Shopping, cooking and eating: how a pandemic reshaped our habits
Introduction
One of the most significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been on food and drink. Various levels of lockdown has seen restaurants and pubs close and reopen then close again; homeworking has seen a significant reduction in commuting and workplace meal consumption; there have been marked shifts in how we buy our groceries; and the long-term trend towards out-of-home eating has been rapidly reversed in favour of in-home consumption.
In order to investigate the impact of the pandemic on how we shop, cook and eat, consumer insight specialists Magenta and retail and shopper analysts Shopfloor Insights teamed up to draw out the key shifts in consumer and shopper behaviour, bringing together decades of expertise in ethnographic research and in store observations.
Magenta undertook digital ethnography with 25 participants. Over the course of a week, consumers shared every meal they had at home (cooked themselves, delivery or take away). We asked about their plans, the reason for their decisions, and how they felt about what they were eating. At the end, participants reflected on their behaviour and shared thoughts on what would make their decisions easier and enable less guilt.
Here we share a summary of the key insights from the research accompanied by in store consumer observations noted throughout the pandemic. While some of them might not be a huge surprise, we feel that there are some important implications here for manufacturers, retailers and marketers.
1: SHOPPING BEHAVIOUR HAS BEEN HEAVILY IMPACTED
During 2020, food retailers were never far away from the headlines: crazy scenes of panic-buying; huge recruitment drives; the surge in online grocery demand; and the controversy over business rates relief are just some examples of grocery retail’s prominence throughout the pandemic. The industry has proven to be incredibly nimble and impressively compassionate as it sought to feed the nation and also address the needs of the less fortunate via food banks.
The changes in shopping patterns have been well documented elsewhere, with the likes of Kantar providing a narrative that includes massive growth in online; the first declines in market share in living memory for the discounters; the consolidation of shopping trips into fewer, larger shops (prompting the renaissance of the weekly shop); the return of breakfast as an in-home meal; and robust sales of alcohol.
Some of these observations are reflected in the findings from our research, with key trends including:
Discounters losing out : Several shoppers report that they are frequenting discounters less often, with reasons including a lack of online home delivery option from Aldi and Lidl; long queues; a perceived inability to complete a full weekly shop at these chains due to the absence of some brands/products; and perceptions of poor COVID management in their smaller, busier stores.
Trading up: Some shoppers told us that their higher disposable income (money saved on travel and eating out) is being redeployed by visiting retailers perceived as more expensive, with a number of participants stating that they were buying more treats and spending more money at retailers such as Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and M&S.
More planning: In order to minimise shopping trips (and also food waste), consumers are planning their shopping, cooking and eating much more extensively than they did in 2019. This includes menu planning, batch cooking, freezing food and writing detailed shopping lists. Indeed, it has been fascinating to observe the renaissance of traditional written shopping lists in 2020 as much more planning and consideration is being applied to shopping trips.
Ingredient boxes & meal kits are increasingly popular: Consumers name checked brands like Gousto, Hello Fresh, Simply Cook, Riverford and Oddbox as they described how their use of meal kits and ingredients boxes has increased. The perceived benefits include ease, convenience, a reduction in stress and the time needed for preparation and planning, a broadening of the household’s repertoire and the trialling of new ideas and cuisines. The negatives of these schemes are depicted as cost, concerns about being tied into a contract, a perceived inability to personalise dishes and switch out problem ingredients, and, in the case of fruit and veg boxes, not knowing what was going to be in the box - creating an inability to plan, subsequently increasing stress and food waste.
Meal kits and ingredient boxes provide a solution for multiple needs
“Ordering from Gousto does make it easy to plan for and get the food needed,
it’s one of the reasons I like it and takes the thinking away from deciding what to
have and when.” Amanda, 43
“I tried Oddbox for a couple of months recently but found that I didn't use up
everything that came in the box, so it felt like a waste of money and food.” Kate, 26
Online is not for everyone: While online grocery has virtually doubled in size in less than a year, not every consumer is brimming with enthusiasm. Reasons for this antipathy for some included the shortage of available and/or affordable delivery slots, the fact that some homes (e.g. flats or shared accommodation) had insufficient freezer or fridge capacity to make online deliveries viable, and some shoppers also expressed a strong desire to physically see and pick the items they wanted to buy.
2: WE’VE IDENTIFIED 3 DISTINCT APPROACHES TO SHOPPING AND COOKING
Planned & Prepared Key attributes: Mindful / In control / Stress-free
Shoppers who plan for the week ahead and do a big shop with a carefully constructed shopping list. They tend to be confident with cooking and feel good about their choices and behaviour.
“I plan my meals, so I know what I need to buy and write a list.
It’s always a disaster if I don’t plan.” Emily, 31
Ad-hoc & Adventurous Key attributes: Relaxed / Experimental / Spontaneous
Shoppers who are more mood-led in their decision making on what to cook and eat. They are typified by more frequent shopping, spontaneous meal planning and more experimentation. They see food as fun, but acknowledge that they might be occasionally wasting time, food and money.
“We are quite spontaneous so usually just plan what we are eating that day.
I usually look up recipes online and like to try different things.” Felicity, 32
Under pressure Key attributes: Stressed / Busy / Out-of-Control
Often shopping and cooking on behalf of a household, these shoppers are busy and trying to meet multiple needs. They have good intentions to plan and prepare, but this falls by the wayside when life gets hectic, instead relying on quick and convenient solutions such as takeaways, frozen food and easy store cupboard meals. This can create a significant sense of guilt.
