How Food and Beverage is Adapting to Post-Pandemic Customer Behavior
During the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic, food and beverage businesses found themselves having to quickly adapt or risk perishing for good. Any brand in the space which wasn’t already offering takeout services or didn’t have some form of online ordering system – whether first- or third-party – had to either put these elements in place or close their doors.
However, now the danger has largely passed, it’s time to look forwards and see which trends are shaping the industry in 2023. As people try to move on from the trauma of the pandemic, are they returning to restaurants, bars, and coffee shops and, if so, how are they engaging with those businesses?
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at three big food and beverage trends and customer behaviors which are shaping the industry in the post-pandemic world.
Plant-based
With the most convincing evidence pointing towards the COVID-19 crisis being the result of the animal food industry – an origin it shares with nearly every single public health crisis in the history of man – people are now more strongly focused on choosing more sustainable and cruelty free options.
We have seen terrific engagement with campaigns such as Veganuary, where people are encouraged to try a vegan lifestyle for the month of January following the indulgence of the holidays. According to the Veganuary website more than 620,000 people chose to take part during the 2022 campaign – with participants from over 220 countries and territories.
During the month of January, we see a massive number of food brands launch new plant-based products. For example, January 2023 saw Burger King release an entirely plant-based bacon double cheeseburger and Subway a vegan version of their teriyaki steak sandwich.
Aside from the cruelty aspect, the animal food industry is one of the largest contributors to CO2 and methane emissions, meaning plant-based eating is becoming increasingly desired by customers seeking to adopt more sustainable habits.
Cooking from Scratch
When we were all stuck inside during lockdown restrictions, social media feeds were inundated with pictures and stories of people experimenting with preparing food at home. Baking, cooking, pickling, fermenting, and more all saw a significant uptick in engagement during this time.
Even though the worst days are now [hopefully] behind us, the shift towards remote working which has persisted post-pandemic means people now have more time than ever before to continue cooking from scratch and experimenting with different cuisines, dishes, and skills.
This is why we are seeing a significant and persistent rise in the popularity of meal boxes such as HelloFresh and grocery deliveries. This creates competition between takeout businesses who want customers to keep ordering ready-made food and grocery retailers and supermarkets who want them to continue buying ingredients to prepare at home.
"With shopper habits during the pandemic well established, retailers and operators now have to work hard to encourage consumers to change,” says Katherine Prowse of Lumina Intelligence. "Foodservice delivery continues to grow despite hospitality fully reopening. The shift towards home cooking is something that retailers will want to maintain. In-store theatre and meal inspiration will be key to motivating consumers and driving sales.”
Ecommerce
This is the big one. Love them or hate them, food and beverage businesses need to engage with food delivery platforms if they want to compete in the post-pandemic landscape. Having a proprietary ecommerce/delivery portal is all well and good, but if your brand isn’t discoverable through UberEats or one of the many other similar platforms, you are likely to be missing out on crucial business opportunities.
Customers today don’t want to spend unnecessary time searching and browsing individual websites when choosing something to eat. They want to be able to scroll down a single list, choose their food, and order it quickly with as few barriers as humanly possible. According to the Centre for Retail Research online sales are predicted to make up a third of all new business in 2023. And, despite the issues associated with food delivery platforms, they still provide the greatest opportunity for your brand to be discovered by customers browsing for something to eat.
"You might say we’re witnessing the creation of Generation D – delivery,” said Forbes. "Delivery, take out, ghost kitchens and outdoor dining will likely remain at high levels. Particularly since Millennials and Gen Z adults tapped takeout or delivery for dinner at higher rates than older generations.”
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s searching for more sustainable or cruelty free options, cooking from scratch at home, or leveraging ecommerce portals for takeout experiences, the post-pandemic food and beverage customer is a wildly different animal than before. Businesses in the space need to adapt to these trends and shifts in behavior or risk being left behind.
These trends and more are sure to be hot topics at Digital Food and Beverage 2023, being held in June at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, CA.
Download the agenda today for more information and insights.