Eating out, dining in: Demanding consumers in China will want foodservice channels to demonstrate genuine innovation

67%

of consumers attach importance to menu innovation in the foodservice sector (2020)

Source: Foodservice survey – 2020 (2,000 respondents)

Top five ways consumers in China say foodservice outlets can help better capture their attention (2020)

48% 51% 53% 60% 69%

Through good word of mouth about the outlet

Source: Foodservice survey – 2020 (2,000 respondents)

Through promoting ethical and responsible causes Social media activity Promoting food and drink from part of the globe that I am unfamiliar with Through taking an active stance on food waste

Key takeaways

• Help consumers boost and improve their diets in a hassle-free manner: Consumers want to improve their dietary habits, as they look to stay fit and active until as late in life as possible. Dieting can often be associated with compromise, meaning better-for-you products need to be deemed compromise-free from a taste and convenience perspective.

• Offer maximum transparency about safety initiatives along the supply chain: Consumers are more concerned about product safety than ever before, as they look to reduce the risk of exposure to germs, viruses and bacteria. Brands need to be transparent over actions taken to ensure product safety along the whole of the supply chain.

• Launch products that promote the concept of holistic health: Consumers are trying to boost their immune system and minimise their vulnerability to disease and illness. This is something that is driving demand for functional products that address a variety of health areas simultaneously.

• Ensure plant-based alternative products are deemed compromise-free: Consumers find plant-based products attractive but can be conscious about the sensory appeal of products. This means it is crucial that such products are seen to replicate the experience of eating and drinking animal produce from a taste and texture perspective.

• Offer taste and nutrition simultaneously: Consumers want indulgent products that help them enjoy moments of escapism from daily pressures without conflicting with wider health goals. This is driving demand for better-for-you snacking options that are high in functional ingredients and low in bad ingredients.

• Streamline ingredient lists and simplify nutritional labelling: Consumers want reassurance that ingredients are real and authentic, and products are free from chemicals that are detrimental to health and the wider environment. As such, consumers want simplified nutritional labelling and are adopting the notion of the fewer ingredients in a product the better.

• Challenge sensory perceptions: Experimental consumers in China are becoming more demanding of the products that they turn to, even when seeking out everyday food and drink products. The desire for self-expression means that brands should look to introduce new and novel flavours that challenge sensory perceptions.

• Highlight sustainability initiatives along the whole of the supply chain: Consumers want reassurance that brands are acting in an ethical and environmentally-friendly manner, especially as they blame big businesses for damage caused to the planet. Brands need to be proactive and transparent in communicate sustainability pledges along the whole of the supply chain.

• Develop customised solutions to help assist health goals: As greater urgency is placed on boosting health, consumers find the concept of customised products appealing. This creates opportunities for innovations around nutrition genetic testing and personalised solutions based on DNA analysis.

• Offer genuine innovation in the foodservice sector: Demanding consumers in China want foodservice outlets that they feel stand out and reflect their attitudes and outlook on life. Menu innovation will be of high importance to consumers, and foodservice outlets should look to leverage this by combining sensory appeal with sustainability credentials.