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Methodology
Quantitative Qualitative
• Fielded in October, 2019
• Topics:
• Worldviews and values; health and wellness attitudes and behaviors; food values and attitudes; food rituals and routines; food and beverage sourcing
• Sample:
• Total: n=2294, Gen Pop 18-73, English-speakers
Sample included the following quota groups and augments:
• Non-Hispanic White: n=871
• African American/Black: n=545
• Asian/Pacific Islander: n=549
• Hispanic: n=487
• 1st generation immigrants: n=401 (Self and parents born outside the U.S. or its territories)
• 2nd generation immigrants: n=685 (Born in the U.S. or its territories but with at least one parent not born in the U.S. or its territories)
• Fielded in October, 2019
• Engagements:
• 5-day ethnographic qualitative engagement via mobile app
• Respondents completed project tasks each day related to attitudes and behaviors around food and beverages.
• Sample:
• Aged 22-60
• Mix of gender, household income, children in household, race/ethnicity, immigrant status, and U.S. Census regions, with a focus on several key groups: Hispanic American, African American, Asian American, and 1st/2nd
generation immigrants
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The past 4 generations have seen increasing levels of diversity in the U.S., with large shifts in the population sizes of major racial and ethnic groups
*Racial groups include only single-race non-Hispanics. Hispanics are of any race. Asians include Pacific Islanders. The CPS did not separately identify Asians until 1988. Hispanic origin was not collected until 1971. The racial and ethnic composition of Boomers in 1968 was imputed on the basis of 8-23-year-olds in the 1970 Census. Source: Pew Research Center Analysis of 1986, 2002, 2018 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements and 1970 decennials census. 1. Pew Research Center.
52%
61%
70%
82%
25%
18%
12%
4%
14%
15%
15%
13%
6%
4%
4%
3%
White Hispanic African-American Asian Other
Boomers in 1968
Gen X in 1986*
Millennials in 2002
Gen Z in 2018
Racial and Ethnicity Composition of U.S. 6- to 21-year-olds by Generation (%)1
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Food NET (made at home or dining out)
51% 68% 59% 77%
Activities Done to Maintain Connection to Cultural BackgroundAmong those who feel at least somewhat connected to cultural background associated with race/ethnicity
For people of color in particular, making and consuming traditional foods is a key way to maintain connection to one’s cultural background
57%
46%
37%
30%
26%
25%
22%
20%
20%
16%
8%
Stay connected with extended family
Carry on cultural traditions at home
Make cultural/traditional foods at home
Eat out at restaurants that serve cultural/traditional foods
Attend religious services with community
Maintain social network who share my background
Teach history, language to children or others
Consume media that helps connect me to heritage or community
Learn about heritage by taking courses, reading, doing my own research, etc.
Work/volunteer with groups that serve my community
Participate in my heritage and community through music or dancing
53%
48%
55%
48%
19%
30%
29%
34%
29%
18%
23%
57%
50%
63%
57%
21%
40%
26%
29%
24%
18%
19%
54%
45%
44%
36%
29%
36%
31%
36%
27%
18%
23%
White Hispanic African American Asian/Pacific Islander
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America has many distinct culinary traditions, but its common food values are defined by convenience, choice, and incorporation
ConvenienceQuick, flexible,
immediate
IncorporationMarket driven,
syncretic, adaptive
ChoiceAbundance,
customizable,personal
FOOD VALUES
Personal PrioritiesPersonal happiness,
freedom, and expression should be celebrated
and encouraged
Societal PrioritiesDaily schedules should
prioritize work and other commitments
(not food)
Market PrioritiesConsumer goods
(including food) shouldbe abundant and
inexpensive
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Not only is the U.S. population more diverse than ever before, it is also more globally connected. The result is that learning about and exploring both one’s own background and others’ has become a value in and of itself, especially in food.
