KUALA LUMPUR - ASIATODAY.COM - The fact that Malaysian consumers are apparently attempting more healthy home cooked meals to improve their daily lifestyle is a sure sign of an increasingly health conscious society evolving towards improving living standards. More consumers in the country are buying deep fryers that require low oil—even though these models may cost up to four times more than the traditional deep fryers which require more oil to cook.
GfK tracks retail sales of deep fryers under small domestic appliances, where the product showed a healthy 14 percent growth in the last 12 months compared to the same period a year ago. Deep fryer is further segmented into three categories—deep fryer that uses much oil, low oil and no oil. In the past year, consumers in Malaysia spent nearly USD 2.3 million on 9,800 deep fryers.
“Rising affluence has played a significant role in the increasing rate of obesity in the country, which is becoming a growing issue in the country,” noted Selinna Chin, Managing Director for GfK in Malaysia. “One of the main causes of this is largely the unhealthy diet of locals due to consuming too much popular local food, which often tend to be fried and oily, as well as fast foods,” she highlighted.
The good news is latest findings from GfK revealed a surge in take up of deep fryers that use low amount of oil, while at the same time a lower demand for those which requires more oil—signifying a rise in consumers’ efforts to use more wholesome cooking methods for their home cooked meals. In the last 12 months, volume share of low oil deep fryers grew by 14 percent, while normal deep fryers declined correspondingly by the same level.
“These newer models of deep fryers are popular with those who love their fried foods as they are able to provide similar cooking effect, minus the grease, guilt and cholesterol,” commented Chin. “In addition, deep fryers using low oil come equipped with more useful functions than the traditional fryer, enabling consumers to air-fry, grill, toast, roast and even air-bake.”
However, such additional features also come at a premium price. According to GfK reports, the average price of deep fryer with low oil, at USD 325, is more than four times that of the normal deep fryer (USD 79), and twice as costly as without oil (USD154) models.
In spite of the fact that it is the most expensive range, the low oil segment saw the highest growth, garnering 43 and 34 percent growth in volume and value; generating over USD 2 million in revenue from nearly 7,000 units sold. In the past year, there were 25 low oil models in the Malaysian market to cater to the strong local demand.
“The hectic lifestyles of consumers these days have made it even more important that cooking processes are simplified with appliances that are efficient and easy to use,” said Chin. “We are likely to see continued demand for this multi-purpose kitchen gadget as today’s busy and healthy conscious consumers place high importance in convenience and health in their daily life,” Chin concluded.
Seraphina Wee
Manager, PR & Communications
GfK | One George Street #22-02 | Singapore 049145
T +65 6826 8622 | M: +65 9385 0222
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