Shorter lunch breaks in Ireland present opportunity for FMCG
Opportunity to target those who frequently skip lunch with 'convenient, fast and exciting options'
29 April 2015
Shorter lunch times mean that one out of five Irish consumers skip lunch almost every day, a new global consumer survey by Canadean reveals.
According to the survey of 1,000 adults based in Ireland, 44% actually skip their afternoon meal at least twice during the working week.
Kirsty Nolan, analyst with Canadean, says: “Nowadays, many busy employees who feel under pressure to meet their work commitments grab a quick bite at their desk, if anything at all. Even though this might initially sound like bad news, shorter lunch breaks actually present a huge opportunity for FMCG manufactures to target busy consumers with convenient, fast and exciting options.”
To date, manufacturers have been paying a lot of attention to consumers skipping breakfast, with innovators constantly creating the latest on-the-go breakfast solution. According to Canadean, the morning goods category, which includes ready-to-eat baked products such as croissants, pancakes and toaster pastries, had a volume of 4.5 million kilograms in 2014, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.7% over the next five years.
The survey reveals that six out of ten consumers in Ireland agree that convenient food can also be tasty, while roughly the same number (62%) find food appealing that suits their needs for comfort. “The strategy to reignite lunch time might lie in offering consumers a moment of comfort and relaxation with a fast and appetising lunch option,” Nolan added.
The Canadean results tie in with research released by online takeaway ordering service, Just Eat last week, as the company announced a new lunchtime offering. This revealed that almost 54% of people eat their lunch within 10 – 20 minutes. The majority of those surveyed spend €5 – €10 per day (55.4%) with a thrifty few (36.1%) spending under €5 per day on their lunch. During the working week the vast majority of people opt for a trusty sandwich at lunchtime (45%) with a further 13.2% opting for a wrap, followed by a salad at 9.3%. The vast majority of people like to treat themselves on a Friday (69.8%).
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