Consumer Trends
Consumer trends, insights and preferences
Consumer Trends
From the RB editors: A wish list for 2018
If we had our say, here are the trends that would vanish this year.
Consumer Trends
4 reasons vegetables are hot right now
Four ways consumers are driving the veggie trend on restaurant menus.
Shoppers are continuing to buy products that are sustainable and eco-conscious, but few are familiar with the meanings of the terms on the packaging. Though words like “recycled” or “eco-friendly” are common to consumers, newer terms like “fair trade” or “wind powered” are more difficult for them to define.
When large restaurant companies implement sustainability policies, customers seem to react in a contrary way—and their evaluation of those companies may actually diminish. In a new study from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research, researchers Michael Giebelhausen and Helen Chun conducted two experiments to examine this contrary behavior.
Sandwiches are the cornerstone of lunch and dinner menus at both limited- and full-service restaurants, where they are offered more than any other entrée. More consumers report purchasing sandwiches away from home today vs. just two years ago, due in large part to operators' innovative responses to consumer demands for lower prices, greater variety, fresher fare, flexible portions and healthier items.
Combined, the Hispanic and Asian communities now make up 22% of the U.S. population—a statistic that is having a huge impact on Americans' eating habits. Add to that the large number of additional Americans who embrace change and multicultural influences, and the result is a majority who seek out and appreciate authentic and flavor-forward global foods.