Reveal Marketing Research Study: One-third of Romanians do not go to the food court in malls in the COVID-19 context
- 90% of Romanians believe that the HoReCa industry has been greatly affected by the context of the pandemic.
- If before the pandemic, only 7% of people say they NEVER went to restaurants in shopping malls, today the percentage has risen to 32%.
- The quality of the products is the most important in the purchase decision from the restaurants in the mall, being mentioned by 54% of the people.
Context
In the context of the pandemic, consumption habits have changed significantly in the last year, thus influencing the evolution of businesses in various areas of activity. HoReCa is by far one of the most affected industries due to the COVID-19 context. To what extent do people still frequent the food court in malls, how loyal are they to these places, and what are the relevant criteria in their purchasing decision? Reveal Marketing Research provided the answers in a study on the consumption behavior of Romanians regarding mall restaurants.
Today, people rarely buy from restaurants in the shopping centers and when they do, they prefer fast food ones
90% of Romanians believe that the HoReCa industry has been largely affected by the context of the pandemic. This is reflected, among other things, in the lower attendance of restaurants in the mall. Before the pandemic, most Romanians say they frequented them 2-3 times a month (19%), and now they do so once every few months or even less often (40%). When they do go to the mall, however, the most popular restaurants are fast food ones, mentioned by more than half of the people (55%). Other preferences are Romanian restaurants (33%) and cafes (20%).
For Romanians, quality is the most important aspect in terms of purchasing decisions from a mall restaurant. The price is in second place in the list of criteria
The quality of the products is the most important in the purchase decision from restaurants in the shopping centers, being mentioned by 54% of the people. Price comes in second place (41%). Another relevant criterion for Romanians is the degree to which safety measures against COVID-19 are meet in these places – important for 32% of them.
In addition, the study also looked at the impact of promotions on consumer loyalty. 40% of people say that they alternate about the same restaurants, depending on the promotions they have. This is useful information for brands, as they can continue to communicate offers to attract consumers, even in the context of the pandemic. Another category that brands must pay attention to is that of loyal consumers, represented by a quarter of Romanians – 25% say they usually buy from the same place, regardless of promotions. Thus, restaurants must identify, through loyalty studies, what are those additional elements that make people loyal.
One year after the pandemic broke out, the incidence of going to the mall’s restaurants has dropped – those who say they NEVER never go are now even more
If before the pandemic, only 7% of people said they NEVER went to restaurants in shopping malls, today the percentage has increased significantly. One year after the outbreak of the pandemic, 32% of Romanians say they do not attend these restaurants at all, especially people over 55 (65%). The restrictions imposed in areas with a high degree of spread of the virus, as well as the fear of illness in public spaces, can be explanations for why many Romanians avoid restaurants in shopping malls.
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About Reveal Marketing Research
Reveal Marketing Research is a market research company, with a team specialized in marketing research, sociological studies, customer insight, business strategy, market development. With expertise in over 20 industries, Reveal Marketing Research believes that market research is the basis for the right decisions and an accurate brand positioning. The qualitative and quantitative solutions provided by Reveal have been helping companies in Romania and Europe for over 12 years.
Methodology: The method used was CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) and 1004 online interviews were conducted with respondents over the age of 18, online users, on a nationally representative urban and rural sample between February 18-22, 2021. Sampling error +/- 3%. Confidence level: 95%.