Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on ethnic restaurants and takeaways
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on ethnic restaurants and takeaways, 29 March 2021
- The market
- Market plummets as a result of enforced closures
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- Figure 2: Market size and forecast for total ethnic restaurants and takeaways market, 2015-25
- COVID-19’s lasting impact on dine-in segment
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- Figure 3: Market size and forecast for total ethnic restaurants (eat-in) market, 2015-25
- Takeaway segment holds up total market
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- Figure 4: Market size and forecast for total ethnic takeaways market, 2015-25
- Companies and brands
- Enforced closures and eventual CVAs
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- Figure 5: Market share by selected dine-in outlets, 2016-21
- COVID-19 has changed the way consumers order ethnic food
- The consumer
- Overall ethnic restaurant or takeaway usage plummets in 2020
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- Figure 6: Usage of ethnic restaurants/takeaways, December 2020
- Chinese and Indian restaurants face challenges from emerging cuisines
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- Figure 7: Annual changes in venues visited, November 2018-December 2020
- Ethnic main dishes are a big draw
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- Figure 8: Types of items ordered, December 2020
- Familiar ethnic dishes breed comfort
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- Figure 9: Purchase drivers, December 2020
- Under-45s most worried about calories
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- Figure 10: Behaviours relating to ethnic restaurants and takeaways, December 2020
- Ethnic buffets: whopping portions and most wasteful
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- Figure 11: Perceptions of venues, December 2020 – Correspondence Analysis, December 2020
Issues and Insights
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- COVID-19 spurs new channel development
- Greater hygiene standards drive formal service experiences
- The conflicted demands of familiar and new
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Market plummets as a result of enforced closures
- COVID-19’s lasting impact on dine-in segment
- Takeaway segment holds up total market
Market Size, Segmentation and Forecast
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- Enforced closures devastate ethnic restaurants and takeaways
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- Figure 12: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on ethnic restaurants and takeaways, 29 March 2021
- Market plummets as a result of enforced closures
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- Figure 13: Market size and forecast for total ethnic restaurants and takeaways market, 2015-25
- Total market primed to recover quickly
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- Figure 14: Market size and forecast for total ethnic restaurants and takeaways market, 2015-25
- Eat-in segment forced to pivot
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- Figure 15: Market size and forecast for total ethnic restaurants (eat-in) market, 2015-25
- COVID-19’s lasting impact on dine-in segment
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- Figure 16: Market size and forecast for total ethnic restaurants (eat-in) market, 2015-25
- Takeaway segment holds up total market
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- Figure 17: Market size and forecast for total ethnic takeaways market, 2015-25
- Continued innovation to boost takeaway sales
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- Figure 18: Market size and forecast for total ethnic takeaways market, 2015-25
- Market drivers and assumptions
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- Figure 19: Key drivers affecting Mintel’s market forecast, 2015-25 (prepared on 13 March 2021)
- Learnings from the last recession
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- Figure 20: Ethnic restaurants and takeaways market size and forecast, 2009-13
- Forecast methodology
Market Drivers
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- Flexibility to provide more outdoor space
- Eating ethnic cuisines an ingrained habit
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- Figure 21: Purchased quantities of food and drink eaten out in the UK, 2001/02-2018/19
- Young ‘foodies’ fuel demand for new flavours
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- Figure 22: Food behaviours, September 2020
- Brexit’s impact on restaurant staffing
- Impact of mandatory calorie labelling
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- Figure 23: Example of a nutritional label with calorie count
- The barriers to walk-in takeaways
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Enforced closures and eventual CVAs
- Expanding reach through dark kitchens
- COVID-19 has changed the way consumers order ethnic food
Market Share
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- Enforced closures and eventual CVAs
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- Figure 24: Market share by selected dine-in outlets, 2016-21
- Exiting restaurants enter new channels
- New entrants focused on drive-throughs
- Expanding reach through dark kitchens
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- COVID-19 has changed the way consumers order ethnic food
- Place
- Outdoor dining
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- Figure 25: Outdoor dining London’s Chinatown, August 2020
- Click-and-collect
- Digital stores
- Non-ethnic operators branching out
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- Figure 26: The Fox & Hounds’ Persian spiced lamb, jewelled rice & tahini yoghurt
- Product
- Frozen ranges
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- Figure 27: Frozen teriyaki chick’n vegan gyoza, by Itsu
- Ready-to-eat
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- Figure 28: Korean fried chicken donburi, by YO!
