Technomic study reveals COVID-19 impact on beverage category

New report uncovers changes in beverage sales and consumer behaviors amid the pandemic

New report uncovers changes in beverage sales and consumer behaviors amid the pandemic

CHICAGO, May 12, 2021—Technomic has released the beverage category sizing report exploring how COVID-19 impacted foodservice beverages. This report is a deliverable of the Away-From-Home Beverage Navigator program, which offers a comprehensive assessment of both hot and cold beverage categories, including market sizing, historical tracking, predicted growth, consumer insights, operator responses, major trends and market dynamics.

“While the beverage category took a hit due to the pandemic, it remains a critical piece of revenue and profitability for foodservice operators. Going forward, operators will need to focus on keeping up with changing dynamics and planning for the industry’s recovery,” explains David Henkes, senior principal and head of strategic partnerships at Technomic. “From focused daypart strategies to re-establishing themselves into consumers’ post-pandemic routines, operators will need to understand changing consumer habits in order to guide foodservice beverage strategies.”

Key findings include:

  • Overall beverage sales were down 31% on a volume basis and 29% in consumer spending
  • Cold dispensed beverage volume was down 30%, while hot beverages were down 34% in volume in 2020
  • 35% of operators reduced the number of beverages that they were offering due to COVID-19
  • 52% of consumers who ordered food from foodservice without a beverage say they did so because they already had a beverage at home, up from 47% who said the same in 2019

Learn more: https://www.technomic.com/reports/multi-client-studies/away-from-home-beverage

Contact: Patrick Noone, (312) 506-3852, pnoone@technomic.com

About Technomic
Technomic Inc., a Winsight company, was founded as a management consulting firm in 1966. Since then, Technomic’s services have grown to encompass cloud-based B2B research tools, consumer and menu trend tracking and other leading strategic research and analytic capabilities, to prioritize and size business opportunities. Our clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants, retailers and multiple other business verticals aligned with the food industry that are looking to make informed decisions to support their business growth. Visit Technomic at www.technomic.com.

About Winsight
Winsight LLC is a business-to-business information company serving the restaurant and noncommercial foodservice, convenience and petroleum retailing and grocery industries. Winsight provides research and analytics, branding solutions, face-to-face opportunities, lead generation initiatives, and content marketing services through products including subscription data products, reports, research tools, research programs, fully custom studies, conferences, custom marketing services, meetings, print and digital trade media. To learn more, visit winsightmedia.com.

Winsight LLC is a portfolio company of Pamlico Capital.

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