Eased lockdown likely to hike food delivery, takeaway and recipe box sales

• Recipe boxes provided inspiration for different dishes and much-needed variety, Him and MCA Insight said

• Consumers are less driven by sticking to where they always go for the lunch occasion

Food delivery, takeaways and recipe boxes are expected to see an uptick in usage in the coming week as lockdown measures ease, according to the latest consumer shopping behaviour survey from Him and MCA Insight.

The Channel Pulse week six (w/c 27 April) research found a 5% increase in frequency for meal delivery by consumers.

Him and MCA Insight forecast the figure would surge next week by 25% as more foodservice operators re-opened for takeaway and delivery only.

Consumers also expect to be using recipe boxes more next week (+18%) as the convenience of having meals home delivered and not having to source individual ingredients plays well to the challenges created by lockdown.

Recipe boxes also provided inspiration for different dishes and much-needed variety when most meals were being consumed at home, Him and MCA Insight said.

Meanwhile, discounters have gone from a predicted swing of +11% last week to +38% this week, just 1ppt behind online supermarkets. The main mission for the discount channel is the main weekly shop and it is up 6ppts vs last week.

Lunch is the only meal occasion to see an increase in share this week. It is the highest increase seen for that part of the day so far during the six weeks of the Channel Pulse survey. Consumers are less driven by sticking to where they always go for this meal occasion (-3ppts) and are instead being driven by more choice (+1ppts), suggesting they want to mix things up following many weeks of working at home.

“Seven weeks into lockdown it is no surprise that consumers are looking to mix things up and add variety to daily routines, including the meals they consume,” said Blonnie Walsh, head of insight at Him and MCA Insight.

“This is reflected in a greater focus on the lunch occasion and choice at this daypart becoming more important, with fewer consumers sticking to where they usually go for this meal occasion. Similarly, recipe boxes offer a solution that not only takes the pain out of shopping for specific ingredients but also delivers on much-needed variety and inspiration.

“Likewise, foodservice delivery/takeaway, largely consumed as a ‘treat’, offers a break from the routine and with more operators re-opening for delivery, there is now a greater choice available than just a few weeks ago.”