Consumers are sourcing prepared meals from a wider range of retail foodservice operations than they were two years ago, many times at the expense of restaurants.
This information comes from a survey conduced by Technomic, a food industry consulting and research firm, which was included in its Retailer Meal Solutions Consumer Trend Report.
Technomic reports that traditional supermarkets, convenience stores, and mass merchandisers have been able to grow their share of the food-away-from-home market as they expand their foodservice platforms and build upon consumer desire for convenience, quality, and variety of offerings in retail locations.
“Retailers benefit from the fact that consumers are already visiting them for other purchases,” says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic. “If retailers can offer a foodservice option that rivals that of restaurants in terms of quality, freshness, and variety, they can build on the advantage they inherently enjoy when it comes to convenience.”
Technomic’s Retailer Meal Solutions Consumer Trend Report was designed to help restaurant operators, manufacturers, and retailers stay on top of evolving consumer attitudes and preferences with regard to retailer meal solutions.
