The findings come from Technomic's “POP: Parties Off Premise” study, a detailed evaluation of consumer catering opportunities for restaurants and food retailers. From box lunches and party platters to parties complete with off-site food preparation, catering is one of the strongest segments of the foodservice industry and appears somewhat immune from recessionary spending cut-backs, according to Technomic.
Related findings include:
• Over the next year, 40 percent of consumers expect to entertain at home more often, in order to socialize with friends and family.
• In terms of sourcing food for these occasions, restaurant usage is comparable to the use of retailers (68 percent and 69 percent, respectively).
• More than half of consumers (53 percent) reported buying platters and other prepared foods for the recent Fourth of July holiday, the largest holiday usage for these types of purchases after Christmas (66 percent) and Thanksgiving (61 percent).
To learn more about the study, including additional details about business-building implications contained in the report, contact Melissa Wilson at 312-506-3707, or mwilson@technomic.com.
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