Sodexo Maps Food Eating Habits Of Millennials

The love for food and the desire to control what to eat has caused fads and revolutions across ages. And this is one area where millennials are no different from their predecessors – they love their food. However, there is a marked difference in the ways this generation looks at food vis-à-vis the way the older generation did. 

Millennials form more than half the country’s population and their exposures and experiences have shaped the way they look at food. No wonder they have not just significantly contributed to, but also drastically transformed the way food is perceived and consumed all over India today. The proliferation and ever-increasing popularity of fast-food outlets, gourmet restaurants, food trucks, pop-ups and self-pick up points with food boasting of international/local delicacies, and the array of options in specialty grocery stores are all a testament to the all-pervading influence of the millennials on the food-consuming habits of present-day India.  

Sodexo's internal study report has found out key trends about what are Indian millennials eating and how? Some noticeable trends in the way millennials consume food today include:

Increasing propensity to eat out:  Unlike their parents, millennials eat out more frequently. From exploring exclusive gastronomical delights to discovering little known wonders of local cuisines, millennials are enthusiastically eating out or having food delivered in on a regular basis. Higher disposable incomes, exposure to global lifestyles, travel and a large number of working couples living in nuclear families, have made eating out a common occurrence, even in smaller cities. For instance, the usage of the Sodexo Meal Card in Fast-food and restaurants businesses have shown a growth of 118 percent during the last year. Most of the total business volume comes from the top ten Indian metros where the use of smart-phones and access to the latest technology is higher.

Awareness and a tendency to be responsible and conscious of what they eat: Millennials are also increasingly conscious and aware of the impact of food habits on the planet. There is a noticeable shift towards healthy options, including vegan and plant-based foods, and locally-sourced products. The growing popularity of farmers’ markets illustrates this. Also, they demand and expect transparency, as evidenced by the increasingly detailed information on food labels. In the health food category, Sodexo meal card consumers spent 174 percent times more money than the previous year.

An adventurous palate: Unlike earlier, millennials are willing to explore diverse cuisines and experiment with the lesser known dishes from across the country. Millennials are not only ready to taste food from across the world, but also to cook the same at home. The availability of a variety of ingredients at grocery stores, unheard of even a decade back, is proof of the growing inclination of millennials to experiment in the kitchen.  

Convenience: Perhaps the foremost trend in driving food choices today is convenience. Millennials’ food consumption and choices are inherently driven by convenience. For the tech-savvy generation, apps and smart solutions are the keys. Convenience and ease are priorities, which is why ready-to-eat food, meal-kits, food-delivery apps, online ordering, etc are extremely popular with this generation. Sodexo has witnessed  65 percent growth in online ordering of meals and other food items during the last six months. Thanks to the multiple apps available for easy food delivery and the brand’s initiative of growing and customizing its network by adding portals like Zomato, Freshmenu, and Swiggy to meet the diverse needs of the millennials. 

Tech-driven & social– From online shopping for groceries to scheduling home-deliveries at a convenient time, technology has simplified the way we look at daily chores, doing away with weekly shopping expeditions to the grocery stores. Today, the food habits of millennials are highly tech-driven. Sodexo offers its consumers multi-modal ways to make payments, these include scan & pay, tap & pay and swipe & pay. 28 percent of total transactions are already on E-comm and QR Codes.