It seems like we’re collectively passing the time during this Great Recession compiling surveys— or answering them.
One batch shows that consumers are eating out less, but not necessarily cooking more, at least not from scratch. One reason may be that 65% of shoppers think grocery prices are too high,[1] and 78% indicate they will “switch food brands if I find a cheaper alternative.” But unlike the early reports, consumers aren’t cooking comfort foods like mac & cheese. Use of the stove is at its lowest level ever, while microwaving jumped significantly from a 20-year flat rate, proving that “convenient” has trumped “healthy” (as Food Industry Newsletter predicted months ago). Snacks are way up, including pancake mixes, eggs, butter/margarine, salty treats, beer, cream & creamers, and sweet spreads. Some grocery retailer sales are flat or declining slightly because fewer consumers are stocking-up, instead “eating down” the food they already have. The surveys say, too, that some “down” categories might come back during a recovery: bagged salads, refrigerated foods/ready meals, organic/natural food & beverages, “functional foods” and premium-brand alcohol. Trends could be “better for you” (as the American population ages), along with “in-home snack occasions,” with morning snacking expected to grow 23% between 2008-2018, outpacing afternoon snack occasions (20% growth) and evening snacks (15%).
[1] Source: Synovate.
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