“Something quick and easy to eat” continues to rule, claims a recent industry report, showing a decline in food-to-go in the month of January.
According to Wholesale experts TWC Group’s latest MealTrak results, total food-to-go occasions declined by -13 per cent in the latest 12 weeks, with forecourts and independent convenience stores showing the same trend.
The drop is mainly driven by sandwich shops (-14 per cent), coffee shops & cafes (-8 per cent), fast food & takeaway (-23 per cent), high street (-64 per cent), transportation (-62 per cent), workplace (-13 per cent), forecourts (-9 per cent) and independent convenience stores (-19 per cent).
A slight upward trend was seen in the multiples (+5 per cent) and the discounters (+19 per cent), with their more affordable food-to-go offer, remain the clear winners, although the growth rate in the mults has slowed this period.
Commenting on the results, Tom Fender, Development Director at TWC, said:
“January is typically a tough period for the eating out market, with the cost-of-living crisis adding to the woes of the sector this year. Occasions fell by -12% vs. January 2021, which is a continuation of the trend of falling occasions that we have been reporting over the last couple of months.”