Consumers are opting for low ticket meal occasions and affordable channels, driven by neccesity missions, according to Lumina Intelligence.
Improved consumer sentiment compared to last year has driven a higher proportion of UK adults to have an eating or drinking out occasion in October, with penetration growing +2ppts to 56%.
However, according to Lumina’s latest Eating and Drinking Out Panel snapshot for 4WE 29.10.2023, occasion frequency remaining stagnant due to ongoing financial concerns.
Spend also increased by +42% to £16.29, compared to £11.48 the previous month.
Delivery share of occasions saw a marginal increase to 14.1%, compared with 13.7% in September.
Lumina noted that consumers are opting for low ticket meal occasions with lunch and dinner seeing a boost in occasions.
The lunchtime day part share increased 0.3ppts, whilst dinner increased +2.4ppts in October to 30%, compared to the previous month.
Meanwhile, breakfast fell 0.5pps to 3.9% with drink occasions also falling -0.9ppts to 24.1%.
Consumers were driven by necessity with more social channels including restaurants failing to gain share, remaining at 12.6%.
QSR has seen a +1.2ppt rise in share and retail occasions have risen by +1.6ppts, as value conscious consumers trade down.
Coffee and sandwich shops retained the largest channel share at 28.4%, however this did fall -1.2ppts compared to September.
Meanwhile, pubs and bars share of occasions fell -1.9ppts to 13.65 in October.
Sorcha Simons, insight manager, Lumina Intelligence noted that stormy weather and above average October rainfall prompted consumers to watch the Rugby World Cup at home.
Alcohol duty increases have also caused hikes in alcohol prices this year, responsible for a decline in drink-only occasions.
The growth in retail occasions has led to a rise in sandwich purchases, +1.6ppts, as consumers are purchasing inexpensive sandwiches from retail on the go.
However, ice cream and sorbet was also among the top foods, with 4.4% of occasions, an increase of +1/9ppts compared to the previous month.
