Nestlé, Kellogg’s, Tyson Foods and Gorton’s Seafood are among the food companies jumping on the airfryer boom to appeal to consumers. With inflation falling and retailers putting pressure on suppliers to stop raising prices, food companies will have to look elsewhere for growth. According to Nestle’s Adam Graves, nearly 60% of his households in the US own a fryer.
US consumers will spend about $1 billion on air fryer purchases in 2022, a 51% increase from 2019, according to market research firm NPD Group.
Sales of this cookware have skyrocketed since 2017, and gained even more momentum early in the pandemic as people started cooking more at home.
And now, with more employees returning to the office and spending less time in the kitchen, consumers are increasingly turning to portable convection ovens.
Sales surged early in the pandemic. Double-digit price increases continue to drive sales for food manufacturers as consumers ditch eating out and cooking at home. But as shoppers’ grocery bills skyrocketed in his 2022, they were instead buying cheaper options, resulting in lower volumes.
With inflation falling and retailers putting pressure on suppliers to stop raising prices, food companies will have to look elsewhere for growth.
Adam Graves, president of Nestlé’s pizza and snacks business in the United States, said Nestlé is embracing its air fryer boom with its frozen food brands, especially to offer added value to its customers.
Tyson Foods jumped on the trend relatively early, launching the Airfly line in 2019. Products from chicken strips to his latest Parmesan Seasoned Chicken Bites are 75% less fat than his. Colleen Hall, senior marketing director for the Tyson brand, said the line has reached about $100 million in retail sales. Tyson also went a third way by adding air fryer instructions to frozen ready-to-eat packages.
Gorton’s Seafood, a fish finger maker, increasing the use of air frying is a way to retain customers it has won during the pandemic lockdown.
The Nissui-owned company has jumped on the trend by posting an air fryer cooking guide on its website, then added instructions to the package. In January, fried butterfly shrimp and fried fish fillets were introduced.
Gorton’s Seafood’s new butterfly shrimp and fish fillets were air-fried before packaging, but consumers can reheat the seafood by re-air-frying. The product package advertises that it has 50% less fat.
Nestle has gone even further, targeting consumers who haven’t yet bought an air fryer. In December, it partnered with Insta Brands, the maker of the Insta Pot and its own version of the air fryer, to give away the appliance. It ran a similar giveaway internally at Nestle U.S. for its employees.
