According to a new survey conducted for the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), shoppers eat differently today. While most eat no more than four times a day -- three meals and a snack -- they don't always sit down at the table to eat: many consumers -- especially those under 40 -- often don't find the time to separate eating from other activities. One half (50%) eat a snack or a meal at the same time they are working. Four in ten (42%) say that they eat while watching television, and seven percent eat a meal or a snack in the car.
Influencing these eating trends are two significant demographic factors: the increasing number of working women and the explosion of single-parent families headed by women. Even in two-income families today, most women work: the Department of Labor estimates that 70% of women aged 25 to 44 are currently in the labor force. At the same time, the number of single-parent families more than doubled from 3.8 to 9.4 million between 1970 and 1988. Further, it is estimated that from 1988 to 2000, single-parent families headed by women will increase by 31%.
With most women now working, FMI has found that 46% of consumers say they eat meals at home that were prepared elsewhere "fairly often" (38%) or "pretty much every time" (8%). As a result, Roper Starch Worldwide reports that the number of Americans who buy takeout or prepared food "sometimes" or "often" has skyrocketed in the past decade, up 12 points from 1986 to 59% today. This trend is confirmed by statistics from both the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and FMI. NRA has found that one-third of all adults (33%) are not cooking at home as much as they were a year ago. FMI has found that half of all shoppers now buy ready-to-eat takeout food from their primary supermarket at least once a month. Further, one in four shoppers who frequently buy takeout say they have been doing so more often in the last year.
Who are the most likely to buy prepared foods? According to FMI, interest in these new products does not differ substantially by demographic characteristics like sex, race or household income. It does differ somewhat by age, however, with seniors aged 65 and over less likely than younger shoppers to say they purchase foods prepared in the store (55% versus 67%). And working women are more likely to purchase these foods than their non-working counterparts (65% versus 54%).
The reasons consumers are turning to take out -- convenience and value -- are especially important to singles and families with children, the groups that NRA finds are behind the increase in foodservice sales. NRA's data point to attitude shifts within these groups for the increase -- food away from home is no longer considered a luxury, but is a fundamental component of today's convenience-driven lifestyle.
In a 1995 NRA survey, four out of 10 singles and half of the households with children said that convenience is critical because they are so busy. As a result, one quarter of adults use restaurant meals or take out as an option, believing that fast food or take out meals eliminate the chores associated with cooking at home. Nearly one out of four singles agreed that weekday dinners prepared at home are not worth the effort. And, three out of 10 singles and one out of four households with children agreed that such meals are too much trouble to clean up.
Reinforcing these findings, FMI's survey shows that 79% of all shoppers "completely" or "mostly" agree that prepared foods help save time. More than six in ten shoppers (64%) also view prepared foods from the supermarket as a more healthful alternative to fast food. This perception is more widespread among those under 40 (71% versus 57% for those over age 40).
But despite these beliefs, FMI's data find that half of Americans (48%) use fast-food restaurants as the primary source of eat-at-home takeout and 25% get prepared meals from restaurants. In contrast, only 12% of consumers use supermarkets as their most frequent source of prepared meals. However, with the increasing number of "take-in customers," both the restaurant and supermarket industries are responding by offering an increasing number of options and venues for consumers. As a result, the trend towards "home meal replacement" is expected to dramatically change how Americans shop and eat as both restaurants and supermarkets vie for this growing business.
How do Americans feel about the prepared meal trend? Nielsen's Attitude Segmentation Survey, which polls 40,000 shoppers, finds that 67% of consumers prefer foods that offer convenience in preparation, and 42% say they are willing to pay higher prices for these short cuts. And although Americans continue to prefer home cooked meals, the Consumer Network reports that consumers are pragmatic about the future. When asked to predict the way they will be eating in the next five years, less than one in four (23%) agreed with the statement: "We will probably be cooking more than in recent years, not less" (30% were undecided and 47% disagreed). At the same time, 47% disagreed that they are already buying more prepared foods than they should, suggesting that Americans accept these foods as a "solution" to the fast-paced 90s lifestyle.
Although convenience is the driving force in the 1990s, another trend driving consumer purchasing decisions is their desire for better nutrition. According to FMI's data, a total of 83% of shoppers agree that nutrition is more important than price. However, when it comes to choosing between taste and nutrition, only four in ten shoppers say they would place the nutrition quality of a product first.
With better health in mind, FMI finds that shoppers are trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, although more than half underestimate the number of servings that they should consume each day. Specifically, 60% eat fewer than three servings of vegetables a day -- the minimum amount recommended by public health authorities.
The good news is that, contrary to popular beliefs, Americans are not overconsuming meat. A new survey called EAT II, where the actual food intake of 2,000 households was analyzed, found that foods from the meat group were consumed in appropriate amounts: women typically eat 1.9 servings while men eat 2.8 servings. This fits within government guidelines of two to three servings a day.
At the same time, EAT II, which was conducted for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association by MRCA Information Services, finds that more than 99% of Americans eat meat. Although self-reported meat avoiders and vegetarians consume the greatest amounts of eggs, beans and nuts, they still eat 2.3 ounces of beef, veal, pork, lamb, deli and processed meats on an average day. Meat eaters, in contrast, eat only about one ounce more: 3.5 ounces of these meats a day.
Meat Industry Insights News Service
P.O. Box 553
Northport, NY 11768
Phone: 631-757-4010
Fax: 631-757-4060
E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com
Web Site: http://www.spcnetwork.com/mii