Americans Too Tired to Cook or Clean

According to new research from ACNielsen U.S., half of all heads of household are too tired to put much time or effort into evening meal preparation, and nearly two-thirds are constantly looking for faster ways to do household chores.

Such time-pressured sentiments are making convenience-oriented food and cleaning items some of the fastest-growing consumer packaged goods (CPG) products on the market, according to the most recent ACNielsen Consumer PreView survey of consumer attitudes and behaviour.

The research showed that 50 percent of respondents (heads of household age 18+) agreed that: 'I am so busy and in such a hurry all day that by dinner I'm too worn out to fix a meal that requires much in the way of time or effort.' Those most likely to agree with the statement were younger and had somewhat higher incomes. In addition, 63 percent agreed that: 'I'm constantly looking for new ways to get the household chores (like shopping, cooking, cleaning) done faster.' Younger households were most likely to agree with the statement.

The fast pace of life is translating into success for products that promise to save people time. ACNielsen found six fast-growing convenience-oriented product categories. Shelf-stable and refrigerated entrees are fully-cooked meals that just need to be heated; boosting sales in the frozen biscuits/rolls/muffins category are products that allow people to select the quantity that they want to heat; pre-moistened cleaning towels have cleaning or polishing ingredients already in them; numerous new product introductions, such as 'cereal-with-milk bars,' are boosting sales of breakfast bars; and refills for popular electrostatic floor and furniture cleaning products are driving growth in the polishing/cleaning cloths category.

Phil Lempert, a food industry expert and spokesperson for the ACNielsen Consumer PreView service, said, 'Several CPG manufacturers are successfully serving today's time-starved consumer. However, many retailers are still trying to figure out how to do so. The challenge of providing a freshly prepared great-tasting meal at a reasonable price and with a maximum of convenience has yet to be solved. For those who come up with a good solution, there's tremendous upside potential. I don't see consumers slowing down anytime soon, and meal preparation is a key area where consumers are looking to save time.'

The ACNielsen Consumer PreView service conducts surveys once a quarter among members of the ACNielsen Homescan consumer panel. The most recent study was conducted in September and October 2002, and included responses from more than 21,500 demographically balanced U.S. households.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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