The current economic downturn has affected people‟s behaviour as they choose meal solutions. Many are
trying to save money by cutting their use of takeaways and reducing the frequency with which they go to
restaurants. This behaviour correlates with consumers preparing more meals at home
The convenience trend symbolizes the increased time pressures, stresses and work-life
balance problems that consumers are increasingly experiencing, as illustrated
Time scarcity, meal fragmentation, speed shopping and the erosion of cooking skills are
stimulating the demand for more convenient food options. Working longer hours and lack of cooking skills
increase the attractiveness of convenience foods
Many consumers are feeling overwhelmed by their lifestyle obligations. Time-pressured consumers
express strong preferences for quick, efficiency-driven products that allow them to feel more in control of
their time. This consumer group will multi-task in order to compress more activities into less time, leading
to wide behavioral implications. For instance, time scarcity is a common reason for consumers failing to
maintain a healthy lifestyle, including, skipping meals, eating-on-the-go, cooking from scratch less often,
and failing to exercise regularly. As a result, consumers are looking to simplify and reduce time in the
kitchen. Product solutions are needed to restore balance in the consumers‟ life (