Packaged meals on the rise

A ready-made dinner from Wal-Mart, anyone?

When it comes to packaged meal offerings - industry lingo that loosely translates to take-out food or prepared foods eaten shortly after purchase - some of the biggest growth in the restaurant industry is coming from supermarkets, convenience stores - and, yes, even retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. that now offer foodservice options

That's one conclusion of a new study by the NPD Group, a firm in Port Washington, N.Y., that catalogs consumer habits.

"Over the past two years, the foodservice operations at retail outlets (such as convenience stores, supermarkets, discount stores, and price clubs) have posted stronger foodservice traffic growth than any other segment of the restaurant industry," NPD said.

Total restaurant traffic grew by 3 percent over the last two years, but foodservice purchases at retail stores outperformed the total industry with 5 percent growth in the number of meals bought for immediate consumption, said NPD, which added that discount stores such as Wal-Mart and Target and price clubs are showing the strongest rate of foodservice growth.

Consumers once looked to supermarkets and convenience stores mostly for "packaged foods," noted NPD vice president Harry Balzer in a statement; now the customers of those stores also want "packaged meals."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)