Eating Out: The Decision Making Process - UK - July 2016

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Topics covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
Consumers’ financial priorities suggest a cautious mindset
The National Living Wage comes into force
Targeting Britain’s ageing population
The consumer
Eating out remains a rare treat for most
Figure 1: Frequency of eating out at a restaurant for casual/everyday and special occasions, May 2016
Three in five diners drawn to promotions…
…equal share looks for quality
Figure 2: Factors influencing choice of venue when eating out/ordering a takeaway/home delivery, May 2016
All-day breakfast and snacks are in high demand
Half of diners open to familiar dishes with trendy flavours
Figure 3: Attitudes towards restaurants/takeaways/home deliveries, May 2016
Diners look for dishes they don’t make at home
Low calorie/low fat score low in dish choice
Figure 4: Dish factors influencing food ordering in a restaurant, May 2016
Half of Brits buy grab-and-go meals
Figure 5: Attitudes towards grab-and-go food/drink, May 2016
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
High quality of food drives the venue choice of three in five diners
The facts
The implications
Grab-and-go offers further potential to full-service venues
The facts
The implications
Half of diners would like to see wider all-day breakfast foods to capture snacking occasions
The facts
The implications
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
Consumers’ financial priorities suggest a cautious mindset
The National Living Wage comes into force
Targeting Britain’s ageing population
MARKET DRIVERS
Consumers’ financial priorities suggest a cautious mindset
Figure 6: Selected consumer spending priorities (after bills), April 2013-April 2016
The National Living Wage comes into force
Food waste management is an opportunity to the protect bottom line without raising menu prices
Targeting Britain’s ageing population
Figure 7: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2011-21
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Eating out remains a rare treat for most
Three in five diners drawn to promotions…
…equal share looks for quality
All-day breakfast and snacks are in high demand
Half of diners open to familiar dishes with trendy flavours
Diners look for dishes they don’t make at home
Low calorie/low fat score low in dish choice
Half of Brits buy grab-and-go meals
Many users only choose grab-and-go over restaurants if it is cheaper
FREQUENCY OF EATING OUT 
Eating out remains a rare treat for most
Figure 8: Frequency of eating out at a restaurant for casual/everyday and special occasions, May 2016
Figure 9: Frequency of ordering a home delivery/takeaway for casual/everyday and special occasions, May 2016
Under-35s seek ‘third spaces’
Many Brits cook to know what goes in their food
Negative connotations hamper home delivery/takeaway
Unhealthy image lingers
Family time drives uptake
FACTORS INFLUENCING CHOICE OF RESTAURANT
Three in five diners swayed by promotions
Figure 10: Factors influencing choice of venue when eating out/ordering a takeaway/home delivery, May 2016
Scope for targeted discounts
Limited interest in loyalty schemes
Low-priced dishes would sway one in four
High food quality wins over three in five
Diners look for value for money
Being freshly prepared is top marker of quality
ATTITUDES TOWARDS RESTAURANTS/TAKEAWAYS/HOME DELIVERIES
Breakfast/brunch is in demand all day
Figure 11: Attitudes towards restaurants/takeaways/home deliveries, May 2016
Half of diners open to familiar dishes with trendy flavours
Extending snack options should resonate
DISH ENTICEMENTS
The need to be unique
Diners look for dishes they don’t make at home
House specialties appeal
Figure 12: Dish factors influencing food ordering in a restaurant, May 2016
Few diners rate low calorie/low fat as important in dish choice
BUYING GRAB-AND-GO FOOD/DRINKS
Half of Brits buy grab-and-go meals
Figure 13: Occasions for buying grab-and-go food/drinks, May 2016
More Brits opt for grab-and-go meals at lunch than other meal times
Under-45s and parents are core users of grab-and-go
Figure 14: Frequency of buying grab-and-go food at specific meal times, May 2016
ATTITUDES TOWARDS GRAB-AND-GO FOOD
Many users only choose grab-and-go over restaurants if it is cheaper
Figure 15: Attitudes towards grab-and-go food/drink, May 2016
Functional grab-and-go packaging is a key USP
Convenience and speed appeals
Dedicated queues
Pre-ordering
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Abbreviations
Consumer research methodology