Three trends shaping food-to-go, report reveals

The IGD’s latest report “Food-to-go: What’s next for Shoppers”, reveals that evening food-to-go is on the rise, demand for hot food-to-go options is increasing, and convenience is influencing purchasing choices.

The IGD predicts that demand for a range of food-to-go choices which are less portable could increase as levels of working from home are expected to be elevated compared to pre-pandemic times.

In addition, the IGD research finds that 40% of 18-24 year-olds state that having the ability to pre-order is an important consideration in deciding where to purchase food-to-go.

The report also reveals that food-to-go purchases continue to be driven by a typical 9-5 weekday working pattern, despite more people working from home. This behaviour could continue to be supported by a ‘suburban shift’ as food-to-go businesses shift away from city centres into suburban areas to follow the consumer. The IGD believes a lower density footfall compared to city centres and transport hubs, combined with different peak times and shopper profiles, will mean new operating models will evolve to meet consumer needs.

Rhian Thomas, head of insight at ShopperVista and food-to-go, said: “The third national lockdown resulted in a decrease in food-to-go missions, but not to the extent of the first, and interestingly, evening food-to-go missions became more common than lunch.

“There was a 3% increase in dedicated food-to-go missions between February and March 2021 which is a reassuring indicator for the industry. But shopper behaviours have shifted significantly during the pandemic and as a result, we are seeing key trends emerge that operators, retailers and suppliers should consider.”

The IGD’s food-to-go study engages with 1,000 food-to-go shoppers every quarter.