COVID-19 will redefine mealtime ‘convenience,’ report says

The notion of convenience will take on new meaning at mealtimes as cocooning consumers re-evaluate their priorities, according to a report by data and analytics company GlobalData.

“COVID-19 Case Study: New Mealtime Priorities” argues that convenience is not obsolete but will manifest differently in our new self-isolating reality. For example, a focus on ease and efficiency will still define lunch, but meal options will expand as homebound consumers enjoy access to a stove, oven and well-stocked fridge.

“Lunch choices will no longer be driven by individual preferences, but rather what the entire household will eat,” said Katrina Diamonon, principal analyst at GlobalData. Accordingly, single-serve portions and chilled snack packs will be replaced by family-size servings and even cooking kits that children can help with, as school closures and social distancing keep the entire family at home all day.”

Convenience has and will continue to be a fundamental consumer need. The challenge for businesses to reposition convenience-oriented products to meet the needs of today’s more anxious, isolated and value-conscious consumers.