Three traits of the future food-to-go consumer
Research suggests that demand for healthier options will continue to grow.
Latest research from IGD suggests that a wealth of new opportunities for categories and products is present due to the changing behaviour of consumers.
According to the research firm, here are the three traits of what they call the “future food-to-go consumer”:
1. Changing the way we eat
People are focusing more on fitting food around their lifestyles, rather than vice versa. And operators are responding. For example, food-to-go specialists have been providing more gym and protein boxes over the past year. We expect both niche and mainstream operators to concentrate more on this during 2018.
2. Health considerations will be more important
We’re seeing growth in healthier food-to-go ranges. In the UK for instance, Pret’s opened many customers’ minds to vegetarian lunches and breakfasts. Free from options are becoming core features in ranges. Our shopper research shows demand for wider vegetarian and free-from ranges. Nearly a third (30%) of food-to-go consumers seek more vegetarian options, 22% want more dairy-free and 20% desire larger gluten-free ranges. It’ll be key for retailers to make healthy options easy to find, even with this interest. We’ve seen that when grabbing food on the go, people often revert to the easiest option. So, if finding something healthy requires special effort they’re less likely to do it.
3. Food-to-go on more occasions
Shoppers aren’t always consuming food-to-go immediately, it’s also becoming food for later. Many are buying food-to-go products as part or all of an evening meal. They’re also looking for hot options; these feature in nearly half of food-to-go evening meal purchases. Plus, shoppers buying food-to-go in the evening spend significantly more than for other missions. This could present an opportunity for suppliers to develop more premium products.
(Photo credit: Pret A Manger Facebook page)
