Good news for restaurants: new research suggests almost 9 in 10 New Zealand professionals who eat takeaway order in at least once a week and see takeaway as a reward after a busy day.
The survey of 435 New Zealand adults who have ordered takeaway was carried out by Menulog.co.nz, in an attempt to better understand the motivations of New Zealand consumers when it comes to ordering food.
More than half of respondents (54%) admitted to spending up to a respectable $50 a week on takeaway fare. Forty-two per cent of females order in once a week, compared with 33 per cent of males. Twenty-six per cent of males order in twice a week, compared to 15 per cent of females.
Busy professionals aged 25-44 are most likely to order in once a week (86%), while older generations treat themselves to takeaway once a fortnight or less (just 30% of over 55s).
“These findings point to a growing love of takeaway in New Zealand, which presents a huge opportunity for restaurants to proactively tap in to,” said Menulog spokesperson Kim Russell. “With the majority being small businesses, takeaway restaurants need to look for innovative yet affordable ways to get in front of this takeaway market. Many do not have a strong web presence and one way to do that is to jump onto online takeaway platforms.”
The number one motivation for ordering takeaway among respondents (88%) is to reward themselves after a hard day. Interestingly, rewarding oneself with takeaway increases the younger the age group: 18-24s and 25-34s were most motivated by this reason (90% and 94% respectively).
Almost four in five New Zealanders (79%) enjoy the convenience of takeaway, ordering with the intention of eating leftovers the next day to save on buying another meal.
In addition, 40 per cent admit their reasoning for choosing takeaway is the lack of effort required, and a further 32 per cent believe that ordering takeaway is faster. Almost one in two women (47%) are inclined to order in because they don’t want to dress up for a night out.
“The motivations behind choosing takeaway as a meal option can help inform restaurants about where to direct their plans for growth, or re-direct their current marketing plans. Consumer motivators such as convenience, effortlessness and speed in comparison with cooking means that restaurants offering takeaway need to be at consumers’ fingertips. Whether that be on mobile or dedicated apps, restaurants need to make it as easy as possible,” said Ms Russell.
