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Take-Away World
Asia is just as much in the grip of fast food culture as the US or Europe, according to the latest from AC Nielsen - in fact there are three Asian economies where a higher proportion eat take-aways than in the US.
Ninety-nine percent of Filipinos and ninety-eight per cent of Taiwanese and Malaysians eat at take-away restaurants, compared to 'only' 97% in the States. Nielsen's Consumer Confidence and Opinion Survey studied 28 markets across three regions over the Internet in October. The regions are Asia Pacific, Europe and the US and results are based on more than 14,100 responses.
Thirty-four percent of Asia Pacific adults eat at take-away restaurants at least once a week, slightly behind fast food fans in the US (35%) - both are way ahead of Europe where the figure is only 11%. Of the top 10 markets globally for weekly take-away consumption, nine are in the Asia Pacific region:
Percentage of Adult Population That Eats at Take-Away Restaurants at Least Once a Week: Top 10 Global Markets
| Country | % |
| Hong Kong | 61 | | Malaysia | 59 | | Philippines | 54 | | Singapore | 50 | | Thailand | 44 | | China | 41 |
| India | 37 |
| U.S. | 35 |
| Australia | 30 |
| New Zealand | 29 |
Lennart Bengtsson, Chief Marketing Officer of ACNielsen Asia Pacific, says that busy lifestyles and ease of access to a wide variety of fast food restaurants have proven to be a powerful combination. 'Smart consumer packaged goods manufacturers are tapping into consumers' need for convenience by offering a wider assortment of prepared and easy-to-prepare meals than ever. Where fast-food restaurants still have a significant advantage, though, is the ease with which consumers can make their purchases. Perhaps we'll begin to see drive-thru windows at grocery stores or at least more convenient in-store prepared food sections with dedicated registers'.
Eighteen percent of Europeans and twelve percent of Asians eschew the take-away altogether, with the Danish, Swedish and Italians least favourable to it. Nearly half of Europeans (18%) claim to visit take-away outlets only once a month or less.
Asia Pacific has the most take-away addicts, with 61% reportedly eating take away every week in Hong Kong, 59% in Malaysia and 54% in the Philippines.
Dinner is the most popular occasion for take-away, except perhaps in the USA where it is almost equally popular for lunch (91% vs 94% for dinner). A take-away breakfast was less common, although 71% of Malaysians, and nearly two thirds of Hong Kongers and Thais would opt for a 'take-away' breakfast.
The survey asked about the relative importance of factors in choosing suppliers - the three most important were identified as type of cuisine, price and 'a convenient location'. 'Type of Cuisine' was most important for Indonesians (75%), 'convenient location' for Norwegians (61%) and 'Price' got its highest rating in Japan (80%). 'Brand Image' was said to be much less important, with percentages from 9% in Germany to a high of 18% only, in Taiwan.
Among the international fast food chains and local operators, McDonalds was the most popular of all take-away options, with 54% of Americans, 75% of Europeans and 64% of Asians picking it as the first choice for take away food.
The survey covered Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, US, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and UK. Vietnamese consumers were interviewed Face to Face.
The agency's web site is at www.acnielsen.com
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