Nielsen Wire » dining out

Economy Changing How Singaporeans Shop For Food

Nielsen Wire — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:15:01 +0000

Consumers around the world are changing the way they spend their money given the difficult and uncertain economic conditions. In Singapore, one way people are adjusting is by eating at home more frequently, according to new research from Nielsen. The result: the average Singapore home is spending more on fresh food, groceries and household items than in recent years, creating opportunities for retailers and manufacturers who know how to effectively leverage this new behavior.

The average household has increased overall spending in these categories by 14 percent, with fresh food spend registering an average of 15 percent growth, with the biggest increased among high-income households. Seventy percent of Singaporeans survey said they changed the way they spend their money with a view toward increasing savings. Almost 75 percent of shoppers said that they now “buy only the essentials” and were making fewer purchases of chocolates, carbonated soft drinks and salty snacks. Basics such as rice, bread, cheese, butter/margarine and infant milk were some of the fastest growing categories.

“Modern day Singaporeans lead hectic lifestyles and are generally tight for time, and convenience is the key driver when deciding where to shop. Supermarkets and hypermarkets meet their needs as shoppers are now able to get all of their fresh food, grocery and household needs under the same roof,” said Ooi Pin Pin, associate director, retailer services for Nielsen Singapore. As a result, these outlets have seen their sales of fresh foods post solid growth, while traditional wet markets have continued to decline.

Read the full press release on how Singaporeans are changing how they shop for food here.

Canadians Love Canadian Cuisine…Whatever That May Be

Nielsen Wire — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:53:28 +0000

Canadians love to dine outside of the home, and when they do, their favorite cuisine is “Canadian.” Whether that means going to Tim Horton’s or enjoying a plate of poutine is unknown, but according to a recent Nielsen survey, 26 percent say that they favor their own national cuisine. The second favorite cuisine was Italian followed by Chinese.

Just over one-third of Canadians eat out at least once a week, and 2 percent say they eat out every day. While 57 percent of Canadians say dinner is the most popular out-of-home meal, 13 percent said that breakfast was the meal they ate out most, leading the world in that category (globally 4 percent picked breakfast).

Canadians also were more likely to eat out during the week (Monday through Thursday), similar to Americans, but different than the rest of the world. 12 percent of Canadians eat out alone, a higher percentage than any other country surveyed, save Taiwan. How do Canadians choose where to dine out? The type of cuisine is the leading factor (34%) followed by a reasonable price (22%).

For restaurants in Canada, offering the local cuisine at a reasonable price appears to be a recipe for success. With 61 percent of Canadians going to restaurants at least two or three times a month, dining out remains one of the most popular out-of-home activities.

Read the full report on Canadian out-of-home dining trends here.

What Global Restaurant Diners Want

Nielsen Wire — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:12:11 +0000

No matter where one lives, going out to eat can be one of life’s great pleasures. But what factors determine how global consumers choose restaurants? According to results from the Nielsen Global Online Survey of respondents in 52 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Americas and the Middle East, the prime driver is the type of cuisine, with 27 percent preferring their local cuisine over international fare. The second most important factor is reasonably priced food (24%), although diners in several countries, notably Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Netherlands and Belgium, said prices were the most important factor. A convenient location was a distant third in importance.

After the local cuisine, most international diners ranked Chinese and Italian food as their favorites. But Australians and Singaporeans preferred Chinese food over their own native dishes, while Hong Kong diners’ favorite cuisine was Japanese. Those countries most loyal to their own national cuisines? Italy, with 91 percent of respondents saying they prefer their own cooking, followed by Turkey and India.

Consumers in Asia dine out more frequently than others, but in Hong Kong in particular, nearly one-third eat at a restaurant one or more times every day. Europeans were least likely to go out for a meal, with the Dutch most likely to eat out less than once a month at 57 percent.

More details from the survey can be found in the latest edition of Consumer Insight.