Frozen Is the New Fresh: Why Shoppers Are Rethinking the Freezer Aisle

“Frozen is the new fresh” might be a bold claim, but the numbers back it up.

In 2025:

• The frozen food aisle hit $8.3 billion in retail sales in January alone.
• Private-label frozen foods jumped 3.8% in the first half of the year.

According to research, 63% of shoppers stock up on frozen food during sales or uncertainty, and 39% say they buy more frozen food specifically because it lasts longer. Gen Z even calls frozen stockpiling an “inflation-proof hack.”

The bottom line: This isn’t a temporary spike — frozen is now a staple category, and your store operations need to catch up.

The Trend Behind the Numbers

Inflation is rife, and buying fresh has become a luxury, making frozen the practical choice for many Americans. Frozen food has a longer shelf life, and instead of getting lost in the back of refrigerators, it lasts for months (even years).

A head of lettuce that was $1.99 three years ago now runs $3.49, and it's only good for five days. Compare that to a $2.79 bag of frozen vegetables that lasts six months. Your customers did the math, and they're voting with their carts.

Related Read: Food Retail Trends Every Grocer Should Know [Updated for 2026]

Another trend is frozen meals. They’re not full of preservatives and additives anymore — brands now create full meals that feed families. An $8.99 Stouffer's lasagna feeds a family of four for under $10. That same meal at a restaurant runs $45–$60 after tax and a tip!

These trends aren’t slowing down, especially as younger shoppers see the benefits of buying frozen.

What Does This Mean for Your Grocery Store?

Trends are all well and good, but they come with potential drawbacks.

The Problem With the Frozen Aisle

One problem with the frozen trend is that shoppers don’t browse your grocery aisle — they grab and go.

Consumers describe the frozen aisle as "cold, white, dull, boring metal." They walk in with a list, grab what they need, and leave as fast as possible. They're not browsing and discovering new products. They also don’t make impulse purchases.

Because they’re not spending time in the aisle, they may not realize what else is there, including new products, international flavors, and better-for-you options.

The Frozen Aisle Isn’t Appealing

You could sell even more products if your shoppers actually spent more time in the frozen aisle.

Better merchandising might help. 25% of shoppers say better merchandising would encourage them to buy more frozen items. Instead, frozen aisles all look the same: glass doors, hard-to-read labels, and not inviting enough to make customers browse.

Related Read: Grocery Store Merchandising: How To Display Your Products for Maximum Sales

There's also data that shows some frozen categories have grown in space, but that hasn't led to performance improvements. In other words, many grocers expanded their frozen sections, but sales per square foot actually dropped.

You need customers to discover what you sell.

Grocers Face Unique Challenges

The frozen aisle has looked the same for decades. New products are available, but it’s hard to make them stand out or look appealing. Here’s why:

• Signage matters more in the frozen aisle than anywhere else. Customers struggle to see through frosted doors, and they can't browse by looking. You need clear signs telling them what's there, including international flavors, premium brands, and quick dinners.
• Pack sizes are pushing shoppers away. Almost 35% of shoppers say smaller pack sizes would encourage them to buy more frozen food. Most frozen food comes in family-size packs, which puts off single shoppers and smaller households. 
• The cold factor is real. It might seem obvious, but shoppers don't want to stand in a cold aisle longer than they need to. They grab what they know and leave. This means they don't impulse-buy, they don't discover new products, and they don't browse your selection. 
• Brand competition is intense. CPG (consumer packaged goods) brands all fight for limited freezer shelf space. On top of that, private label is growing, so you're stocking more variety, but it doesn't mean you're selling more. 

You can overcome these challenges by looking at your point of sale (POS) data and making informed stocking decisions.

What Actually Drives Frozen Sales?

The first step is to track what's selling. You can pull sales reports from the past 90 days to see which SKUs drive the most sales. If you have 40 frozen entrée SKUs and only 10 sell well, the slow movers are taking up freezer space, tying up cash, and costing you in energy bills.

Here’s how to combat this:

• Cut the dead weight. Free up space for your bestsellers and double-stock items that customers actively look for.
• Make your frozen section browsable. You could experiment with breaking frozen out of the main aisle. For example, put a small freezer with frozen breakfast items near coffee, put Texas Toast near pasta and sauce, or put frozen appetizers on an endcap where customers can see them without walking down the cold aisle.
• Use signage to draw attention. Highlight specialty items, such as gluten-free and organic options, quick dinners (main and a side), and buy one, get one (BOGO) offers. Show customers what's there and encourage them to explore.
• Use eye-level space strategically. Dig into your data, and answer the following questions: Which products deserve premium real estate? High-volume items? High-margin private label items? Or new items you're testing?

Make these decisions based on data.

Where Your Grocery POS Comes In

If you track frozen sales in spreadsheets, you're missing a trick. Once you're managing dozens of frozen SKUs and trying to figure out which ones are worth a freezer space, you need a POS system.

With a grocery-specific POS, you can:

• Track sales by SKU. Your POS shows you which frozen items actually sell. One glance at a report tells you which SKUs deserve premium freezer space and which ones tie up cash without generating sales.
• Make reorder decisions based on data. It's much easier to place your frozen order when you know exactly what sold last week, what's on hand, and what you need to maintain stock. You shouldn't be guessing whether you need two cases or three. 
• Schedule promotions in advance. Plan promotions based on data rather than guessing. And with a POS system that automatically applies discounts at checkout, you won’t have to train cashiers on what’s on sale.
• Track which promotions actually work. You’ll know whether frozen meal deals increase sales or if BOGO offers don’t move the needle. Run promotions that make sense for your store.

Grocery POS systems are well-equipped to help you make the most of the frozen renaissance.

Frozen Is the New Fresh: Don’t Miss Out

Frozen sales hit record numbers because consumers changed how they shop. They realized frozen food offers just as much nutritional value as fresh food, it's cheaper, and it creates less waste. 

To make the most of this opportunity, your frozen sections need to be set up for browsing, discovery, and impulse purchases. 

And your POS system can help you do just that. IT Retail is a grocery-specific POS designed for stores that want to grow. With IT Retail, you can:

• Price your products and print labels directly from your POS.
• Monitor what's running low, check on promotions, and keep tabs on shrinkage.
• Track your bestsellers and cut the dead weight.

…and more.

Want to see how we can help you make the most of the frozen boom? Schedule a demo today.