Food Companies Can Benefit From Advanced Meal Planning By Households

The NPD Group’s recent food and beverage market research report says that most U.S. households at some time plan their meals in advance: 71% sometimes plan dinners, 53% lunches, and 51% breakfasts. 26% typically plan breakfasts. These shoppers often therefore decide what to buy before going to the store. Retailers and manufacturers can establish themselves in the shopping and preparation cycle of household meal planners, usually women, by providing solutions to their concerns about cost, variety, and convenience, and by better understanding shoppers’ impulse purchase behavior and their use of recipes and prepared foods. These strategies can help strengthen shoppers’ loyalty, as well as increase basket size and shopping trip frequency.