HEINZ is entering Canada’s ready-to-eat soup market with six varieties packaged in portable bags, marking the brand’s first move into the category in Canada and introducing a format that Kraft Heinz Canada says is new to the country’s major soup brands.
The HEINZ Soup Collection has rolled out nationwide, offering an alternative to traditional canned soup as the company expands its product portfolio beyond its existing canned tomato soup.
The launch also represents the first time a major brand has introduced ready-to-eat soup in a bag to Canadian consumers, according to the company. More than 80 per cent of ready-to-eat and condensed soup in Canada is still sold in cans, based on market data cited by Kraft Heinz Canada.
Six varieties target demand for convenience
The collection includes Homestyle Chicken Noodle, Thai Style Chicken Coconut Curry, Hearty Tomato and White Bean, Cheesy Potato, Rich Mushroom and Curry Butternut Squash. The products are made with vegetables and are designed to offer a range of flavours and textures in a ready-to-eat format.
The bags are designed to be easy to open and do not require a can opener or additional ingredients, according to the company. Kraft Heinz Canada is positioning the products for occasions such as workday lunches, busy routines and meals on the go.
The launch comes as the company points to the size of the Canadian soup market, with 76 per cent of Canadians purchasing soup, according to NielsenIQ Homescan data cited by the brand.
“Canadians know HEINZ for making everyday foods better, and we see an opportunity to bring that same standard to more parts of the grocery store,” said Kelly Fleming, Chief Marketing Officer, Kraft Heinz Canada. “Soup is a category Canadians already love, but one that we believe is ready for something new. We’ve paired carefully crafted recipes with a more convenient format to deliver a satisfying, ready-to-eat option for the aisle.”
Expansion beyond existing soup products
The collection expands HEINZ’s soup offering, adding six ready-to-eat soup products and a new packaging format to the brand’s Canadian portfolio.
The company says the products are intended to provide an alternative for consumers seeking flavours and textures associated with homemade or restaurant-style soups without having to prepare them from scratch. The launch combines the convenience of a ready-to-eat product with recipes that extend beyond traditional soup offerings.
Kraft Heinz Canada’s broader portfolio
Kraft Heinz Canada traces its history to 1903, when James Lewis Kraft began selling cheese from a horse-drawn wagon in Stevensville, Ont. Heinz Canada was established in Leamington, Ont., in 1909, initially selling pickles sourced from local growers.
Following the 2015 merger of Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz Company, Kraft Heinz Canada became a subsidiary of the newly formed Kraft Heinz Company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol KHC.
The company describes itself as Canada’s second-largest food and beverage company, with products including Kraft Peanut Butter, Heinz Ketchup, KD, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Renée’s Dressing, Jell-O, Classico, Kool-Aid and Maxwell House. Its products are found in more than 97 per cent of Canadian households, according to the company.
Kraft Heinz Canada also identifies community initiatives, including Kraft Heinz Project Play and Kraft Hockeyville, as part of its local activities, alongside Kraft Heinz Project Pantry, which supports food banks across Canada.
In an interview with Retail Insider, Fleming spoke about the initiative.
What consumer research or market trends led Kraft Heinz Canada to believe Canadian shoppers are ready for a new ready-to-eat soup format, and what gap in the existing soup aisle are you looking to fill?
Canadians are looking for more from everyday meals—richer flavours, heartier textures and convenient options that fit busy routines. When it comes to soup, we saw a clear opportunity to modernize the aisle and bring something different. Canadians want the rich flavours and hearty textures they associate with homemade or restaurant-style soup, but they don’t always have the time or effort to make it from scratch. HEINZ Soup is designed to close that gap – delivering an elevated ready-to-eat soup experience without the time or effort required to make soup from scratch.
Why did Kraft Heinz choose a portable bag for the HEINZ Soup Collection, and what were the biggest challenges involved in developing and scaling soup in this format?
With more than 80 per cent of ready-to-eat and condensed soups still sold in a can, we wanted to give Canadians a fresh alternative and a convenient substitute that better fits busy schedules and on-the-go moments without needing a can opener or extra ingredients. The team worked hard to develop a recipe that delivered on the expected taste and texture while also ensuring that the new innovative format was easy to understand and intuitive to use.
How significant do you expect the HEINZ Soup Collection to become within Kraft Heinz Canada’s overall soup business, and what are your expectations for sales and market share in the first year?
We see the HEINZ Soup Collection as a meaningful step forward for our soup business in Canada because it’s designed to recruit and re-engage shoppers who want a more elevated, ready-to-eat soup experience that fits busy, on-the-go routines. That said, it’s still early, and our focus in year one is on building awareness, driving trial, and earning repeat—making sure the product and the portable bag format are clearly understood and deliver on taste and texture expectations.
How will the six recipes be positioned and priced relative to existing canned, carton and other ready-to-eat soup offerings, and which consumer segments are you specifically targeting?
HEINZ Soup is competitively positioned within the category, offering an elevated ready-to-eat experience for Canadians looking for rich flavours, hearty textures and everyday convenience.
Each flavour we designed features a Heinz twist on comforting classics our consumers know and love and are made with wholesome vegetables to offer restaurant quality flavour and hearty textures.
Will the launch remain exclusive to Canada, and if the collection performs well, do you anticipate expanding the range, introducing additional formats or bringing the concept to other markets?
While HEINZ has a presence in the soup category in other markets, this specific HEINZ Soup collection is exclusive to Canada. It’s too early to confirm what might come next, but we’re excited for Canadians to be the first to enjoy it and will continue to assess future opportunities.
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