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However, 55 percent of shoppers are preparing and eating meals at home more often; according to polling results, 44 percent of those surveyed reported that they ate breakfast at home every day, as opposed to 33 percent before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Thirty-one percent are eating lunch at home every day, compared to a pre-pandemic 18 percent, and 33 percent are eating dinner at home in comparison to an earlier 21 percent.
Thirty-five percent of those shoppers, according to the survey, have developed a new passion for cooking as a byproduct of doing so more frequently. A quarter of respondents, though, are sick of cooking for themselves.
“With more than half of consumers eating at home more often and some with less money to spend, there are a myriad of challenges and opportunities for retailers and manufacturers to navigate,” said Colin Stewart, Executive Vice President, Business Intelligence at Acosta. “Foodservice sales surpassed retail food & beverage sales in 2015 and were expected to continue to gain share, until the pandemic hit.
"Now, even the best-case scenario for foodservice will end the year in the red. Other trends, like e-commerce, have been accelerated, with online food, beverage and alcohol spend expected to increase 30% this year.”
After the pandemic ends, according to the survey, a large swathe of shoppers plan on cooking for themselves more frequently; 49 percent of those surveyed, for example, plan on exclusively cooking and eating breakfast in their own kitchens.
Respondents cited fear of COVID-19 and a desire to save money as their reasoning for this prediction of their future habits.
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