C-stores growing their share of eating out visits

Convenience stores and supermarkets have grown their share of eating out visits, according to research from MCA Insight – a research insight agency across the foodservice and hospitality sectors.

The insight comes from MCA’s Quarterly Update, underpinned by its Eating Out Panel, which comprises 6,000 consumer interviews every month.

The sample is representative of 18+ UK adults in terms of age, gender and region, and covers every day part. The results look at the overall foodservice sector, how individual brands are performing and consumer trends.

The report highlights that food to go purchases from supermarkets and c-stores are making up a growing share of breakfast and lunch visits in the eating out market.

Compared with the third quarter of 2017, their share of breakfast visits has risen from 5.0% to 6.0% and at lunch it has grown from 9.5% to 10.6%.

C-stores and supermarkets continue to command the largest share of the snacking day-part, but have seen their share diminish in the last year, falling from 25.9% to 23.0%. Coffee shops have closed the gap, growing their share from 15.3% to 17.6%.

Greta Glaveckaite, data analyst at MCA Insight, said: “Year-on-year more consumers are demanding fast service at breakfast and a high proportion want a convenient location and good value at lunch. Supermarkets and convenience stores are in a fantastic position to satisfy all of these demands and continue to put pressure on foodservice operators.

“The main watch out for c-stores and supermarkets is in the snacking mission. They continue to command the largest market share, but this has been eroded by the growth of coffee shops. With fewer consumers concerned with fast service and a convenient location, and more demanding greater food quality, there is a threat to supermarkets and c-stores that this trend will continue.”