With foodservice now a mainstay of convenience store revenue, new research by food and beverage market analyst Datassential can help c-stores in efforts to combat negative attitudes of dining out fueled by fears of contracting the illness.
The news recently has a hyper-focus on COVID-19 — the coronavirus — and the public reaction to it. How will this affect restaurant traffic, eating at home and more?
“It’s impossible to predict precisely how coronavirus will spread, but we can share insights on how consumers are likely to react,” according to Datassential.
Coronavirus research from Datassential, “COVID-19: Coronavirus & the Impact on Eating,” fielded March 10, with 1,000 U.S. consumers, revealed that eating establishments are vulnerable to dramatic traffic declines.
Coronavirus has led to nearly 60% of consumers being concerned about eating out, with one-in-five “definitely” avoiding doing so. These are significant figures that suggest a considerable reduction in restaurant traffic should coronavirus infect more communities at a fast rate.
“Moreover, the fear is most significant among parents, urban dwellers and higher earners; should the situation worsen, look for family dining and kids meals to be most impacted — particularly for restaurant brands located primarily in city centers,” the Datassential research states.
Home food wins the battle of safety perception by a landslide.
Relative to coronavirus, consumers overwhelmingly believe food from home to be the safest option. Consumers were asked, “Thinking of COVID-19/coronavirus, which do you feel safer eating?” An overwhelming 89% of respondents chose “grocery stores/food from home.” Just 11% perceive away-from-home food as safer, posing a major psychological barrier that is certain to challenge restaurants.
“Foodservice operators that can offer a responsible and safe solution should do so recognizing that their true competition during these times isn’t other restaurants,” the report said, “but rather the consumer’s own home.”
People are concerned about contracting Coronavirus from an array of food establishments. With cruise ship quarantines in the news, there’s not much wonder as to why three-fourths of respondents believe visiting a cruise ship would increase their likelihood to contract COVID-19, topping the list at 75%; followed by arenas/stadiums (59%), movie theaters (50%), buffet restaurants (49%) and bars (48%) rounding out the top five fear spots.
C-stores landed near the bottom of the list, at 32%, perceived as having less coronavirus danger than cafeterias, food courts, hotel restaurants/bars and limited service restaurants. Only grocery stores, casual dining, grocery deli/bakery and fine dining are perceived as safer from COVID-19.
A majority of consumers indicate they are most likely to decrease their visits to sit-down restaurants. Here they are quite loud and clear – while some may reduce their usage of delivery, takeout or drive-thru, those numbers pale in comparison to the 54% who most anticipate curbing their trips to FSRs.
On the flipside, consumers indicate they are most likely to increase their reliance on food prepared at home. Note that much of this is rooted in simple logistics – one trip to a restaurant typically yields just one meal, whereas a single trip to the grocery store can fuel a week’s worth of eating.
Door handles, soda fountains, and condiment bottles are among the multitude of perceived risky propositions consumers face inside a restaurant or cafeteria. Operators should take great care to diagnose and remediate any potential points of exposure.
Touching door handles topped the list of things respondents believed would increase their likelihood to contract coronavirus, at 78%. Self-serve food such as a salad bar or buffet are perceived as nearly equally infectious at 77% with public restrooms in restaurants at 74%.
Simply sitting in crowded restaurant, 69% of respondents felt, would make them more likely to contract the coronavirus, followed by self-serve drink dispensers and containers as well as using shared condiment bottles.
This explains why regularly wiping down tables, kiosks and other things people touch would make 57% of the people surveyed more comfortable about dining out in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
When it comes to any commonly used surface, foodservice operators and employees are encouraged to “Wipe It Down.” It’s good hygiene and also provides critical reassurance to consumers. If it’s something multiple people touch, wipe it down frequently and visibly.
But it’s not just about one particular thing. Operators and retailers should practice — and visibly demonstrate — a broad range of sanitary measures. Start with the list here, but also pursue other opportunities to keep things clean and safe for patrons.
For more on our COVID-19 coverage: https://cstoredecisions.com/categories/covid-19/.