Most NZers may stick with eating at home post-pandemic

Te Whanganui-a-Tara  - Latest research shows most US families aim to continue dining at home after covid is beaten.

The eat-at-home trend boosted by the covid crisis won’t recede anytime soon post-pandemic, according to new research from sales and marketing firm Acosta.

After the pandemic fades, 92 percent of US families plan to continue eating together at home at least as often as or more often than they do now, their study found.

If New Zealanders follow suit that’s good news for supermarkets, who last year must have benefitted from a surge in sales of food and beverages and related supplies during and after lockdowns as more Kiwis opted to prepare meals at home or buy grab-and-go and heat-and-eat items.

Now, the question for supermarkets is when will the pendulum swing back toward food away from home?

Acosta’s consumer shopping survey showed that eating together as a family will stay the same for 72 percent of all households, while 20 percent expect to eat together more frequently.

Almost two-thirds of US shoppers polled reported that since the coronavirus outbreak, they cook at home more and eat far more meals at home all the time, the survey found.

Since the pandemic arrived, 47 percent of adults ate breakfast at home every day compared to 37 percent pre-covid, 40 percent of adults ate lunch at home every day (26 pre-covid) and 31 percent of families ate dinner at home every day (18 pre-covid).

Children’s eating habits were impacted as well. Since the onset of the pandemic, 53 percent of kids ate breakfast at home every day (48 percent pre-covid), while 48 percent ate lunch at home every day (33 percent pre-covid).

Eating at home has definitely become more prevalent in covid times, during before and after lockdowns, which is tough on many restaurants.