Look
around, and talk to your friends and you will see that, Americans do not want
to eat alone. Don’t want to shop, and don’t
want to cook, while man is a social and needs to connect with others and
sharing a meal with friends, family, or even a stranger is preferred rather
than eating alone according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based
Foodservice Solutions®.
Johnson
asked, are your meals and meal components being offered in channels of
distribution that empower consumers to choose your brand over your competitors
ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat options or a newbies meal option’s?
First, we have to get the food. Then we can eat. So, a recent Numerator survey found that convenience ranks third in importance
for a shopping experience, behind price and quality. Here is what they found:
When
it comes to shopping convenience in-store and online, a recent study from
Numerator found that 82 percent of shoppers say convenience is extremely or
very important to them.
For
millennials, this number jumps to 87 percent, while for boomers and older
generations the number falls to 77 percent, according to the study
entitled Mythbusters:
Convenience.
Overall,
respondents ranked convenience third in importance for a shopping experience,
behind price and quality. However, 40 percent of respondents ranked
convenience as their first or second shopping decision-making factor.
When
it comes to what makes an in-store shopping experience convenient:
·
Store
location is the top in-store convenience factor. One in five respondents said
store location is the most important factor for convenience, with another 50
percent saying it plays a role.
·
Close
to four in five (78 percent) respondents consider the most convenient
store location to be the one that is closest to home, followed by one along a
route they travel regularly (54 percent).
·
Gen
Z respondents prefer having a store within walking distance (25 percent) and
along a public transportation route (13 percent). This is because Gen Z
respondents are 20 percent more likely to live in urban settings
and 45 percent less likely to own a vehicle, according to Numerator.
·
Gen
Z respondents are 30 percent more likely than respondents of other
generations to consider self-checkout a key component of convenience.
When
it comes to what makes an in-store shopping experience convenient:
·
More
than four in 10 Gen Z consumers (44 percent) prefer online stores that make it
easy to use promotions/coupons.
·
Almost
three in 10 millennials (28 percent) like the ability to store payment
information, and 20 percent of boomers and respondents from older
generations find customer service the most convenient aspect of online
shopping.
·
More
than four in 10 of all respondents (43 percent) find online shopping somewhat
or much more convenient than in-store. Millennial respondents are the most
likely generation to favor online shopping (48 percent), followed by Gen X (46
percent). Gen Z finds in-store shopping "somewhat" to "much
more" convenient (32 percent) than other generations.
The
Numerator study also revealed
that respondents find it more convenient to shop in-store for perishable
food and beverages (77 percent), frozen or refrigerated food and beverages (74
percent), and large home goods or furniture (55 percent).
Alternatively,
they find it convenient to shop online for pet food and supplies (31
percent), small appliances or electronics (29 percent), and baby and toddler
items (24 percent).
It’s
at the intersection Baby boomers and Generation Z that we are finding common
ground when it comes to their preferences for sharing meal experiences and food
traditions.
Once
again it is in a new nationwide survey of more than 2,000 consumers from
research and consulting practice Y-Pulse
found that shared experiences, food traditions and local ingredients are
finding favor with modern consumers of all ages.
Sharon
Olson, executive director of Y-Pulse,
stated, "So often we see significant differences in the dining habits and
preferences among consumers in different generations, yet the findings in this
recent study confirm that food really does bring people together," ….
"It was encouraging to hear study participants of all ages saying that
they enjoy creating their own food traditions when they cook with friends and
family."
Here
you go, when it comes to food and dining, the three areas of agreement among
baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) and Gen Zers (those born
between 1997 and 2012) are:
The
Importance of Shared Food Experiences
Approximately
85 percent of baby boomers and 86 percent of Gen Z study participants said they
prefer sharing meals with other people rather than dining alone. When a
restaurant visit includes a sit-down dinner rather than a fast fuel stop, 83
percent of baby boomers and 86 percent of Gen Z consumers reported that they
prefer to share a dining experience with others.
Members
of both cohorts enjoy food market venues that facilitate sharing food with a
group of diverse tastes and preferences. Eighty percent of baby boomers and 87
percent Gen Zers agreed that takeout from different stands at a food market
makes it easy to share a meal with others when not everyone in the party wants
the same type of food.
Embracing
Food Traditions is Meaningful
Nostalgic
foods and family traditions are important and appealing to boomers and
zoomers. Not only do they appreciate old family recipes, but they also
enjoy creating new traditions. A whopping 88 percent of baby boomers and
84 percent of Gen Zers said old family recipes were among their favorite
meals. There was also strong interest in creating their own food
traditions when cooking for friends and family, according to 76 percent of baby
boomers and 82 percent of Gen Z participants.
The
Appeal of Local
Members
of the baby boomer (74 percent) and Gen Z (72 percent) cohorts agreed that they
prefer to order menu items with locally sourced ingredients. Although the
premium price of local goods is a cause for concern among many consumers, the
majority of those surveyed said they value locally produced goods enough to pay
a premium price. Seventy-one percent of baby boomers and 68 percent of Gen
Z said they do not understand why local food items cost so much more than foods
that have to be shipped from a distance. However, 70 percent of boomers
and 77 percent of zoomers are willing to pay a little bit more for food that
comes from local producers.
For international corporate presentations, regional
chain presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. His extensive experience as a
multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert,
and public speaking will leave success clues for all. For more information
visit GrocerantGuru.com, FoodserviceSolutions.US
or call 1-253-759-7869
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