Prepared foods have made it to the buzz level. Almost as many consumers looking as buying. Five "kinds" of prepared foods top the talk and wish lists:
Some are happy with what they are finding. Many still aren’t finding prepared foods that match their hopes and price barriers. POSITIVE FEEDBACK IS HAPPENING Most of the positive feedback we’ve received on prepared food menu items has centered on traditional basics. Many traditional consumers are contemptuous of the pricey, contempory and "cutesy" dishes that dominate many prepared food sections. Those who are buying contemporary fare aren’t the ones who are complaining about it – but they are far more likely to say that it helps than to say that it’s great.
DISTRUST AND DISAPPOINTMENT
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The reach of many trends is broad and rapid in today’s food marketplace. Ethnic breads and prepared foods are almost everywhere -- their popularity is reflected in the table below which shows how a cross section of trendy foods, flavors and preparations measure up on national appeal. Lovely breads are one of the joys of the current American foodery. Thanks to taste interests sparked and nurtured by bagels, pita, croissants, tortillas and Philly Cheese Steaks (served on Italian rolls), interest in ethnic breads has spread in all directions and reached all age groups. The appeal numbers below suggest that America’s white bread culture is fading into history – except among our youngest respondents – those who are most likely to use peanut butter and white bread as their daily and/or nightly sustenance. The breads that tantalize "older" Americans’ palate and purse flourish in a jungle of textures, shapes, and flavors. It’s hard to remember how recently it was that many New Yorkers believed that there was no good bread between New York and Paris. The variety, importance and sales of fresh produce are greater than bread’s but when today’s consumers talk about what turns them on and off about competing food stores, bread is right up there. The current appeal of prepared take-out foods is greatest for our youngest respondents but increasingly widespread among the over thirties as well. Besides the age differences, this tables shows the sophistication of the American palate. Note the wide interest in novel flavors and cuisines that until recently were triggering grimaces. Trendy Foods and Flavors
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Depending on your age, weight, and attitude, candy is a treat, a threat, a snack, an escape, a dessert, a holiday tradition, an energy boost, or a cause of diabetes, dental decay, and overweight. The reasons for eating (lots of!) candy vary significantly and meaningfully by age. Younger consumers use it primarily as a treat while older consumers use candy primarily for gifts and holiday traditions. Consumers 31-49 (those on the younger side of today’s middle age) use it to satisfy cravings which aren’t shared by consumers older or younger than themselves. (Some of those cravings are diet based, some attributed to giving up cigarettes, and some to the everywhere-availability which keeps temptation terribly high. Candy consumption has been growing throughout the 90s, with consumption actually rising almost five pounds a person since 1990. Availability is a big part of the reason: candy is everywhere. Larger size packages are another part of the reason: big candy bars and pouches of candy are almost as common as Huge Gulps of soft drinks. Safe escapes are another: Hershey calls it’s new bar Sweet Escapes but considering candy’s longstanding usage as the reward for good behavior and its safety record relative to other food categories, candy is a relatively risk-free indulgence. (Flirting with a few extra calories is nothing like flirting with toxins.) Less smoking is still another part of the reason for growth: life stress is more widespread than ever and the cigarettes that helped so many of us cope with the stress have given way to treats – of which the most popular and easily available is candy! All this considered, it’s sweet wonder Americans are getting chubbier and chubbier. How respondents say they are using candy
Candy Quality, Taste, and Value
Candy-love is not without complaints as well as compliments. Many consumers see candy quality slipping and both taste and brands going down hill. Many see the gourmet candies like Godiva tasting more delicious than the popular candies they grew up with. Many complain about artificial tastes and chemical aftertastes or about freshness and declining value. About 35% think that candy is much too widely available and should be handled more responsibly or regulated out of some of the millions of in-your-face displays that create problems for those with big appetites and low resistance. Another 35% report trouble finding brands and types of candy that they especially like. Those who complain about rising costs and declining value are especially annoyed by shrinking weights and sizes that seem to misrepresent what’s in the package.
Candies that many consumers have trouble finding:
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It may be the cleaner air and fresher, faster waters of spring – but consumers’ wish lists are high on quality right now. Quality hunger is popping up like Spring flowers, even in this month’s report on candy which found many consumers saying that all candy is wonderful but lots of it really should taste better than it does. The enthusiasm for up-market quality has been market-proven in coffee, beer, sauces, soups, condiments, deli meats, preserves, ice cream, produce, and breads. It’s apparent in current consumer-talk about treat-foods that are used primarily for pleasures, about foods that are used primarily for health and nutrition, and about widgets from cars to toothbrushes that really do a better job.
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Personal To a generation of busy non-cooks who love to eat well, a personal cook or chef is sounding more desirable that the most fabulous kitchen equipment. The appeal of a personal chefs for entertaining and just plain living came through this month’s personal wish lists and in response to our appeal question on trendy foods and lifestyles. Personal-chef appeal goes together with the broadened acceptance of regular eat-out and/or take-out as a good and appropriate way of life for Main Street (see Trendy Food table above) – not just something for Big City trendsetters.
For their stores:
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We asked two error questions last month:
To the first question, most who answered were affirmative – seeing the situation as indeed improving but often pointing out that stores really needed to keep working on it, which helps to explain the lopsided answers to the second question: To the second question, about whether they had experienced any scanner errors in the last month, ninety-one percent of those answering said Yes, they had experienced one or more scanner errors in the last month. But the errors cited tended to be at drug stores and mass marketers rather than supermarkets, suggesting that consumers really think that supermarkets are doing better – which could mean becoming more trustworthy.
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Lowering the hassle factor is the most powerful purchase driver in today’s consumer marketplace. Few marketers are successfully meeting consumers’ expectations. The comment below, from a 37 year old Mid-Westerner, is a near-perfect explanation of the low-hassle force in purchase and food decisions. "It seems like the easier thing to do in the evening is just go out somewhere. I'm tired of the "express" line being the slowest in the market. I'm also tired of all the "deals" I have in supermarkets and fast food places. Give me a slice, some eggs, a sandwich - that's fine. Too tired in p.m. to care." |
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