The Future of On-The-Go Eating & Drinking Patterns

Societal shifts such as irregular working hours, longer time spent in transit, and fragmented mealtimes are driving consumers to feel more time pressured. As a result, consumers are increasingly consuming food and drinks on-the-go. This report assesses the trends driving and potentially inhibiting on-the-go food and drinks consumption and predicts how this market will look in 2011.



Report Highlights
Consumers in Europe and the US are increasingly consuming food and drink on-the go. In 2006, European consumers had, on average, 242 on-the-go food occasions, and this is forecast to rise to 263 occasions per year by 2011. US consumers are the most prone to on-the-go food consumption at 379 occasions per person per year.

The need to relax and reduce stress levels is symptomatic of perceived time pressure among consumers as they struggle to juggle work and family commitments. In 2006, more than half (52%) of respondents in Europe and the US had taken active steps to reduce their stress levels (or set aside specific periods to relax) more often.

Value conscious consumption and the broader concerns over unemployment and finances more generally have the potential to hit the sales of higher-ticket on-the-go products in the future. Price premiums need to be commanded on the basis of more than just convenience and ease.


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CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
The hot topic 3
The future decoded 3
Overall on-the-go food and drink occasions are increasing 3
Lifestyle trends are contributing to more on-the-go food and drink consumption 3
A number of counter trends may inhibit future on-the-go eating and drinking occasions 4
On-the-go food and drink consumption varies by age and gender 4
On the move food and drink occasions form an important part of on-the-go occasions 4
The propensity to consume food and drink on-the-go changes by daypart 5
On-the-go drinking occasions are growing at a faster rate than drinking occasions overall 5
There is a growing demand for healthy and convenient food and drinks on-the-go 5
Action points 6
CHAPTER 2 THE FUTURE DECODED 10
Introduction 10
On-the-go consumption occurs in one of three contexts 10
TREND: Overall on-the-go food and drink occasions are increasing 11
The number of on-the-go eating occasions is increasing 12
Consumers in the US have the highest number of per capita on-the-go occasions overall 12
The number of on-the-go drinking occasions is increasing 13
TREND: Lifestyle trends are contributing to more on-the-go food and drink consumption 14
Consumers are feeling increasingly time pressured 14
Time scarcity is increasingly associated with frenetic lifestyles 15
Working parents are particularly prone to time pressures 15
Technological innovations are contributing to perceived time pressure 15
Consumers across Europe find their work too demanding and stressful 16
Consumers are increasingly taking active steps to reduce stress levels 17
Consumers are spending more time exercising 18
Time spent exercising is increasing 18
Sports nutrition consumption is growing 19
The number of single person households in Europe and the US is increasing which has implications for on-the-go consumption 19
Single person households more likely to eat or drink on-the-go 20
Consumers are spending a greater amount of time in transit 21
Increasing commuting times are driving on-the-go food and drink occasions 21
On-the-move food and drink consumers drive foodservice sales 22
Morning and lunch routines are driven by time pressures thereby encouraging on-the-go, desk-based consumption 22
Breakfasts are increasingly characterized by speed and informality 22
Lunch is increasingly influenced by time pressures 23
Take-outs and implications: time pressures are changing where and how consumers eat and drink 24
TREND: A number of counter trends and inhibitors may impact future on-the-go eating and drinking occasions 25
Consumers are becoming more value orientated which has the potential to adversely impact convenience based consumption 26
Unemployment and cost of living are major concerns to Europeans 26
Value-consciousness is as important as trading-up 27
Although consumers are trading up often, they are just as keen to trade down in 'commodity areas' 29
Value concious Americans want to save money on eating out 30
UK consumers are taking more packed lunches into work with them 30
In most countries working hours are actually decreasing 31
Working times vary significantly between different consumer groups 31
A movement towards more flexible working arrangements will impede future on-the-go eating and drinking occasions 32
Fathers are increasingly putting careers on hold to take a greater role in their childrens lives 34
More portable media devices are competing for the attention of on-the-go consumers 34
Take-outs and implications: industry players must look beyond the convenient benefits of on-the-go products 35
INSIGHT: On-the-go food and drink consumption frequencies vary by age and gender 36
On-the-go consumption affects all age categories, but the largest consumers are those of working age 36
On-the-go food consumption frequencies vary by gender 38
Men consume food on-the-go more frequently than women 38
Take-outs and implications: age and gender variances should influence targeting efforts 39
INSIGHT: On-the-move food occasions form an important part of overall on-the-go occasions 40
Take-outs and implications: 41
INSIGHT: Time of day influences the propensity to consume food on-the-go 42
Takeouts and implications: on-the-go consumption is more likely to occur for snacking than it is core meals 46
INSIGHT: On-the-go drinking occasions are growing at a faster rate than drinking occasions overall 46
Healthy on-the-go drinks occasions are forecast to increase share of overall on-the-go drinks 48
The demand for convenient and healthy food and drink solutions is increasing 48
Healthy on-the-go drinks are growing as a proportion of overall on-the-go drinking occasions 48
Take-outs and implications: beverage consumption on-the-go is a standard form of consumption 50
Conclusions 51
Lifestyle habits mean that there is further scope for occasion growth 51
There are a number of counter trends that could inhibit on-the-go food and drink occasions 51
Create age and gender specific marketing for on-the-go food and drink products 51
On-the-move food occasions form an important part of on-the-go occasions 52
Target the breakfast daypart 52
CHAPTER 3 ACTION POINTS 53
Introduction: on-the-go products should be marketed in a way that goes beyond convenience benefits 53
ACTION: Develop convenient product attributes for on-the-go functionality 53
Convenience can mean different things to different consumers 54
Modify product packaging to facilitate on-the-go consumption 54
Develop bite-sized versions of existing products 54
Consider co-selling drinks and snacks together 55
Develop easy-grip packaging to facilitate on-the-go consumption 56
Develop portion control on-the-go products to capitalize on the health and wellness trend 57
ACTION: Develop on-the-go products with genuine value 58
Continually evaluate and lower the premiums attached to convenient food and drinks 58
Communications should focus on the intrinsic qualities of on-the-go products rather than simple, convenient packaging benefits 59
Value and pleasure orientated consumers will make purchase decisions based on hedonistic products attributes more so than basic packaging functionality that facilitates on-the-go consumption. Rather than championing the easy-hold or easy-grip attributes, promotions should instead look to leverage the sensory appeal of food and drinks. In many instances, this can even mean minimizing packaging. By doing so, manufacturers can draw more attention to the product itself and its intrinsic qualities. This can be done by creating windows in the packaging so consumers can see the product within, as is often done with sandwiches. In addition to this, with growing ethical consumerism, food and beverage manufacturers are increasingly under pressure to reduce the amount of packaging they use. 59
Emphasize the origin of your products 60
Challenge perceptions that on-the-go products are unhealthy 61
ACTION: Form close strategic relationships with on-the-go channel partners 62
Ensure that 'immediacy' is a central theme in distribution plans 62
Develop innovative vending machine products to compete with foodservice operators 63
Use forecourt retailers to drive on-the-move food and drink sales 64
Offering consumers more choice through convenience stores and independent retailers will be important 64
Co-brand products with foodservice operators to generate consumer recognition 65
CHAPTER 4 APPENDIX 66
Definitions 66
Research methodology 67
References 67
How to contact experts in your industry 68

