Street food and coffee shop operators have the greatest potential to grab market share in the food to go market, according to the latest data.
MCA’s comprehensive Food To Go Report 2017 predicts that the current focus on food ranges within the coffee shop sector will lead to the segment’s share of the overall market grow from 9% this year to 10.3% by 2020. It has already grown from 8% in 2014.
Street food, meanwhile, is likely to increase its share of the overall market from 5.6% this year to 6.2% at the end of the decade. However, this growth is slower than the past three years, during which it has grown from 4.2%.
Convenience store grab & go is set to remain the dominant segment in the market with share set to increase from 24.2% to 24.3% over the next three years.
In terms of market growth drivers, the report predicts that operators will continue to the under pressure to produce, healthier foods as well as more hot options and to continue to innovate. External factors such as busier lifestyles with less structured eating patterns and demand for convenience will remain of high importance. The report predicts value consciousness will continue be important but is likely to plateau going forward.
In the final quarter of 2016, food to go accounted for 43% of total out-of-home visits – up from 40% in 2015. MCA’s Food To Go Tracker shows 61% of snacks and 31% of meals were bough to-go last year.
It shows food to go is most frequently bought as a snack, with food and drink consumed in-between meals making up 56% of all food to go occasions. Snacks and dinner both grew in importance to the food to go market last year, as breakfast and lunch became less important in the overall mix.
Average spend per food to go visit in 2016 was up 7% year-on-year at breakfast to £4.28, with lunch spend up 10% to £5.19 and snack spend growing 11% to £3.17. However, dinner spend dropped from £13.89 to £13.20.
To find out more about the Food To Go Report or other MCA insight please contact enquiries@mca-insight.com
