What was once often known as TV dinners that includes meals that had been edible however bland at the moment are referred to as prepared meals and they’re something however tasteless. As a substitute, these prepared meals are largely appetising and flavourful and save customers plenty of effort and time. 

The demand for prepared meals is not only a Western factor. In Vietnam, the rise of comfort shops like FamilyMart, Circle Okay, GS 25, and Ministop cater to city customers who need ready-to-eat meals.  These shops rely closely on high-traffic places and on-the-go consumption and often supply a modest choice of ready meals (which will be heated in a microwave) and drinks. 

These elements are what make it handy for customers, who’re both professionals or college students, to only drop by a comfort retailer and select what to purchase for lunch or dinner as a substitute of truly cooking a meal, a course of that entails procuring and meals prep.

In September 2022, 57% of 1,000 customers surveyed in Vietnam (from 54% in September 2021) mentioned they had been on the lookout for meals that’s straightforward to organize or simply must be heated within the microwave. Vietnam is taken into account a powerful marketplace for prepared meals, with 85% of Vietnamese customers saying they search for issues that make their life simpler.

Vietnamese meals remains to be a favorite within the prepared meals market even when curiosity in meals from Japan and Korea is rising. With 71% of these surveyed agreeing that as a result of meals is the principle approach to connect with their tradition/heritage, prepared meals is usually a strategy to protect the tradition via native delicacies. With 74% of Vietnamese saying they eat their primary meal of the day alone. Cooking for one particular person is much more difficult due to the portion. 

The World Financial institution mentioned Vietnam’s financial system will develop by 7.5% in 2022 and the nation’s prepared meal sector is rising steadily with many avenues for enchancment and additional progress.

Whereas those that purchase prepared meals from comfort shops and supermarkets additionally go for Western fare, equivalent to sandwiches, pasta, and salads, 71% of Vietnamese individuals mentioned meals is a approach to connect with their tradition/heritage. Prepared meals is usually a strategy to protect the nation’s tradition and heritage via native delicacies in fashionable instances. Among the many prepared meals that may be present in Vietnamese comfort shops and supermarkets are the normal Vietnamese sandwich bánh mì and contemporary noodles with a selection of spices and condiments.

The Vietnamese love contemporary herbs and greens and there may be all the time one thing leafy and crunchy on the desk throughout each meal, be it bean sprouts or kohlrabi, a vegetable from the cabbage household. These greens and herbs will be included in prepared meals like goi cuon (spring rolls), nộm đu đủ: (salad made with thinly sliced inexperienced papaya, carrots, many peanuts, sesame seeds, basil, and coriander), and bánh mì.

Whereas the Vietnamese are on the lookout for prepared meals that they’ll simply warmth within the microwave, 31% of Vietnamese customers want to purchase extra merchandise that pace up meal preparation. What would possible work on this market, the place most individuals eat alone both by selection or circumstance, is to supply packs the place the components, together with condiments, are already pre-chopped and measured. That approach, all the patron must do is warmth the pan, drop the components, and anticipate the dish to prepare dinner.

Shoppers on the lookout for handy meals post-pandemic will drive demand for prepared meals. Manufacturers can take a lesson from Vietnam’s prepared meal market in providing more healthy prepared meals along with comfort, particularly with the expansion in comfort shops throughout each markets. Manufacturers that provide prepared meals impressed by native delicacies will attraction to customers who join with their tradition via meals.