Ketchup is the king of condiments in the U.S., and Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Holdings announced plans to acquire the biggest name in the business last week, thanks to their $23 billion H.J. Heinz Co. deal. Berkshire's Warren Buffett and 3G's Jorge Paulo Lemann chose a household name in Heinz, and ketchup usage stats from 2012 show why.
Heinz had a 57.5% household usage rate in the U.S. last year, according to data compiled by Packaged Facts and based on a consumer survey by Experian Simmons. That represents a dramatic lead over its closest competitor Hunt's, who grabbed a 28.3% usage rate. Here's how Heinz and Hunt's stacked up on the survey ranked compared to the rest of the market:
- HEINZ—57.5%
- HUNT'S—28.3%
- STORE BRAND—11.3%
- DEL MONTE—9.4%
- OTHER BRANDS—4.4%
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