Eating out, dining in: Consumers want genuine innovation within the foodservice market

Proportion of consumers who say that they want products that genuinely excite them when eating and drinking at foodservice outlets (2020)

79%

76%

72%

Nigeria

Source: Foodservice survey, Q2 2020 (3,000 respondents)

South Africa Saudi Arabia

What can foodservice outlets do to better capture your attention? Top five answers

Promoting food and drink from part of the globe that I am unfamiliar with Through taking an active stance on food waste Through promoting ethical and responsible causes Through good word of mouth about the outlet Social media activity

Source: Foodservice survey, Q2 2020 (3,000 respondents)

Nigeria 82%

75%

73%

48%

61% South Africa

78%

78%

67%

62%

37% Saudi Arabia

54%

50%

46%

58%

49%

Key takeaways

• Help facilitate a long-term approach to health maintenance: Consumers are being proactive towards their health and adopting a prevention-over-cure approach to wellness. As such, they want better-foryou products that can easily be incorporated into daily diets, meaning such products also need to be seen as tasty and affordable.

• Reassure consumers over product safety: Consumers want to minimise their risk of exposure to germs, viruses, and bacteria, and want reassurance that products are in optimal condition. Brands should look to address supply chains and distribution channels, ensuring that these are as safe and hygienic as possible.

• Launch functional products that aid the immune system: Consumers want functional and fortified products that aid the immune system and other areas of health, with ingredient-led claims being more influential on sales. When launching such products, it is crucial that health claims are deemed to be credible and transparent.

• Ensure that plant-based products are deemed to be compromise-free: Consumers are looking to increase their intake of plant-based food and drink products for health and sustainability purposes. As such, it is crucial that such products are seen to mimic the experience of eating and drinking animal produce from a sensory perspective.

• Position products as guilt-free and conveniently nutritious: Consumers want food and drink products that enable them to enjoy moments of escapism from the daily pressures of life. At the same time, they do not want such occasions to conflict with health goals. This is driving demand for products that offer taste and nutrition simultaneously.

• Focus on the use of real and authentic ingredients: Consumers want reassurance that the ingredients in the products that they purchase are free-from chemicals that are deemed detrimental to them and the planet. The food and drink industry can respond to this through engaging in strategies such as ingredient streamlining.

• Challenge sensory perceptions: Consumers like new and unusual flavours that they associate with offering a genuine experience. Consumers like concepts such as flavour hybrids and different flavours from around the world. When launching experimental flavours, it is important that they are deemed to be more than a novelty. • Take the effort out of acting in an environmentally-friendly manner: Consumers want to act in a more sustainable manner. Brands can respond to this by launching products that take the hassle out of acting in an environmentally-friendly manner, offering incentives for such behaviour, or positioning products as offering a benefit for consumers beyond helping to save the planet.

• Develop personalised nutritional offerings: Consumers want health and wellness products that are customised to help deal with their specific health issues and goals. This is something that creates an opportunity for customised products based around DNA profiling. When launching these products, ethical implications need to be considered.

• Offer genuine innovation in the foodservice sector: Discerning consumers want to visit foodservice outlets that they feel match their attitudes and outlook on life. Two ways of creating brand identity and standout appeal is through highlighting sustainability credentials and offering experimental food and drink on the menu.