Consumer Trends
Consumer trends, insights and preferences
Consumer Trends
Consumers expect same prices for healthier alternatives
Though many Americans understand the importance of eating healthfully, the majority of consumers expect to pay no more for healthier items than they would for other menu options. Fully 70% of adults over 50 (a group that typically expresses more interest in healthy eating than their younger counterparts) said they would not pay an additional fee for healthier items.
Consumer Trends
2012 trend book: Beverages
You don’t need a crystal ball to advise you that beverages will play an important role in 2012. Harder to predict is where to focus your efforts and investments in the broad beverage arena. Here are a few nascent drink trends that according to the experts are poised to gain traction in the year ahead.
Dinner business has seen better days. According to a recent Technomic survey, in the last year, 40% of consumers have significantly cut back on away-from-home dinner purchases because they have less money to spend on dining out. When weighing options, consumers look for value-based operations that offer ways to save money while still providing a quality meal.
Restaurant dinner checks may be shrinking, along with patrons’ wallets, but morning people are putting their money where there mouths are. According to The Breakfast Consumer Trend Report published by Technomic, convenience is motivating consumers to trade at-home breakfast occasions for away-from-home purchases.
Consumers' perception of what is considered healthy eating at restaurants is changing. Patrons are taking more of a balanced and personal approach; they're seeking out better-for-you foods offset by occasional indulgences. And health-halo claims like "local," "natural," "organic," "sustainable," "whole-wheat" and "free-range" are increasingly driving food choices, according to Technomic's Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report.