Taking inspiration from our current foodservice trends 2021 book, released early January (free download here: www.coverpoint.co.uk), we take a look at the spaces, places and environment (online and offline) in which foodservice operators interact with their customers. Here’s looking at you - landlords, asset managers and developers – this is the new expectation from your tenants and their customers…..

In this year’s trends book, we look at the foodservice business environment (let’s call it the ‘marketplace’), in terms of Experience, Functionality and Design. When we considered the trend, it felt natural to split it this way but, as always with these things, they fit together and blend into each other, rather like a massive trend omelette! These sub trends create a marketplace that is changing rapidly in the wake of Covid-19, recessions and people’s desire to ‘get back out there’.

What’s that coming over the hill – is it a monster?? Nope, it’s experiential foodservice. ‘What?’, you cry, ‘this isn’t new, this is old news’. Well, it is but also it isn’t. As far back as the beginning of 2018 (remember them days?), we predicted that the ‘Experience Economy’ was going to be huge with two main segments, we nattily named ‘Dinertainment’ and ‘Snobbmodities’ taking centre stage. Dinertainment was all about social dining with entertainment thrown in; competitive socialising etc. This really worked and was huge until Covid-19 hit. Snobmoddities was all about a bit of luxury, tied in with social media presence and the need to be seen. This was also very accurate, with the rise of the middle classes and increase in social media use and accessibility. So, what is different now?

I would answer that there are three huge changes that have occurred:

1. The world hasn’t just spent a year in lockdown not to get out and party like it’s 1999, when it all eases. According to Eventbrite, 7 out of 10 millennials experience FOMO (Fear of missing out), whilst 80% of festival goers will be attending an event within six months*.

2. The world just spent the year in lockdown reassessing what life is all about, concluding that it’s for living. Family, friends and good cheer are the most important things. A survey by McKinsey has shown that the top three things Europeans are most looking forward to are a) getting together with friends, b) getting together with family, c) Dining indoors at a restaurant bar.

3. The world has also spent the year in lockdown getting to grips with zoom, social media and all the apps. Yep, even my 75 year old mum. The transformation that was projected to take years happened in just months. Forecasts for total U.S. online food delivery are $45 billion in 2020, reaching 13% of the addressable market this year and 16% by 2022.