News

New research examines the drivers behind consumers' dinner choices

December 8, 2014

Acosta Sales & Marketing, a marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods industry, and Technomic have put together a new report called "The Why? Behind the Dine," analyzing how consumers choose what to eat for dinner.

"Determining what to eat for dinner was once a simple decision, but today consumers’ ‘path to the plate’ is chock full of intricacies," Acosta SVP Colin Stewart said in a news release. "As factors such as family and friends, convenience and value intersect with the exponential growth of meal solutions, diners are influenced by overlapping and interrelated variables at every meal."

The research indicates that dining decisions are both situational and budget-influenced. Some highlights from the report include:

Diners are taking advantage of a variety of meal options. Consumers are diversifying their meal sources as out-of-home choices continue to grow. In the past 30 days, 86 percent of diners ate at a restaurant; 71 percent ordered food for pick-up or carry out, or ordered from a drive-thru; 66 percent brought home prepared foods from a grocery store; and 48 percent ordered restaurant food for delivery.

State of mind drives dining decisions. The most influential drivers behind bringing home prepared foods and determining when and where to eat out are reflective of how consumers feel at the time.

• Not wanting to cook is the most important reason (46 percent) consumers brought home prepared foods from a grocery store, followed by convenience of already being in the grocery store (44 percent) cost compared to eating out (34 percent) and being easier than preparing foods from scratch (34 percent).
• Additionally, consumers cite mood as the biggest driver (44 percent) of going out to eat for dinner, followed by being too tired to cook (42 percent), family asking to go (41 percent) and special events such as birthdays or anniversaries (41 percent).

Consumers are looking for value. Younger diners and those with children are the most price-conscious and likely to engage in promotions and savings strategies.

• Thirty-five percent of millennials shop for meal deals before they choose where to eat, followed by 29 percent of Gen Xers, 21 percent of Boomers and 16 percent of Silents.
• Thirty-five percent of millennials eat out at specific times to take advantage of meal discounts such as happy hour or early bird specials. Twenty-three percent of Gen Xers, 17 percent of Boomers and 12 percent of Silents do the same.

Digital technology is shaping the dining experience. Diners are strategically leveraging digital tactics, from social media to mobile technology, to facilitate their experience and especially save money.

• More than half of diners indicated they were influenced by restaurant email with coupons/offers when deciding what to eat or what they order.
• One in five diners have taken a photo of their meal and posted it to social media, or sent it to family/friends while dining out.
• Twenty-seven percent of diners have posted on social media about their dining experience.