Report: Consumers crave premium burgers
(File photo of Angus burgers from McDonald's: Jeff Kauck/Bloomberg News)
America's love affair with the hamburger is no fair-weather fling.
The recession has many cash-strapped consumers skimping on discretionary purchases, but when it comes to ground beef, frugality and thift are apparently not on the menu. Meat loaf? Hamburger Helper? No way! Not when there's Angus and Wagyu beef to be had.
The premise that Americans won't stint on beef is supported by new research from Chicago-based Technomic Inc., a consulting firm to the food-service industry.
In a report titled "Burger Consumer Trend Report," Technomic found that restaurants are gravitating toward the "premiumization," or premium-ization, of the hamburger.
“American consumers take their burgers seriously," Technomic executive vice president Darren Tristano said in a statement. "It may be one area of food service where they are less willing to cut back, despite the current economic environment. They expect to pay more for a higher quality, better burger, and are willing to do so because the value proposition is heightened.”
One more interesting data point from this burger research: "Nearly half of consumers (47 percent) said they think restaurants should offer a variety of burger sizes, ranging from mini-burgers to half-pound burgers," Technomic said.
Comment
Permalink
E-mail
