A strong year-round seller, the canned tomatoes category has surpassed $1.1 billion in annual volume and is one of the fastest-growing center-store categories of all. Interestingly, as the recession has worn on, more shoppers have bought in the category and experienced users have bought more often. As they expand their cooking repertoire, the past year’s percentage growth rates of crushed, stewed, whole and puree have been higher than those of diced, sauce and paste segments.

Seasonality doesn’t seem to be a major issue in the category because shoppers often pantry load for future use and whenever a promotional opportunity presents a great price. Most product forms are used in the preparation of hot dishes, so actual consumption in the warmer months might be less.

Canned tomatoes users are deliberate meal planners. Recipes encourage people to migrate from meals they’re familiar with to new tastes for their families, trying different cuisines and more of the category’s seven product forms. Using recipes as their guides, experienced cooks already know what they want 80% of the time they approach the category shelf.

The payoff of recipes is big. People who buy canned tomatoes for planned meals at home spend $83.75 on average when the category is in the cart, says NPD Group. Take-one recipe cards at the shelf can inspire multiple buys, especially during store-based promotions and Hunt’s coupon drops. Recipes on retail websites and on www.startmakingchoices.com give shoppers a chance to plan category and companion purchases for their next store trips.

The versatility of canned tomatoes propels shoppers throughout the store because they go well with meats, seafood, other high-protein sources, vegetables, pastas, salsa and more.

With the help of Hunt’s—the only brand in all seven segments and the growth leader in six of them—retailers can play a crucial role in helping new shoppers understand the best ways different varieties can go with different cuisines and dishes.

People 40 and older who view cooking as an expression of their creativity, caring and love drive this category. These are primarily female chief household shoppers who compile their own shopping lists and ask their families what they want to eat.