Food-to-go is an increasingly attractive growth opportunity, says research

According to a new market assessment by IGD RetailAnalysis, more food-to-go (FTG) options have emerged in more locations, and many different operators have looked to capture a share of the market.

The UK food-to-go market assessment split the market into five distinct segments: food-to-go specialists like Greggs and Pret A Manger, coffee chains such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee, Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) like McDonalds and KFC, supermarkets & hypermarkets and convenience & forecourt stores.

"We’re seeing significant growth across all of these segments, and across the market, current annual growth of over 6% is attracting interest from a wide range of suppliers, retailers and foodservice operators. Looking forward, the impacts of the recent UK referendum are still impossible to predict, but assuming a favourable Brexit outcome, we see the market growing by as much as 6% per year over the next five years, comparing well with our forecasts for the broader grocery market of under 2%," the report said.

The report highlighted key things when considering the FTG market:

1. Understand the proposition for every potential customer
2. Show your ability to drive differentiation and innovation
3. Understand the mission
4. Understand the shopper

Click here to read the full assessment.