“Sometimes I just don’t seem to have the time or energy to plan anything.
We end up coasting and I feel like I’m letting the kids down.” Amanda, 43
3: THE PANDEMIC HAS ENCOURAGED NEW, EXPERIMENTAL BEHAVIOURS, INCLUDING MORE MINDFUL SHOPPING AND CONSUMPTION
Consumers have either tried something for the first time, or been motivated to reinstate old behaviours. This has included online shopping; using meal kits; and resuming or starting using items such as bread makers, slow cookers and soup makers. Obviously, trends such as healthier eating, the shift towards meat-free alternatives and shoppers trying to make more sustainable choices predate the pandemic, but there are signs that some participants have become more active in exploring some of these options over the course of the year.
4: WITH MOST PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME HANDFUL OF MEALS ON ROTATION, THE QUEST FOR INSPIRATION HAS SURGED
Many households have a fairly limited repertoire of dishes, occasionally supplemented by eating out (as was) or ordering in. A decade ago, it was reported households cook the same 9 meals on rotation. Over the course of 2020, however, with the topic of food becoming more central and meals like breakfast and lunch relocating to in-home Monday to Friday, it appears people have become slightly jaded with their usual menus and are looking elsewhere for inspiration to shake up mealtimes.
This new sense of exploration has been evident in our store observations, with a greater interest in recipes contained in retailers’ magazines, featured on packaging or supplied via on-shelf recipe leaflets and heavier than usual buying in categories such as world foods and herbs & spices.
Everyone has a handful of ‘go-to’ meals they eat regularly, which are becoming boring now we’re eating at home more regularly.
The sources of inspiration for new ideas are a delightful mix of traditional (TV cookery shows, newspapers, cookbooks, supermarket magazines, friends and ‘mum’ were prevalent) as well as the more modern (online recipes, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube etc.). Of the online recipe sites, it appears that BBC Good Food has become something of a default destination for all generations.
“I got the recipe from BBC Good Food. I had looked for it a couple of weeks ago because I
had received a bunch of tomatoes from Riverford and wanted a baked tomato recipe.” Camille, 40
5. EVERYONE WANTS TO ‘EAT WELL’, BUT HEALTHY EATING CAN MEAN VERY DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE
The impact of the pandemic on physical wellness has been mixed, with some people exercising more (c.f. record bike sales) but also snacking more and drinking more alcohol. Also, breakfast has returned as a core meal, something that may have been missed by those with a busy commuting / working regime, meaning that overall calorific consumption might well have increased.
People are still mindful about the importance of food and drink in their overall physical wellness, although for some there remains a gulf between good intentions and the eventual outcome. Many have settled into a pattern of ‘midweek saint, weekend sinner’, trying to eat more healthily and drink less alcohol during the week before allowing more indulgence at the weekend, meaning at the weekend, food becomes more of an ‘event’ as eating in has become the new eating out.
It is noteworthy that eating better often implied consuming less meat for some participants, a trend that exploded in 2020, with some supermarkets almost doubling their ranges of meat-free alternatives and seeing a huge number of new listings from big brands, smaller suppliers and own label developers alike.
As we’re unable to go out to celebrate, take away and delivery food provides much welcomed relief from the routine and rewards getting through the week
6: CONSUMERS LOVE ANYTHING THAT MAKES THEIR LIVES EASIER AND ARE OPEN TO RETAILERS AND BRANDS HELPING THEM MAKE SMARTER CHOICES
It has become clear through the research and through in store experience that consumers and shoppers need help. They have good intentions to make better decisions around food and drink but there is a desire to see brands, supermarkets and food service providers facilitate these smarter choices through information, education, inspiration and facilitation.
Here are the key areas in which consumers and shoppers believe that brands and retailers could offer some meaningful assistance:
Planning & Prep: Shoppers note that they appreciate the endeavours made by some brands and retailers to help them structure their meal planning and shopping trips. Online retailers do well in this regard with their use of functionality such as ‘my favourites’ or the ability to add an entire recipe through one click, while supermarket magazines are warmly regarded for their provision of features like weekday meal planners for example.
Trying something new, but not too far out of their comfort zone
Reducing waste: There is a big opportunity for suppliers and retailers alike to provide tangible recommendations for reducing food waste. These could include providing more information to help create multiple meals from one main ingredient, better information (on pack in particular) regarding food storage, inspiration for redeploying leftovers and improved pack sizing to minimise the risk of food expiration.
Inspiration: Consumers are keen to diversify their repertoire of meals and there is a huge opportunity for brands and retailers here. Initiatives such as on-pack recipe suggestions, in store recipe cards, and merchandising such as chilled gondola ends that house the ingredients for a meal are all ways to inspire consumers to try new recipes. The opportunity via social media is huge: brands and retailers really should be looking at providing more recipes or suggestions through platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.
Healthy hacks: Consumers are more than aware that they could be deploying alternative ingredients, cooking methods and serving recommendations in order to improve the healthfulness of their food and drink. There are many ways for brands and retailers to help here, such as product reformulations, changes in merchandising, on-pack suggestions or the development of new items to create healthier alternatives.
Space-saving solutions: Kitchens are already busy spaces and cupboards are often crammed full. While consumers are looking to broaden their repertoire and cooking skills, they often do not have the space for more equipment, increased amounts of ingredients or to store food in wholesale proportions. Any solutions which reduce the space required to live a more varied or healthy life would be highly welcome.
