Abstract
Gone are the days when consumers are content with treating themselves to something special every once in a while. In today' s instant society we want it all, and we want it right now and in terms of eating out that means visiting a restaurant as a regular treat not just for a specific celebration such as a birthday or anniversary. But what does this mean for restaurants in terms of menu development? Are they supposed to be offering healthier food if consumers are eating out so regularly or are they meant to stick to their indulgent roots? As such this report considers the hypothesis of ‘Indulgence versus Health Eating: Which Will Win?’
As a result of these considerations, menus are tending to expand into ever increasing options such as a wider range of side dishes and optional extras, sharing platters, small/large versions of dishes and increased customer communication (allowing diners to customise their meals even further). In this way operators can satisfy a wide-ranging and demanding customer base (a fifth of consumers look for healthy options, nearly a quarter just eat what they want and almost a third are prepared to pay a premium for good quality food).
Table of Contents
- Issues in the Market
- Main issues
- Definition
- Abbreviations
- Market in Brief
- How can I treat myself today?
- But budget constraints still apply
- Pubs: the nation' s favourite eating out venues
- Healthy or hedonistic?
- Burden of red tape threatens to overwhelm industry
- Internal Market Environment
- Key points
- Impact of smoking ban and changes in licensing laws
- Food -- pleasure or pain?
- Figure 1: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, 2003-07
- Rising restaurant prices
- Figure 2: Trends in retail price indices, 2002-07
- Broader Market Environment
- Key points
- Alterations to menu formats to fit in with tightening consumer belts
- Figure 3: Trends in personal disposable income and consumer expenditure, 2002-12
- Ageing population offers challenges for the industry
- Figure 4: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, by gender, 2002-12
- Increasing numbers of ABs positive for eating out industry
- Figure 5: Forecast adult population trends, by socio-economic group, 2002-12
- Competitive Context
- Key points
- Consumer spending priorities
- Figure 6: Selected expenditure priorities, 2006 and 2007
- Eating out in the leisure context
- Figure 7: Consumer expenditure on selected leisure goods and activities, 2002-06
- Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Market Size and Forecast
- Key points
- Figure 8: The UK market for eating out*, 2002-12
- Past market performance
- Present market performance
- Future market performance
- Segment Performance
- Key points
- Figure 9: The UK eating out market*, by segment, 2002-07
- Figure 10: The UK eating out market*, by segment, at constant prices, 2007-12
- Fast food -- performing a function
- Pizza and pasta -- versatility is the key
- Pub restaurants -- no smoke without fire?
- Ethnic catering -- lacking dynamism
- Hotels on the up
- Outlets Visited
- Key points
- Figure 11: Eating out venues visited in the last three months, 2000-07
- Brits have quite a wide portfolio of eating out venues
- Pubs with personality
- A sluggish ethnic sector
- Italian in-fighting
- Hotels on the up?
- Fast food slows down
- Strength of regional tastes
- Figure 12: Most popular eating out venues visited in the last three months, by detailed demographics, August-September 2007
- Pubs seen as ' safe bet'
- Strong evidence of regional variations
- Media-savvy diners
- Size matters
- TV targeting troubles?
- Figure 13: Next most popular eating out venues visited in the last three months, by detailed demographics, August-September 2007
- Regionality reigns
- Frequency of Eating Out
- Key points
- Figure 14: Frequency of eating out, 2001-07
- Frequent diners are young and affluent
- Figure 15: Frequency of eating out, by detailed demographics, August-September 2007
