Reputation Study Finds that Hospitality Consumers’ Expectations Have Risen Alongside Inflation

An exclusive study from CGA by NielsenIQ, the data, research and insight consultancy for the out of home leisure market commissioned in par tnership with Reputation reputation experience management, has unveiled the extent to which macroeconomic factors like global inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic have fundamentally shifted the customer journey to include online engagements across Britain, France and Germany

The study includes insights from a sur vey of around 2,300 nationally representative consumers in Britain, France and Germany who have visited a pub or restaurant over the past six months, looking at their decision making process before , during and after a visit It found that consumers are still keen to eat out, in spite of inflationar y pressures, and they are turning to digital channels to help them make decisions

However, rather than searching for the cheapest option, they would rather make fewer visits and prioritise great value and quality when they spend their money

The repor t highlights several key takeaways on consumer habits when visiting pubs, bars and restaurants:

• Across Br itain, France and Germany, 23% of all consumer s say they demand more from venues than they did 12 months ago

• Across the three countr ies nearly 71% agree that eating and dr ink ng out is the treat they most look forward to

• Enthusiasm var ies by countr y Of consumer s sur veyed, 41% of Br itish consumer s , 44% of Frenc h consumer s and 35% of German consumer s have dined out at least weekly over the past six months

• The cost of living cr isis is a major concern with 65% of Br itish consumer s repor ting that they are worr ied about cost increases and 42% stating that they are dining out less frequently than they did before the COVID-9 pandem- ic British consumers are specifically evaluating the following criteria when choosing a venue:

1 Pr ice (61%)

2 Quality of food (57%)

3 Range of food (49%)

4 Customer ser vice (44%)

5 Quality of previous visits (37%)

“While consumers are still keen to treat themselves, they are pulling back on the frequency of pub, bar and restaurant visits, making ever y step in the customer journey a make or break moment for operators,” says Chris Sparling, CX Strateg y Director at Reputation “With consumers prioritising the best value for their money hospitality industr y leaders must find ways to elicit, analyse and take action on customer feedback, so they can make continuous improvements to the guest experience Tools like Reputation are helping pub, bar and restaurant operators make feedback work harder for their businesses by improving the customer experience to drive repeat visits ”

The repor t also highlights the many ways in which consumers interact on digital platforms with those brands before , during and after a visit

While 57% of consumers across all three countries are more likely to visit a venue if its food, drink or atmosphere look good on social media, there are some slight variations in digital interaction habits by countr y For example 32% of French consumers are likely to recommend a venue during their visit compared to 19% British guests and 24% of German guests

Karl Chessell, CGA Director - Hospitality Operators and Food, EMEA, adds: The cost of living crisis is having a significant impact on consumers discretionar y spending, and it s substantially raised their expectations when they go out to eat and drink Our research shows their love of pubs, bars and restaurants is undimmed, but they want to be sure they will get full value for their hard-earned cash Operators will have to stay laser-focused on guests’ habits and priorities, and be agile and fast when they act on feedback Despite all the challenges, brands that make continuous improvements to their customer experiences have a lot to look forward to this year ”

Reputation’s platform empowers hospitality leaders to make customer feedback work harder for their businesses Interested in learning more?

Please visit www reputation com