A new trends report from international food and grocery expert IGD has found that consumers looking for on-the-go food such as salads, wraps and sandwiches are more concerned with quality and product freshness than price despite the current economic downturn.
In the study, entitled 'Food to Go', 56 per cent of consumers surveyed made purchasing choices based on quality or freshness, with 31 per cent choosing their purchasing destination based on price.
This contrasted with the attitude to their main supermarket shop, with 58 per cent mentioning price as their key consideration when it comes to store choice.
'Food-to-go is a highly competitive market but despite the credit crunch, some retailers and suppliers continue to enjoy strong growth,' said IGD chief executive office Joanna Denny-Finch. 'Price is important, but definitely not at the expense of quality.
'Freshness and speed of service are a winning combination,' she added. 'Many food-to-go shoppers want to be tempted to try something new in-store, so exciting promotions and merchandising are also important, and with the increasing emphasis on healthy eating there is clear opportunity to promote the health credentials of food and drink-to-go.'
