Add another challenge to the issues facing limited-service restaurant chains in the current macroeconomic environment: An erosion of brand loyalty.
New research from IFMA The Food Away from Home Association shows half of consumers who frequent major quick-service and fast-casual chains are switching allegiances, driven by factors ranging from menu prices to perception of quality.
The data indicate patrons are abandoning previous favorites not because of being turned off by their usual choice but because an alternative option is offering something more to their liking. That perceived plus varies greatly by generation, according to the findings.
The results, based on a survey of 1,505 consumers, indicate that patrons of limited-service restaurants are constantly re-evaluating their options today. The respondents showed a preference for well-known brands but simultaneously demonstrated an openness to shift their business to unfamiliar options.
The QSR & Fast Casual Brand Switching report reveals where the fans lost by a concept are shifting their loyalties, with both the winners and losers named by brand.
Customers also proved fickle in their choice of service formats and menu types. Patrons who named a burger or Mexican concept as a quick-service favorite indicated they’d switch to a player specializing in other menu options if something about that alternative turned their heads.
Similarly, a significant portion of the survey participants also showed a willingness to switch from a quick-service to a fast-casual concept, or vice-versa.
The research cites a number of ways foodservice suppliers and distributors can help their current or prospective customers hold onto their fans or win new ones.
QSR & Fast Casual Brand Switching was generated exclusively for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association by Datassential. The surveys upon which it’s based were conducted during April.
Visit the Online Store for all of the Consumer & Operator Research Group (CORG) reports. Tier III members of IFMA The Food Away from Home Association can access the report free-of-charge.
The report is part of the ongoing CORG series of proprietary research conducted by the association for its members.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.