Due to food’s role in how consumers connect to their identity and learn about other cultures, global flavors are a large market opportunity
34% of 2018 restaurant eating occasions involved global
cuisines, up 15pp since 2012
Some brands that combine desire for exploration and other American food values while still feeling authentic:
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Cost & Convenience H+W & Indulgence Meals Snacking
Eat whatever takes the least time/effort to make
Choose foods based on how nutritious they are
Eat meals cooked at home from scratch
Snack in between meals
Eat whatever is the least expensive
Treat myself or family/kids to something fun or indulgent
Eat meals together with other people
Replace meals with snacks
Consumers tend to behave similarly with regard to general eating approaches
Typical Eating Approaches% once a week or more
White Hispanic African American Asian/Pacific Islander
41%
24%
60%
29%40%
32%
54%
33%35%23%
41%31%35% 31%
51%
28%
53% 58%
74% 70%
44%51%
66% 61%47% 49%
64% 63%53% 58%
70% 66%
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Consumers generally share positive attitudes about cooking, with African American consumers showing the most enjoyment in cooking
63%55% 54%
31%39%
60%53%
62%
33%43%
69%63% 60%
27%39%
61%50%
63%
26%32%
Attitudes Aspirations
Cooking Attitudes, Aspirations, and Realities% top two box describes me
I enjoy cooking I am a good cook compared to other
people I know
I would love to learn how to cook more
I don't have time to cook as much as I would like
I rely on shortcuts and quick meal helpers to get dinner on the table most
nights
Reality
White Hispanic African American Asian/Pacific Islander
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Despite a variety of other differences, people of color are similar in seeing the ingredients, spices, brands, and stores they use as a point of cultural difference.
Spices, condiments, and flavorings are go-to staples perceived to make flavor less bland and more authentic
Spices, condiments, and preserves are usually
nonperishable, thus easy to import.
The “Standard American Diet” is perceived to be bland.
Ingredients are often not the key to authenticity — spices
and flavor are.
My cultural background influences the types of spices or condiments I use
White Hispanic AfricanAmerican
Asian/PacificIslander
29% 41% 43% 45%
Why are spices and condiments so important?
These ingredients are pretty popular, so almost all markets have them, so [to make char siu pork], you would basically just put the right amounts of soy hoisin sauce and ketchup together.
—JY, 30, Asian (Hong Kong)
For a more festive meal, a local European Delight store has a variety of pickled vegetables and mushrooms, spicy stewed vegetables, and traditional sweets and preserves uncommon elsewhere.
—MB, 60, White (Former USSR)
Fresh ingredients and seasonings are extremely important. Lefty’s is good for chicken or fish, and Wee Willy’s makes amazing flavor chili. I like to use Grill Mates to marinate my ground beef for really good and tasty burgers.
—FB, 45, African American (USA)
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Purchase CriteriaI look for food and beverages that…
% describes me well
Hispanic and African American consumers show more engagement with contemporary markers of H+W, sustainability, and quality than others
Taste the best
Are fresh
Have inherent healthy ingredients
Are minimally processed
Are free from all artificial ingredients
Are hormone- and antibiotic-free
Contain only ingredients I recognize
Are locally grown or produced
Are non-GMO certified
Have the shortest list of ingredients
Are sustainably produced
Are grass-fed (for animal products)
Have added healthy nutrients
Are labeled "organic"
Are "heritage" or "heirloom"
65%
57%
37%
34%
30%
29%
28%
27%
27%
27%
24%
23%
21%
19%
13%
64%
57%
36%
33%
34%
37%
39%
35%
36%
32%
32%
36%
37%
32%
27%
65%
62%
42%
39%
36%
35%
42%
30%
35%
37%
31%
27%
37%
29%
24%
57%
54%
34%
37%
32%
36%
31%
26%
28%
28%
27%
25%
31%
24%
16%
White Hispanic African American Asian/Pacific Islander
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Given their heightened interest in particular product attributes, shopping can take more time for Hispanics and African Americans
White Hispanic African American
Asian/ Pacific
Islander
35% 29% 33% 26%
43%37% 36% 44%
22%34% 32% 30%
Always/ usually
Sometimes
Never/not very often
Frequency of Considering Sustainability in Purchasing
White Hispanic African American
Asian/ Pacific
Islander
20% 17% 15% 15%
60%55% 55%
66%
19% 27% 30%19%More
The same
Less
Time Spent Planning and Doing the ShoppingRelative to the average American household
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• An essential stop for one-stop shopping
• Appeals to consumer eating and cooking behavior
• Aligns with how consumers have been trained to shop
• Often a source of inspiration
• Can turn a conventional store into an international destination
Although international aisles have their drawbacks, a good one can make a conventional retailer a destination by solving needs related to selection
The Potential of the International Aisle
• Breadth rather than depth
• Lower quality than specialty stores in some categories
• Feels like an afterthought
• Some retailers are not perceived to support or welcome minority communities
• Aisle signage is not always sensitive
• Positions the food as not American enough
InauthenticConvenient but…
Importantly, while consumers from a variety of backgrounds use the international aisle, many still want to support international stores—especially consumers of color
and different cultural backgrounds.
