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Cooking in America: Incl Impact of COVID-19 - US - December 2020

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Key issues covered in this Report
Definition
COVID-19: market context
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Top takeaways 
Market overview 
Figure 1: Consumer cooking segments, October 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on cooking habits
COVID-19 has forced changes in employment
Majority are still confident in their financial situation 
Figure 2: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on cooking at home, November 2020
Opportunities and challenges 
Americans are spending more time in the kitchen this year 
Figure 3: Mealtime behaviors compared to last year – Cooking and baking in general, October 2020
Figure 4: King Arthur Flour name change, July 2020
Saving money and filling time are reasons for increased cooking frequency 
Figure 5: COVID-19 cooking behaviors, by gender, October 2020
A visual approach is important to attract young cooks
Figure 6: Enthusiasm – Media, by generation, October 2020
Figure 7: Makeover your mixer, March 2019
Convenience helps combat cooking fatigue 
Figure 8: Kroger Chefbot, October 2020
Parents are getting their kids involved in the kitchen 
Figure 9: Family cooking – Kids, October 2020
TARGET AUDIENCE – KEY TAKEAWAYS 
Enjoyment in cooking is fading for many consumers
Increases in number of Enthusiastic and Unenthusiastic Cooks
Impact of COVID-19 and the recession
AMERICA’S COOKS BY THE NUMBERS  
Shift in cooking frequency over the last year
Figure 10: Cooking frequency, October 2020
Figure 11: Cooking frequency percentage point difference, 2019-20
Cooking attitudes have experienced small shifts
Figure 12: Cooking attitudes, by cooking frequency, October 2020
Figure 13: Cooking attitudes, October 2020
Figure 14: Cooking attitudes, 2016-20
Cooking skills remain intermediate
Figure 15: Cooking skills, October 2020
Figure 16: Cooking skills, 2016-20
Cooking motivations
Figure 17: Cooking skills, October 2020
Figure 18: Cooking skills, 2016-20
Consumers want to improve their cooking skills
Figure 19: Cooking motivation – Learning, October 2020
CONSUMER COOKING SEGMENTS 
Segmentation factors
Figure 20: Consumer cooking segments, October 2020
Figure 21: Consumer cooking segments percentage point difference, 2019-20
High-priority segments
Figure 22: High-priority cooking segments, October 2020
Enthusiastic Cooks
Unenthusiastic Cooks
Aspiring Cooks
Avoidant Cooks
Low-priority segments
Figure 23: Low-priority cooking segments, October 2020
Content Cooks
Conflicted Cooks
Non-cooks
Figure 24: Consumer cooking segments demographics, October 2020
Figure 25: Consumer cooking segments, by cooking skills, October 2020
Figure 26: Consumer cooking segments, by interest in improving cooking skills, October 2020
MARKET FACTORS 
Impact of COVID-19 on cooking habits
Figure 27: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on cooking at home, November 2020
Lockdown
Re-emergence
Recovery
Learnings from the last recession 
Figure 28: Consumer spending on food at home, annual, 2000-19 and Q1 2020
Consumers are stocking up out of fear of supply shortages 
Figure 29: COVID-19 behaviors – Stocking up and product shortages, April-October 2020
Changes in employment result in cooking behavior changes
Figure 30: Employment situation, October 2020
Figure 31: COVID-19 employment situation, October 2020
Most have confidence in their financial situation 
Figure 32: Financial situation, October 2020
Figure 33: Future financial situation, October 2020
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – KEY TAKEAWAYS 
Younger consumers are finding their adult identity in the kitchen
Pandemic safe shopping solutions may stick long term
Shopping for local produce 
Brands can provide consumers with new kitchen experiences 
COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
Mintel Trend Driver: Identity
Figure 34: Mintel Trend Driver, Identity
Kitchen appliances can reflect consumer aspirations
Figure 35: Makeover your mixer, March 2019
Figure 36: Le Creuset bread baking social post, November 2020
Mintel Trend Driver: Value
Figure 37: Mintel Trend Driver, Value
Promoting kitchen convenience
Figure 38: Kroger Chefbot, October 2020
Highlight the convenience of meal kits 
Figure 39: New cooking habits – Meal kits, October 2020
Figure 40: Marley Spoon to the rescue, April 2020
Brands must respond to convenient shopping options
Figure 41: New cooking habits – Grocery shopping, October 2020
Mintel Trend Driver: Surroundings
Figure 42: Mintel Trend Driver, Surroundings
