Retail is increasing pressure on foodservice
Retail and other channels are taking market shares from traditional foodservice companies according to market researchers like Edurne Uranga of Circana. But there are strategies to counter this effect.
Few delve as deeply into actual consumer behavior in the diverse gastronomic landscape as the market research company Circana. Therefore, Edurne Uranga, Vice President Foodservice Europe at Circana, certainly had the audience’s attention when she opened her lecture at the European Foodservice Summit by calling on the listeners: “Let’s just be happy consumers for a moment.”
However, the figures she presented left some in the audience with a frown. “Consumers have many more options today, leading to a changed market landscape,” Uranga explains. About 15 years ago, consumers mainly cooked at home themselves or went out to eat. Today, there is a multitude of established options, such as delivery, freshly prepared food in supermarkets, digital click-&-collect offers, and especially ready-to-eat options, often in retail.
Retail is capturing market share
In recent years, retail offerings have been able to expand their market share in the European foodservice market. Circana forecasts an increase in sales for ready-to-eat offerings in retail in Europe to €18.1 billion in 2024, an increase of almost €6 billion since 2020.
At the same time, both full-service and quick-service restaurants have slowly but steadily lost market share in the European foodservice market since the pandemic. Consumer spending in the entire out-of-home market has also stagnated across Europe recently, mainly due to inflation. “We have to get used to having reached a certain plateau at the moment,” she said.
“No one eats lunch or dinner twice”
This means that the affordable retail offerings are in direct competition with established foodservice offerings. “No one eats lunch or dinner twice,” Uranga puts it bluntly. Consumers are seeking alternatives, and decisions are increasingly driven by product or price, with location playing a lesser role. This is fitting, as inflation rates in retail are now lower than those in restaurants.
Uranga also highlighted opportunities for gastronomists in this challenging environment, such as collaborating with brands outside the F&B sector, developing their own ready-to-eat brands, or increasing cooperation with retail, for example through shop-in-shop concepts. She showcased examples like Hai Di Lao’s ready-to-eat hot pot products and KFC’s portfolio of ready-to-eat products in China. “Refocus more on value rather than location,” Uranga advised the listeners in conclusion.
