Food First Technology Second

Remember the old adage Food First for those of us of a certain age the quality, consistency, flavor and freshness of the food will always be number one.  In fact Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® stated “our Grocerant ScoreCards indicate today the number one reason to return to a restaurant, or prepared food vendor is the ‘quality, flavor, and freshness’  of the food.

In a new study by AlixPartners, however drew some contrast as to how a food retailers must evolve while maintain quality, flavor and freshness including the fact that 44 percent of consumers cited “want to eat healthier”.   Not surprisingly, is a growing gap between millennials and baby boomers when it comes to technology. The Study found:

1.       Forty-two percent of millennials said that technology is “very” or “extremely” influential in their decision to dine out.

2.       That number plummets to 18 percent for baby boomers.

3.       In total, 42 percent of respondents say they’ve never used mobile technology for dining out and that only 40 and 35 percent, respectively for the generations, care if there is free WiFi in the eatery.

4.       Loyalty programs also appear slow to catch on. Only 19 percent of consumers said loyalty programs are “very” or “extremely” influential in their decision-making process—a number that is up 5 percent from a year ago.

5.        Forty percent polled said they haven’t joined a loyalty program. However, those who are in one are using them more frequently (36 percent compared to 31 percent from a year ago).

6.       Fifty percent of millennials in the survey expressed interest in the availability of call-in-advance delivery. Baby boomers, at a 46 percent clip, prefer traditional “in-the-moment” delivery.

7.       Nearly 75 percent said they order delivery from the same restaurant routinely, and more than half (53 percent) credit that to a lack of good options.

8.       Thirty-eight percent said they would like to see more casual-dining options, while 37 percent want more fast-casual offerings, and 34 percent hope for additional fast-food outlets.

9.        A whopping 71 percent said they prefer to order directly from the restaurant, showing that third-party services aren’t for everyone.

Kurt Schnaubelt, managing director at AlixPartners edified the team at Foodservice Solutions® findings noting that Food quality (63 percent) was number one in their study followed by  price (57 percent) led the way as motivators. Also, 56 percent said that grocery stores are better options due to price.

Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization? Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.