What the New Study Says About Consumer Dining Priorities

What the New Study Says About Consumer Dining Priorities

As encouraging news arrives for manufacturers, customer concerns continue. For this reason, the food packaging and manufacturing industry stands at a unique place in the market place.

John Burke, of the Food Packaging Institute, shares more of his opinions on the state of the industry and its distinguishing markets.

As we saw in FPI’s study, things are looking rosier for food packaging. Burke points out specific realities of end-users who are dealing with economic troubles and what the industry’s future holds.

“It’s not that our members are not affected by the recession,” Burke says. “If people stop going out to eat, then that would have major impact on us.” However, he says, consumers are mainly adjusting their food behaviors.

“Basically what takes place (and consumer trends) is what makes us what I call recession-resistant.” Burke describes the new patterns of customer spending as “dining down.”

Customers might dial back their visits to white linen tablecloth establishments and replace it with a single-use, take-out restaurants. Quick Casual, Quick Service restaurants have supplied a different kind of eating opportunity for the public, Burke says, and it marks steadfast output for the industry.

In sum, the industry continues to meet the needs of consumers at each level of dining. Each demographic and generation looks for a different delivery of their food packaging, and so Burke says, continue industry’s opportunities to serve.