College Consumers Shift Expectations of Quick-Service Restaurants: "Super-Size the Experience"
Fluent Survey Underscores How Industry Emphasis on Quality and Experience Defined Next Generation's Demands
(firmenpresse) - BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/23/16 -- The concept of low-quality items eaten on the run to kill a hunger pang no longer defines what young consumers want from fast food experiences. Raised on well-prepared foods with a variety of cultural influences and trained to seek deals given economic uncertainty, campus consumers expect all of that and more from quick-service restaurants (QSRs), according to the findings of a new survey from leading college marketing and insights agency .
"The next wave of consumers starts with a higher set of expectations for engagement than past generations: food that is tasty yet affordable, made with quality ingredients, and a social environment," said Fluent EVP Michael Carey. "In changing strategies over the past few years, QSRs set a new bar for themselves. Even a quick meal is an opportunity to relax, gather, engage or find quiet time, and enjoy. ''QSR'' is a far more accurate label for what this demographic is looking for than ''fast food''."
As expected, college students limit their spending per visit, but their visits are frequent with most eating out multiple times per week. Respondents were asked specifically about going out to eat and about meals rather than about visits that might be interpreted as only for beverages.
, with another 35% usually spending up to $15. Less than 10% said they would spend up to $20.
While 12% say they eat out daily, the , and 33% once a week at any kind of restaurant.
Quick-service restaurants increasingly present themselves as gathering places, and those efforts have been rewarded. After all, students have dozens of options, with , 22% eating off-campus most of the time, and the rest eating on or off-campus about the same amount of time.
, with 739 students choosing that factor as one of the top three options.
The second thing students seek from their restaurant experiences is the chance , with 486 students making that one of their top three choices. Nearly the same number of students (471) say they want to "kill a craving." The fourth top reason is going out to celebrate with friends, reinforcing QSRs as a meeting place. Seeking alone time drew only 127 responses overall.
Any brand assuming students living on campus, in the Greek system, or with family might eat out less or spend less would be wrong. When filtered for those populations specifically, the answers remained comparable to the overall respondent group.
Eating out as a "splurge" of any kind did not receive a significant number of responses, perhaps because students do eat out so frequently overall.
College students aren''t particularly fussy, but they will not compromise on the . Per a weighted scale where 2.0 was very important and -2.0 not important, the first two qualities rated above 1.5.
Other : promotional value offerings, ease of ordering, portion sizes, close location, and whether the food is delivered quickly -- and generally healthy.
Less critical factors for the group were new menu items, environmentally friendly practices. A was of even less priority overall.
Looking specifically at new menu options, 77% claim to try them at least once a month. , 53% by word-of-mouth, and 47% would try a new flavor.
The more comfortable students are with a restaurant, the more likely they are to frequent it and to try a new menu item there. .
This survey was conducted July 20 - 26, 2016 and polled 1,142 students from across the country. 65% were female, and 81% were between the ages of 18 and 21. 50% lived off campus during the past school year, and 70% said they spend most of their time where they live, followed by on-campus locations, followed by at friends'' and family homes.
Specializing in "translating brands for the college world," Fluent works with clients who want to understand and engage College Market Consumers (CMCs) nationwide, both on- and off-campus. With a network encompassing more than 1,000 colleges and universities, Fluent''s capabilities include campus activities and programs, College Millennial Consumer insights, digital and social media strategy and activations, and experiential programs. Clients have included major brands such as Kellogg''s, Microsoft, Macy''s, Keurig, Skype, Subway, Zipcar, Kotex, Dove and L''Oreal. For more information, visit: .
Contact:
Sue Parente
781-642-7788
(at)sueparente
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Datum: 23.08.2016 - 07:30 Uhr
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