Retail Foodservice Gaining Ground in Food Fight

Study conducted by Technomic reveals latest trends and data for retailer meal solutions

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Mar 28, 2016, 11:00 ET

CHICAGO, March 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As the battle for share of stomach rages on, the retail foodservice industry continues to grow. An updated study released by Technomic—the 2015 Retailer Meal Solutions (RMS) Consumer Trend Report—finds that consumers are purchasing RMS more often; 84% now purchase RMS at least once a month compared to just 79% in 2012. This increase is largely driven by younger consumers aged 18–34, who are increasingly reliant on foodservice in general.

"Further enhancing the in-store experience and innovating with differentiated, restaurant-quality menu items will help retail-prepared food operators continue to steal share of stomach," says Kelly Weikel, director of consumer insights at Technomic. "Operators and suppliers can appeal to consumers by offering dishes featuring new and ethnic flavors, such as spicy Asian flavors and regional Latin flavors."

Compiling findings from more than 1,500 U.S. consumers, as well as Technomic's MenuMonitor and Digital Resource Library, the comprehensive 2015 Retailer Meal Solutions Consumer Trend Report will help better position brands and products for success in retail prepared-food areas by understanding market shifts and how to capitalize on opportunities.

Key takeaways from the report include:

RMS purchases are often made at the expense of fast-food visits: 49% of all respondents—and 60% of Millennials—are visiting fast-food restaurants less often as a result of their increased RMS purchases
C-store RMS is gaining ground; nearly half of consumers aged 18–34 purchase it at least once a week
Drugstore RMS has a loyal following; though just 19% of all consumers have ever purchased RMS from drugstores, 43% of those who do purchase it, buy it at least once a week

A full library of Technomic's consumer trend reports can be found at www.technomic.com/ctr.

Contacts:
The complete 2015 Retailer Meal Solutions Consumer Trend Report is available by contacting Patrick Noone at [email protected] or 312-506-3852.
Press Inquiries and Report Details: Kelly Weikel, (312) 506-3830, or [email protected]

About Technomic
Only Technomic, A Winsight Company, delivers a 360-degree view of the food industry. We impact growth and profitability for our clients by providing consumer-grounded vision and channel-relevant strategic insights. Our services range from major research studies and management consulting solutions to online databases and simple fact-finding assignments. Our clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants and retailers, or other foodservice organizations, and various institutions aligned with the food industry. Visit us at www.technomic.com.

About Winsight, LLC
Winsight, LLC is a business-to-business media and information services company specializing in the convenience-retailing, restaurant and noncommercial foodservice industries. Winsight has an extensive media portfolio including four publications, CSP, Restaurant Business, FoodService Director and Convenience Store Products, a suite of digital products including websites, e-newsletters (Restaurant Business Daily and CSP Daily News) and webinars, plus video products, mobile and tablet apps, custom marketing solutions and the convenience-retailer intelligence tool, CSPedia. The Winsight Events group produces six exclusive, large-scale executive-level conferences—Restaurant Leadership Conference, FARE Conference, Outlook Leadership, Convenience Retailing University, FSTEC and MenuDirections—in addition to more than 12 major EduNetworking conferences and advisory meetings. Winsight recently acquired Technomic, Inc., a food industry provider of primary and secondary market information and advisory services. Winsight is a recognized leader in the markets it serves.
For more information on Winsight and its brands, go to WinsightMedia.com.