More than a quarter of visits made to a foodservice operator in the 12 weeks ended 5 September were consumed on-the-go, new research reveals.
The latest quarterly update to the Lumina Intelligence UK Food To Go Market Report 2021 shows that food-to-go consumers are more likely to be ABC1 (64% vs 36%), to be aged 25-34 (27%), to be female (55% vs 45%), and to be in London (17%) or the South East (12%).
The data reveals that ‘was out and about’ is the leading mission (22%) driving food-to-go occasions, the research shows. ‘A treat’ is the second largest occasion at 14%, providing the opportunity for operators to introduce more premium ranges to drive upsell and increase consumer spend.
The vast majority (78%) of food-led food-to-go visits continue to include savoury food. Options which are easy to eat on the go, such as sandwiches, wraps and burgers are preferred by consumers.
Katherine Prowse, Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence, said: “Proximity, previous experiences and value for money are the key reasons driving consumers to choose a particular food- to-go outlet. Ease of ordering across the food-to-go channel is the area that satisfies consumers the most. Operators have continued investment in touchscreen and kiosk ordering and this will be a key driver for food-to-go growth.”
