Technomic: Restaurants brace for increased competition

Chicago / IL. (tni) While usage of emerging channels is still low overall compared to traditional foodservice segments, strong appeal among younger consumers and continued nationwide expansion by these channels means increased competition for restaurants moving forward. Technomic’s «2019 Emerging Channels Consumer Trend Report» explores primary and secondary emerging channels, and covers the unique challenges and opportunities that each channel faces.

«Restaurant operators will have to pick and choose how to compete as variety and uniqueness are currently competitive advantages for emerging channels,» explains Bret Yonke, manager of consumer insights at Technomic. «Moving forward, watch for restaurants to turn the tables by utilizing certain emerging channels to expand their own brands, which some have already done by offering meal kits and creating their own branded food trucks.» Key takeaways from the report include:

• 78 percent at least somewhat agree that food halls often introduce them to dishes they’ve never tried before
• 27 percent of meal-kit users say they have switched companies since they first started using meal kits
• 60 percent say that if their favorite food truck opened a restaurant, they would be likely to visit

Compiling findings from 1,500 consumer responses, as well as trends, the comprehensive «2019 Emerging Channels Consumer Trend Report» serves as a guide for foodservice operators and suppliers to help them better understand consumer usage, attitudes and preferences toward emerging channels and to identify opportunity areas.