Welcome to Insight Retail Consulting

Healthy QSR Tasting Good

Research recently undertaken by Inside Customer for IRC has found that the desire for convenient, healthy fast food is quickly becoming the main driver for many Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) consumers.

Undertaking research in 2 UK shopping centres, Westfield Derby and Meadowhall Sheffield, Inside Customer interviewed over 200 customers exiting fast food outlets in order to investigate their perceptions and fast food dining habits.

There is no doubt that the food service industry in the UK has been affected by recent and ongoing economic conditions. Despite this the value of food sales in the restaurant industry (considered to be restaurants, pubs, cafes and QSRs) remain steady and rose in 2010 to £18.87 billion, in line with inflation. The key sector behind this has been QSR, an area that is set to grow by a further 20% over the next 5 years.

What the recent Inside Customer research has highlighted are the drivers behind this progress, with the desire for healthy fast food options highly apparent and the key driver for the majority of QSR customers.

The main outcome of the research was the clear need for a healthy option in the fast food market, with 5/10 choosing their preferred fast food outlet based on a healthy option being available. Moreover, this was the most popular consideration over both sites the research was conducted at, with other considerations such as price, menu and quality less important to the consumer.

Furthermore, despite current economic pressures, when presented with a healthy, convenient option, value was a very small consideration at 4%.

Conversely, the same piece of research also found that only 1 in 5 respondent wanted a healthy option to extend throughout the whole menu of an operator, indicating that choice is paramount and that QSR for many, is a place where they can forget about healthy eating.

However, It is clear that keeping speed with customers and what they want is crucial for any operator. Our research then suggests that there is a clear need and desire for convenient, healthy food and operators that capitalise on this are well placed to benefit from the forecasted growth in this sector.

<back