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Restaurant Visitation Past 3 months
While each group is more likely to eat at restaurants serving foods from their background, they also eat across a broad range of other restaurants
70% 68% 59% 49% 45% 25% 63% 53% 29% 28% 20%0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Average # of restaurant
channels visited
White Hispanic African American Asian/Pacific Islander
6.4 6.3 5.8 7.0
Casual full service (NET)
Fast food/ drive-
through
Delivery or
takeaway pizza
Fast casual
Coffee shop
Fine dining
Asian (NET)
Latin American
(NET)
European (NET)
Southern/ soul food (including
BBQ)
African/ Middle Eastern (NET)
American Cuisine International/Regional Cuisines
White Hispanic African American Asian/Pacific IslanderGen Pop
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Immigrants generally feel a closer connection to their cultural heritage —particularly 1st generation — and food is a key way they maintain it
Top Activities Done to Maintain Connection to Cultural BackgroundAmong those who feel at least somewhat connected to cultural background associated with race/ethnicity
62% 59%53%
48%
36% 35%30%
19% 19%
55% 54%46%
51%
30% 33%26% 22%
30%
1st generation 2nd generation
% Extremely/Very Connected to Cultural Heritage and Traditions
(indexed to Gen Pop)
Gen Pop 1st Generation 2nd Generation
38% 51% (135) 47% (126)
Make cultural foods at home
Stay connected
with extended family
Carry on cultural
traditions at home
Eat out at restaurants that serve
cultural foods
Maintain a social network who share my
background
Consume media that connects
to my community
Teach history/ language to
my children or to others
Attend religious services with my
community
Learn about/ research my
heritage on my own
Food (NET) 75% 72%
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Although basic approaches to eating are similar, recent immigrants differ from the general population in what they choose to eat
Gen Pop 1st Generation 2nd Generation
54%
72%
65%
30%
52%
40%
12%
25%
17%Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Recent immigrants share American eating habits—in terms of cooking at home, sharing meals, and snacking—when they prioritize expediency, indulgence, or H+W.
Their key difference from the general population is in what they choose to eat, rather than when or with whom.
The combinations, ingredient swaps, and resourceful experiments that characterize immigrant foodways are a key source of innovation.
I eat foods I associate with my
cultural background…
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Understanding food through the lens of diversity is key to understanding consumers’ needs as well as how to drive innovation and communications
1
32
Building a business strategy that is steeped in and caters to a diverse consumer base requires an understanding of how consumers identify with, understand, and celebrate their backgrounds.
Regardless of consumers’ background, three food values are entrenched in American food culture: convenience, choice, and incorporation.
4
When it comes to consumers’ actual eating habits and behaviors, racial and ethnic groups differ more in the specifics of what they eat (and where/how they source it) than in how they eat.
5
Consumers of color tend to be more engaged with food shopping, shopping more retailers and channels, often looking for the optimal combinations of price, quality, selection, and quantity.
The lens of immigration is a different and effective way to illuminate how culture affects foodways, as immigrants adapt to life in the U.S., maintaining some food traditions, adapting others, and adopting new ones.
ABOUT THE HARTMAN GROUP
The Hartman Group is the premier food and beverage consultancy in the world. Companies and brands across all segments of the food and beverage industry benefit from our unparalleled depth of knowledge on consumers, culture, trends, and demand-side market strategy. We listen closely to understand our clients’ business challenges and tailor solutions that deliver transformative results. Through a unique suite of integrated custom, primary research capabilities, market analytics, and business strategy services, weuncover opportunity spaces and avenues for growth. We deliver more compelling insights that fuel inspiration and ideas for innovation.
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