Consumer Trends

Consumer trends, insights and preferences

Lunch prices fall, but there’s an asterisk

Jan. 31, 2012

Casual restaurants charged about a dollar less last year for a la carte lunch entrees than they did in 2010, underscoring operators’ fear of midday sticker shock, according to data released by Intelliprice, a Boston-based research firm.

Consumer Trends

Kiddie meals with toys on the decline

Jun. 15, 2012

Are Happy Meals history? According to The NPD Group, there's been a 6% decline within the past year in kids meals containing toys at fast-food restaurants. NPD attributes the decline to several factors.

Consumer Trends

Citrus brightens up winter menus

Jan. 02, 2013

Using citrus fruits in winter menu items satisfies consumer demand for seasonal ingredients and for healthier fare. These sour-sweet powerhouse fruits not only pack in large doses of vitamin C and potassium, but also offer folate, fiber, and trace minerals. Customers looking to tone down the calorie count have good reason to look for citrus on the menu; the fruits add only about 100 calories per cup to any food item.

Consumer Trends

Clean restrooms can boost business

Jun. 06, 2013

When it comes to attracting restaurant customers, restroom cleanliness may be as important as food, service and ambience. That finding was reported in a survey of over 1,000 adults by Clorox Professional Products Company.

Consumer Trends

New breaches raise data security concerns

By Sara Rush Wirth on Feb. 24, 2014

Approximately 110 million customers' credit card or personal information was hijacked in the Target data breach that occurred this past holiday season

Consumer Trends

Lunch at lightning speed

By Kelsey Squire on Jul. 30, 2015

The midday meal is seeing a renaissance, NPD Group says, and consumers’ preferences during that daypart are shaping how restaurants deliver.

Consumer Trends

Video: Technomic's 2016 Top Consumer Trends

Jan. 29, 2016

Technomic has identified consumer trends likely to shape the restaurant industry in 2016. Here is what the Chicago researcher has identified as the top trends to expect.

Consumer Trends