Category Analysis: Soups Merchandising
Comforting, convenient and nutritious, soup is a staple in a US market valued at approximately $18 billion in 2026, according to online media sources.
“Consumers are looking for convenient, protein-forward, balanced meal solutions, and refrigerated soup is well positioned to meet that need,” said Bob Sewall, Chief Customer Officer & Executive Vice President of Blount Fine Foods. “Growth will also come from giving retailers a stronger refrigerated deli set that combines convenience, comfort, and protein-forward options. Blount’s portfolio brings together Blount’s Family Kitchen comfort-inspired offerings and Blount Clam Shack seafood favorites such as New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Bisque.”
“Competition is very high for retail tub soups, as well as hot soup programs,” reported Mary Shepard, Director of Sales and Partner for Stockpot Soups and Fortun Foods. “As with any product, there are differences in quality ingredients. Stockpot stands out because we are fresh, not frozen. Freezing can affect the integrity of the vegetables, as well as dilute the flavors that make up the broth. Stockpot uses a Quality Start-Quality Finish cooking procedure. We use our own proprietary stocks and bases; every quality step is essential. Just like scratch cooking, but with the highest food safety behind it.”
“Soup remains one of the most comforting, versatile meals in the deli, and shoppers are looking for choices that feel fresh, flavorful and substantial,” summed up Sewall.
While more consumers are eating at home, they still want restaurant-quality food. Today’s soup brands are delivering functional and fresh options.
Ivar’s Soup Company is known for its small-batch chowders and soups. While its restaurant locations are only in Washington, Ivar’s Soup Company supplies soup to restaurants and grocery stores nationwide.
“The most expensive protein in the market today is seafood,” Bob Donegan, Ivar’s President, reported to the press. “You have to have a long-term commitment to seafood, and you have to be in markets where people like to have seafood, if you want to be successful.”
The company prides itself on its sustainable practices—sourcing vegetables and dairy from local Washington farmers. The company does not use Chinook salmon from the Salish Sea because they are the primary food of the Southern Resident orca whales. Ivar’s purchases all of its salmon from Alaska, whose state constitution requires that fisheries be maintained sustainably.
Stockpot Soups knows how to lure customers with retail merchandising. “Today consumers are looking for simple, clean, easy-to-read packaging. As far as soup merchandising for hot soup in delis, there need to be visual displays outside of the deli department. Lure the consumer with mouthwatering pictures of various soups. People come into a store hungry; entice them to the deli for a quick hot soup ready to go. We provide beautiful menu cards with pictures of the soup and nutritional information for each flavor. People eat and choose with their eyes—just a name of a soup is not going to cut it,” explained Shepard of Stockpot Soups.
She continued, explaining what drives soup purchases: “Unique flavors, like Lentil & Sweet Sausage with spinach & fennel or Sweet Potato & Kale with coconut milk & curry (plant-based). However, comfort flavors are still the 80/20 rule. A great Tomato Basil or Broccoli & Cheese will always be the best sellers. It brings you back to your childhood. That will never go away.”
For Blount Fine Foods, reaching new consumers is about both assortment and packaging.
“Blount’s Family Kitchen includes trusted favorites while also introducing trend-forward varieties aimed at younger shoppers, such as Lasagna Soup with Italian Sausage, Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup, Chicken Pot Pie Soup, and Organic Coconut Lentil Soup,” said Sewall. “We are also responding to broader consumer behaviors, including demand for convenient meal solutions, protein and satiety, minimally processed foods, and healthier food-away-from-home alternatives. In addition, GLP-1 users are helping broaden category adoption by bringing more households into refrigerated soup. Overall, refrigerated meals, including soup, drive incremental category growth by converting restaurant meal occasions, as consumers increasingly turn to refrigerated prepared foods as convenient alternatives to quick-service and fast-casual dining.”
As category leaders look ahead to challenges and opportunities, Shepard had this to share: “Stockpot is the original Fresh Soup Company. Merchandising the story of fresh versus frozen can be challenging. Our competitors freeze their retail soup tubs and slack them out as fresh on the shelf—consumers do not know that. It is challenging for a true fresh soup company—we absolutely are confident our fresh taste will set us apart.”
Sewall of Blount Fine Foods remarked, “The refrigerated soup category is evolving from a seasonal comfort-food purchase into a year-round meal solution that sits at the intersection of several powerful consumer trends: freshness, convenience, protein, and quality. Refrigerated soup continues to gain momentum as shoppers seek foods that are satisfying, minimally processed, and easy to incorporate into busy lifestyles.”
From comforting classics to fresh flavors, soup brands are finding new ways to keep the category relevant year-round.
