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RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE
What Consumers Won’t Sacrifice For Convenience Food
by emily lohfink, signal theory
In a world of “now,” convenience has become an expectation of daily life. Tech- nology has put the entire world at our
fingertips, making convenience a right, not a privilege, in the eyes of consumers.
This has changed the definition of conve- nience within the food industry and, subse- quently, food brands have evolved, creating a great deal of competition in innovation, func- tionality and choice. As convenience foods have become more prevalent and plentiful, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish ‘convenience’ food from ‘regular’ food.
Consumers, however, are not just looking for ways to save time. Their needs and expec- tations have evolved far beyond that, and “compromise” has become a dirty word. To them, some things (such as quality, healthy eating and certain dietary requirements) are not worth sacrificing for the sake of convenience alone and, luckily, some brands have struck the perfect balance.
Here’s a look at four things consumers don’t want to sacrifice when buying convenience food:
1. Quality
According to data from FoodThink from Signal Theory, a Kansas City-based develop- ment, marketing and design firm, 78 percent of consumers say convenience shouldn’t mean they have to sacrifice quality.
Consumers have a strong expectation of freshness and quality from their food, and convenience food is no exception. Luckily, gone are the days when convenience food was synonymous with nothing more than a microwaveable meal for one.
Today’s convenience food often means beautifully fresh, high-quality ingredients together with flexible packaging solutions. Charcuterie-style snacks, decadent desserts and artisanal pizzas all can be found in “conve- nient” solutions — a far cry from the images of dehydrated TV dinners that “convenience” often conjurs.
2. Health
Seventy percent of consumers say they are trying to eat healthier. Many look to
convenience to make healthy food easier to buy and cook. Convenience options within fresh meat and produce have made healthy mealtimes more accessible — items that are precooked, pre-marinated, pre-sliced, diced or cubed reduce the time that comes with selecting and preparing meat and produce.
Healthy snacking products, in particular, are relevant to today’s consumers as 81 percent of Americans snack at least once a day, but almost half (44 percent) say their defini- tion of a snack has evolved. Although past consumers equated snacks to nothing more than junk food, today’s consumers have a broader definition. Some see snacking as a key to maintaining a healthy diet, with a “little and often” approach to meals, which means that health is as important in snacking as it is at mealtimes.
3. Specialty Diets
Paleo, keto, raw, vegetarian, vegan, organic, low-carb, high-protein, low-fat, gluten-free and non-dairy — the list of specialty diets goes on and on. Half of North Americans say they follow a special diet. Special diets are becoming increasingly accommodated, both in and out of the home. In everything from home baking to energy bars, the luxury of convenience is not reserved for those of us lucky enough to be free of food intolerances.
4. Actually Cooking
Feeling connected to the creation of a meal remains important to many consumers — 41 percent feel guilty when they don’t cook
for their family. This number increases to 58 percent of parents. This can create a barrier between them and convenience food if they think they are “cheating” too much.
Back in the 1950s, General Mills famously reformulated their Betty Crocker cake mixes so that consumers had to add an egg themselves (rather than just adding water to the all-pow- dered ingredients). Until then, consumers had rejected the product because they felt guilty for getting credit for baking they hadn’t done. For today’s consumers, the need to feel connected to one’s food remains.
Again, foods that have been pre-prepared but not necessarily pre-cooked can be a huge help to this group because the act of cooking remains with consumers. Products such as stir-fry and salad kits keep consumers in control and connected to the cooking, but with a little help.
Convenience food has come a long way, with many of today’s brands reclaiming it from some of its less healthy predecessors. Most important, these brands are confirming to consumers that they do not need to sacrifice quality, health, diet or cooking for convenience. CPG food brands need to continue down this convenience path because one thing’s for sure — consumers won’t go back to life without it.
Emily Lohfink is a marketing manager at Signal Theory in Wichita, KS where she manages the agency’s FoodThink initiative. FoodThink is a proprietary research study of America’s relation- ship with the food value chain.
18 / MAY 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS