Cost of living affects hospitality visits: survey
A new report shows two in five people who visit bars and restaurants have changed their behaviour in some way when eating or drinking out due to the cost of living.
The New Zealand On Premise Consumer Pulse report by NielsenIQ research surveyed 500 people across New Zealand who have visited a hospitality business over the past three months, looking at how many places they have visited and what they plan to do in the future.
Results showed cost of living increases posed the biggest threat to the frequency with which people went out for drinks, but the frequency of visits to bars and restaurants has remained steady with a slight rise in the past month; 43% of consumers reported they visited a hospitality business weekly.
The data also showed 51% are more likely to look at online platforms to help them plan foodled visits to cafes, while only 23% use them for drinkled occasions. Those planning online were mostly searching for content related to venues’ food and drink, so social media attracted less traffic.
‘‘Having an active online presence across various online platforms is key to reaching as many consumers as possible,’’ the report says.
The results also indicated people who tend to visit hospitality venues less often have reduced their visits to an even greater extent, and limited their spend and drink consumption on the few occasions they have visited.
The data showed 79% would be likely to visit a venue they discovered online, while more than twothirds were likely to order food they saw posted online. More than half of consumers were likely to order a drink that they saw posted online.
People were not just looking for recommendations for drinks and food — they also relied on online content to shape their experiences at home, with 48% of visitors to venues viewing online drinksmaking tutorials.
CGA Strategy director of client solutions AustraliaNew Zealand James Phillips said the theatre of food occasions is a key driving force for online interaction, and both operators and suppliers can capitalise on this with their digital strategies around food offerings.
Firstly, suppliers should consider the role of drinks as complementary to foodled occasions to increase engagement with their brands. Secondly, drinks brands could learn from how food is presented online to maximise engagement.
‘‘Of course, we cannot ignore that cost of living increases will also have an impact on drinkled occasions.
‘‘Capturing consumers’ spend for operators and suppliers will become more competitive, therefore the role of enticing consumer segments who have reduced their frequency of visits or spend in the ‘‘on premise’’ to ensure they can maintain footfall will be key.’’