Study: consumers dining in more

America is breaking out its Crock-Pots and casserole recipes and laying off the Whoppers and the Big Macs.

That's an inference that can be drawn from a report out today from the NPD Group of Port Washington, N.Y., which scrutinizes consumer shopping behavior the way that primatologist Jane Goodall studies the habits of chimps.

According to NPD, consumers feel so squeezed by high gas prices that they are going out to eat less and opting instead to dine at home.

Coinciding with the rise in gas prices, there has been a slow down in per capita visits to restaurants, said NPD, which added that its data show that one quarter of consumers say they are visiting quick-service restaurants less frequently.

Consumers who are eating more at home cite cheaper prices as the primary factor, NPD said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)