Appeal to gardeners with locally sourced ingredients
Figure 43: New cooking habits – Vegetable gardens, October 2020
Figure 44: North Carolina Berry Blend, July 2020
Mintel Trend Driver: Experiences
Figure 45: Mintel Trend Driver, Experiences
Interest in baking can lead to rebranding and expanding
Figure 46: New cooking habits – Baking bread, October 2020
Figure 47: King Arthur Flour name change, July 2020
Encourage a craft cocktail pairing
Figure 48: New cooking habits – Craft cocktails, October 2020
Figure 49: Stoli Lime Mule, October 2020
Provide consumers with craved experience through virtual cooking and baking classes 
Figure 50: New cooking habits – Virtual cooking classes, October 2020
Figure 51: Whole Foods virtual classes, August 2020
THE CONSUMER – KEY TAKEAWAYS 
Consumers are spending more time in the kitchen this year
Cooking intentions differ for men and women 
Cooking fatigue will challenge brands to keep consumers engaged 
Working-from-home offers new weekday cooking opportunities 
Social media and visual appeal is important to future success 
Getting kids involved in the kitchen 
COOKING BEHAVIORS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR
Spending more time cooking and baking 
Figure 52: Mealtime behaviors compared to last year – Cooking and baking in general, October 2020
Consumers are more intentional in meal preparation 
Figure 53: Mealtime behaviors compared to last year – Preparation, October 2020
Time spent on meals has increased
Figure 54: Mealtime behaviors compared to last year – Time spent, October 2020
Consumers are experimenting more in the kitchen
Figure 55: Mealtime behaviors compared to last year – Making different foods, October 2020
Figure 56: Disneyland ice cream day Instagram post, July 2020
Consumers are still relying on foodservice
Figure 57: Mealtime behaviors compared to last year – Relying on foodservice, October 2020
Figure 58: Shake Shack at your shack, May 2020
REASONS FOR CHANGES IN COOKING BEHAVIORS 
Women are focused on saving money, while men are focused on new hobbies
Figure 59: COVID-19 cooking behaviors, by gender, October 2020
Working from home has altered cooking behavior
Figure 60: Working from home has changed my cooking behaviors, mealtime behaviors compared to last year, October 2020
Figure 61: Tasty 20-minute meals, September 2020
Cooking fatigue will continue to grow
Figure 62: COVID-19 cooking behaviors – I have experienced cooking fatigue, by cooking segments, October 2020
MAINTAINING ENTHUSIASM 
Anticipating the meal makes people excited to cook
Figure 63: Enthusiasm, October 2020
How to maximize cooking excitement 
Figure 64: TURF analysis – Enthusiasm, October 2020
Figure 65: Lemon & Blueberries parfait, April 2020
Women get excited to cook by the basics, while men get excited about innovation 
Figure 66: Enthusiasm, by gender, October 2020
Cooking and baking go viral on social media
Figure 67: Social media usage, by platform, October 2020
Appealing visuals are important for younger generations 
Figure 68: Enthusiasm – Media, by generations, October 2020
Figure 69: Chrissy Teigen Twitter post, Spicy Miso Pasta, September 2020
Easy recipes are preferred by all cooking segments 
Figure 70: Enthusiasm – Challenging vs simple recipes, by cooking segments, October 2020
Figure 71: Pillsbury cornbread swirls, November 2020
COOKING WITH KIDS 
Parents cooking segmentation 
Figure 72: Cooking segments among parents, October 2020
Half of parents involve their kids in the kitchen 
Figure 73: Family cooking – Kids, October 2020
Figure 74: Kids’ knives from Curious Chef, May 2020
Dads prefer to cook; moms prefer to bake with kids
Figure 75: Family cooking – Kids, by gender, October 2020
Offer safety and independence to junior chefs
Figure 76: Family cooking – Kids, by age of children, October 2020
Figure 77: Sous-Chef Toddler Tower, August 2020
Moms find more reasons to cook with kids 
Figure 78: Cooking with kids, by gender, October 2020
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Direct marketing creative
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
APPENDIX – THE MARKET 
Figure 79: Consumer cooking segments demographics, October 2020
Figure 80: Sales of food at home and away from home, January 2010-August 2020
APPENDIX – COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES 
Figure 81: Dutch oven and KitchenAid mixer search history trend, 2004-20
APPENDIX – THE CONSUMER
Figure 82: Enthusiasm, by cooking segments, October 2020
Figure 83: Table – TURF analysis – Enthusiasm, October 2020
Methodology

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