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Table 1: Overall and per person number of on-the-go eating occasions (million), Europe & US, 2006-2011 12
Table 2: Overall and per person number of on-the-go drinking occasions (million), Europe & US, 2006-2011 13
Table 3: Extent to which consumers have taken active steps to reduce stress levels over the past year (%), US & Europe, 2006 17
Table 4: Consumer survey: the extent to which European and US consumers spent more time exercising than in the previous year, by country, 2006 18
Table 5: European and US consumer spending on sports nutrition products (US$m), by category, 2000-2010 19
Table 6: Number of single person households in Europe and the US, (millions and as a percentage of total), by country, 2001-2011 20
Table 7: Average daily commute time per employed European and US citizen per working day (minutes a day), by country, 2001-2011 21
Table 8: Average time taken by consumers to prepare meals by daypart, US and Europe, 2004 23
Table 9: The percentage of global consumers who seek discounts and express satisfaction from value, by country, 2005 29
Table 10: Average hours per year and per week, per person in employment, Europe & US, 2001-2011 32
Table 11: Global home working projections, by country and type, (m), Europe & US, 2001-2011 33
Table 12: Overall number of on-the-go food occasions (millions) and per head occasions, Europe & US, by age and country, 2006 37
Table 13: Overall (millions) and per head on-the-go eating occasions, Europe & US, by gender and country, 2006-2011 39
Table 14: Overall (millions) and per capita on-the-move and on-the-go food occasions, Europe & US, by country, 2006-2011, 41
Table 15: Overall (millions) and per capita on-the-go occasions by mealtime occasion, Europe & US, by country, 2006-2011 43
Table 16: Overall (millions) and per capita on-the-go snacking occasions by daypart, Europe & US, by country, 2006-2011 44
Table 17: Overall (millions) and per capita on-the-move mealtime occasions, by day-part, Europe & US, by country, 2006-2011 45
Table 18: Overall (millions) and per capita drinking occasions: a comparison of on-the-go occasions against beverage occasions in total, Europe & US, by country, 2006-2011 47
Table 19: Extent to which consumers sought more food and drinks which were both convenient AND healthy in 2006 than the previous year, Europe & US, 48
Table 20: European and US healthy on-the-go drinking occasions (total), 2006-2011 49
Table 21: Sales of bottled water, (US$m), Europe & US, 2001-2011 50
Table 22: Sales of carbonated drinks, (US$m), Europe & US, 2001-2011 50
Table 23: On-the-go definitions 66


Figure 1: On-the-go consumption occurs when consumers are engaged in other activities or in environments not particularly suited to food or drink consumption 11
Figure 2: Factors driving on-the-go food and drink consumption 14
Figure 3: Well over a third of EU citizens believe that their work is too demanding and stressful 16
Figure 4: Factors inhibiting future on-the-go food and drink occasions 26
Figure 5: Hi-lo consumerism: consumers are trading up and down depending on the emotional importance of the purchase 28
Figure 6: US consumers are notably value conscious when it comes to consumer packaged goods 30
Figure 7: On-the-go food and drinks may be sacrificed by otherwise occupied consumers 35
Figure 8: Developing bite-sized versions of existing products is one way of making food for suitable for on-the-go consumption 55
Figure 9: Consider co-selling drinks and snacks together 56
Figure 10: Developing easy-grip packaging is an important factor associated with targeting on-the-go consumption 57
Figure 11: 100 calorie packs have been an important area of innovation in the US, especially for snacks 58
Figure 12: Price premiums should be associated with the factors related to the premium price index (PPI) rather than more basic convenience benefits 59
Figure 13: Emphasize the origin of your products 61
Figure 14: Challenge perceptions that on-the-go products are unhealthy 62
Figure 15: Developing innovate vending machine products to compete with foodservice operators has the potential to be an important route to serving on-the-go consumers 63

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