JACKSONVILLE, Fla. and CHICAGO — Across the U.S., 85 percent of diners decide what to eat for dinner the same day the meal occurs, so it may not come as a surprise that compared to 2015, convenient meal solutions grew across almost every category and generation. Research released today in the 4th edition of The Why? Behind The Dine™ from Acosta, a leading full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, and Technomic, a fact-based research and consulting firm in the food industry, explores the most recent dining developments and motivators that are changing the way diners engage with foodservice.
"Whether it's enjoying a family dinner out or picking up carry-out food, diners are seeking convenient, healthy options for themselves and their families," said Colin Stewart, Senior Vice President at Acosta. "We are seeing more diners take advantage of the seemingly endless array of meal solutions, be it a quick trip through the drive-thru, grocery prepared foods, lunch from a food truck, or preparing dinner using a meal/ingredient kit.
Acosta and Technomic's The Why? Behind The Dine™ presents a comprehensive overview of dining habits across generations and key segments. Highlights from the report include:
Convenient Eats
- Delivery food continues to be a popular meal solution for diners. In the three months leading up to the survey, 51 percent of total U.S. diners and 77 percent of Millennial diners reported ordering delivery food.
- Pizza isn't the only food diners want delivered. Diners surveyed expressed interest in everything from hamburgers (28 percent), chicken wings (27 percent) and Mexican fare (21 percent), to barbecue (14 percent) and desserts (11 percent).
- In 2015, only eight percent of U.S. diners indicated they had ordered a meal/ingredient kit online. That figure increased by 10 percentage points to 18 percent of total U.S. diners by 2017, with more diners with kids and Millennial diners engaging with this option.
Welcoming Gen Z to the Table
- Gen Z diners are already outpacing Boomer and Silent diners in reported monthly spending on food prepared outside the home.
- Fifty-eight percent of Gen Z diners agreed they use the internet to find the best restaurant deals, the most of any generation.
- Nearly 70 percent of Gen Z diners agreed they like it when they have restaurant leftovers for another meal.
Dining Out All Stars: Diners with Kids
- Diners with kids reported their monthly spending on food prepared outside the home was more than twice that of diners without kids ($208 versus $95).
- Healthier options continue to be important among diners with kids, with 46 percent eating more salads at restaurants over the past year, and 43 percent eating more restaurant meals with locally sourced ingredients.
- Diners with kids are plugged in while dining out. Twenty-eight percent connect to Wi-Fi on their personal mobile device while at a restaurant.
The 4th edition of The Why? Behind The Dine™ study was fielded in November 2017 in partnership with Technomic Inc., using a random sample of 1,500 U.S. diners. To access the full report, click here.
About Acosta
Acosta is the sales and marketing powerhouse behind most of the trusted brands seen in stores every day. The company provides a range of outsourced sales, marketing and retail merchandising services throughout the U.S. and Canada. For 90 years, Acosta has led the industry in helping consumer packaged goods companies move products off shelves and into shoppers' baskets. For more information, please visit www.acosta.com.
About Technomic Inc.
Technomic Inc., a Winsight company, delivers a 360-degree view of the food industry. It impacts growth and profitability for clients by providing consumer-grounded vision and channel-relevant strategic insights. Its services range from major research studies and management consulting solutions to online databases and simple fact-finding assignments. Its clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants and retailers, other foodservice organizations, and various institutions aligned with the food industry. Visit Technomic at www.technomic.com.
Source: Acosta
