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Key Takeaways
- Stouffer’s is launching a premium boxed macaroni and cheese to compete with Kraft Heinz, which dominates sales of the favorite dish.
- The average American consumes mac and cheese 22 times a year, second only to pizza, according to Nestle, parent of the Stouffer’s brand.
- Stouffer’s Supreme Shells & Cheese will be available in two flavors, cheddar and three-cheese, and will start rolling out on Amazon.com and in select stores this month.
Stouffer’s is coming after Kraft Heinz’s (KHC) dominance in the boxed mac and cheese category.
Known for its frozen food offerings, the Nestle-owned brand unveiled Stouffer’s Supreme Shells & Cheese on Monday. The shelf-stable product will be available this month in two flavors, cheddar and three-cheese, on Amazon.com (AMZN) and at select national retailers for a price of $3.99 for a 12-ounce box, Nestle said. It will continue to roll out nationwide in 2025.
Packaged Mac-and-Cheese a $2.9 Billion Market
The shelf-stable mac-and-cheese category is a $2.9 billion market, according to CNBC, with the average American consuming the dish 22 times a year, behind only pizza in frequency, per Tom Moe, president of Nestle Meals Division, CNBC reported.
Mac and cheese has long been dominated by Kraft Heinz, and is a $1.7 billion business for the company, its chief financial officer (CEO), Andre Maciel, said at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference earlier this month.