- Meal kits
- Price
- Discounting
- Promotion
- Friday deliveries
- Table service
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Britons warm up to outdoor dining
- Overall ethnic restaurant or takeaway usage plummets in 2020
- Chinese and Indian restaurants face challenges from emerging cuisines
- Ethnic main dishes are a big draw
- Familiar ethnic dishes breed comfort
- Under-45s most worried about calories
- Hygiene concerns’ impact on food handling
- Ethnic buffets: whopping portions and most wasteful
Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behaviour
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- Britons warm up to outdoor dining
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- Figure 29: Comfort level going out to eat, by generations, 10-19 November 2020
- Coronavirus fears pull people towards takeaways
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- Figure 30: Changes in eating out spending habits, 8 December 2020-12 March 2021
- Supporting local businesses
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- Figure 31: Consumer priorities for local community, 4-12 February 2021
- Greater health awareness
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- Figure 32: Consumer priorities for healthy eating, by generations, 4-12 February 2021
- Driving sustainable packaging
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- Figure 33: Consumer priorities for the environment, by generations, 4-12 February 2021
Usage of Ethnic Restaurants/Takeaways
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- Overall ethnic restaurant or takeaway usage plummets in 2020
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- Figure 34: Usage of ethnic restaurants/takeaways, December 2020
- Dine-in participation devastated by lockdown restrictions
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- Figure 35: Eat-in vs takeaway/home delivery usage, December 2020
Popularity of Cuisine Types
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- Chinese and Indian restaurants face challenges from emerging cuisines
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- Figure 36: Annual changes in venues visited, November 2018-December 2020
- Ethnic restaurant eat-in participation knocked off course
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- Figure 37: Eat-in vs takeaway/home delivery usage, December 2020
- Emerging cuisines on the rise…
- …especially in the takeaway segment
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- Figure 38: Annual changes takeaway/home delivery usage, November 2018-December 2020
Types of Items Ordered
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- Ethnic main dishes are a big draw
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- Figure 39: Types of items ordered, December 2020
- Full course experiences for under-35s
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- Figure 40: Types of items ordered, by age, December 2020
Purchase Drivers
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- Familiar ethnic dishes breed comfort
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- Figure 41: Purchase drivers, December 2020
- Authenticity drives brand disruption
- Online reservations suit consumers’ desire for convenient booking methods
Behaviours Relating to Ethnic Restaurants
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- Under-45s most worried about calories
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- Figure 42: Behaviours relating to ethnic restaurants and takeaways, December 2020
- Hygiene concerns impact on food handling
- COVID-19 spurs new channel development
- Awareness of sustainable packaging options
- There is demand for ethnic meal plans
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- Figure 43: Behaviours relating to ethnic restaurants and takeaways – CHAID – Tree output, December 2020
Perceptions of Venues
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- Ethnic buffets: whopping portions and most wasteful
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- Figure 44: Perceptions of venues, December 2020 – Correspondence Analysis, December 2020
- The strength of street food markets in communities
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- Figure 45: Perceptions of venues, December 2020
- Special occasion perception strongest for table service restaurants
- Ethnic fast food outlets most unhealthy of all
- Dark kitchens lack consumer awareness
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- Correspondence analysis methodology
- CHAID analysis methodology
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- Figure 46: Behaviours towards ethnic restaurants and takeaways – CHAID – Tree output, December 2020
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast methodology
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- Figure 47: Best- and worst-case forecasts for total ethnic restaurants and takeaways market, 2020-25
- Figure 48: Best- and worst-case forecasts for ethnic restaurants (eat-in) market, 2020-25
- Figure 49: Best- and worst-case forecasts for ethnic takeaways market, 2020-25
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