Culinology - June 2016 - (Page 47)

PETITS fours Feeding Hispanic millennials' craving for culture Hispanic millennials are craving a cultural connection at the grocery, according to a recent Nielsen study focused on the group, which makes up 21% of the generation's total US population. Over a quarter of all US millennials are first- or second-generation immigrants, Nielsen said, and many have strong ties to their origins. So when shopping for groceries, cultural touch stones such as smell, taste and familiarity attract Hispanic millennials. Nationally, 61% of the segment said they have shopped at Hispanic supermarkets at least once over the past year. The percentage jumps to 74% in Los Angeles, which has one of the highest concentrations of US Hispanic millennials. Seventy-one per cent of all millennials said they appreciate the influence of other cultures on the American way of life, and Hispanic millennials are interested in other cultures as well. For example, twenty-two per cent of Hispanic millennials said they have recently shopped at an Asian supermarket. The No. 1 reason all Hispanics and the millennial sub-segment give for not shopping at Hispanic grocers is the lack of nearby stores, Nielsen said. But culturalspecific stores are not the only ones who can cater to this culture-hungry category. In Los Angeles, 36% of Hispanic millennials said they don't shop at Hispanic grocers because they can find the eth- Combo meals regaining appeal nic products they want in mainstream retailers. Food stores overall have an opportunity to attract Hispanic millennial shoppers, Nielsen said, if they try to better understand the generation's needs and gear their stores' offerings to satisfy those desires. The combo meal is making a comeback. After weaning customers off traditional fast-food value offerings during the recession, burger chains are returning to their roots by offering bargain bundles, according to The NPD Group. After years of declines, combo meal visits rose by 1% at quick-service hamburger restaurants in the 12-month period ended Feb. 29 compared with the previous year. Previously, customization was king of QSR, dethroning combo meals in lieu of more choices and personalized options. Now, the two trends are coming together as restaurants introduce value-oriented combo meals that offer interchangeable choices. Announcements of new combo meals have poured in over the past six months. Wendy's introduced a 4 for $4 Meal, and McDonald's launched its McPick 2 for $2 deal. Soon after, Burger King announced a 5 for $4 deal, and other QSR chains have followed suit. Customers are responding well to the throwback pricing, NPD said. Combo meals purchased at lunch and dinner rose 2% from February 2015 to February 2016, resulting in an additional 110 million combo meal deal orders, pushing the total to 686 million orders. JUNE 2016 | Culinology | 47

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Culinology - June 2016

Culinology - June 2016
Table of Contents
President's Letter - Best job competition
Emerging Trends - Five millenial-fueled food trends
The sun is rising on Japanese small plates
Flavor Trends - Seeing innovation through the smoke
Ingredient Trends - Adventures in ancient grains
Member Profile - Research chef extraordinaire
Expert Voices - Gas vs. electric
Industry News from the Research Chefs Association
Culinology Book - New book digs deep into Culinology
Petits Fours - Hormel launches product line for cancer patients
Vermont indicates enforcement priorities for GMO labeling law
Feeding Hispanic millennials’ craving for culture
Combo meals regaining appeal
Dairy alternatives straying from soy
News Bites - Trendspotting at the Culinology Expo
Ad Index

Culinology - June 2016