlets due to concerns over catching the virus. However, most of
these consumers opted for home-made meals rather than ready meals, with most homes having
either stay-at-home female family members with sufficient free time to cook or in the case of the
affluent consumers who make up the consumer base for ready meals, employ domestic help
such as cooks.

Sales remain limited to affluent urban consumers

Ready meals will remain an insignificant niche in 2020, with a consumer base comprised
mainly of affluent consumers in major cities. Sales are continuing to grow, fuelled by the
expansion of the urban middle class and the related erosion of traditional lifestyles and
consumption patterns. Increasingly busy urban lifestyles, characterised by long working hours
and hectic social lives, generated demand for meal solutions that require minimal time and effort
for much of the review period. However, only urban middle class consumers have the
purchasing power to pay the relatively high prices commanded by ready meals.

RECOVERY AND OPPORTUNITIES

Sales will continue to be hindered by low female employment

Ready meals is expected to remain an insignificant niche in Pakistan in the forecast period.
One factor that will hinder the expansion of sales is the low rate of female employment in
Pakistan. Higher levels of employment for women tend to place greater demands on household
time while also boosting purchasing power, thereby generating increased demand for
convenient meal solutions such as ready meals. However, female employment rates remain
very low in Pakistan and are not expected to increase rapidly in the forecast period. There will
thus remain little demand for ready meals in most households, particularly as the more affluent
consumers who comprise the potential consumer base for ready meals generally also employ
domestic staff.

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Urbanisation will support sales growth from low base

While sales are expected to remain insignificant in the forecast period, growth will be
supported by an expanding consumer base as a result of ongoing urbanisation. Moving to a city
often cuts consumers’ ties with traditional habits and diets, while also resulting in busier
lifestyles, promotes the emergence of an affluent middle class and encourages the development
of modern grocery retailers. These are all factors that will support sales growth in ready meals in
the forecast period.

New entrants likely to tap into expanding niche

There are expected to be many new entrants to ready meals in the forecast period, while
stronger competition is likely to lead to increasing differentiation. Product innovation and
marketing will play an important part in driving growth in ready meals over the forecast period.
Growing demand will attract increasing attention from manufacturers, while the development of
modern grocery retailers will facilitate distribution.

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