Although most of us are aware that fast food is not always the healthiest option, we all definitely enjoy a good fast food meal from time to time. Well, the good news is that with January (and most of New Year’s resolutions) behind us, we can feel a little less guilty when doing so.
For this reason we asked our large community of mobile users to tell us more about their fast food habits.
Curious to learn how Europeans purchase and consume fast food? Read all the findings in our latest Consumer Report.
1. FAST FOOD ENJOYED THROUGHOUT EUROPE
Only 7% of Europeans never eat fast food. Most Europeans (39%) say to “sometimes” indulge in a fast food meal, whilst 9% of them eat fast food “often”.
TOP 4 REASONS NOT TO EAT FAST FOOD
1 – “I think it’s unhealthy” …73%
2 – “I prefer home cooking” …40%
3 – “I think it’s too greasy” …39%
4 – “It contains heavily processed foods” …36%
2. WHY FAST FOOD?
50% of Europeans choose fast food because of its taste. Other popular reasons include the convenience of eating “on-the-go” (45%) and the pleasure of occasionally “treating oneself” (42%)
3. HOW OFTEN DO WE EAT FAST FOOD?
Most Europeans eat fast food less than monthly (31%), followed by “monthly”, with 19%. In the UK, fast food is eaten most often, as 34% of Brits eat fast food at least weekly.
CHANGING FAST FOOD HABITS?
65% of those who consume fast food once or more times a week, feel the desire to switch to healthier options. 35% doubt their ability to do so and question whether they would succeed.
4. EUROPEANS LOVE BURGERS & FRIES
With 84% of preferences, a burger is the most popular fast food in Europe, followed by fries (82%) and soft drinks (44%).
5. PURCHASE DECISIONS
Price and promotion (61%) are the most important factors in the purchase decision. Receiving quick service (56%) and the quality of the food (47%) follow right after.
6. BRAND LOYALTY
49% of Europeans say to be “somewhat loyal” to fast food brands. A smaller 22% claim to be “very loyal”. When it comes to fast food advertisements, 17% state to be triggered when seeing one. 28% of consumers, however, state to be tempted by adverts only when they promote a new product
7. WHERE TO EAT?
64% of Europeans prefer eating fast food in a fast food restaurant in the city center. 34%, however, prefers eating fast food at home (either delivery or take-out).
Fun fact:
Compared to the European average (33%), the UK scores remarkably higher on using the “drive through” option at fast food restaurants (54%).
8. CONSCIOUS FAST FOOD CHOICES
Most fast food chains have recently jumped onto the meat-free bandwagon and have started offering vegetarian alternatives for their meat products (burgers, nuggets, etc.). 32% of Europeans have already tried meat-free fast food products. In the UK, most consumers (44%) have tried going “meatless”, while in Spain this percentage drops to 23%.
NUTRITIONAL FACTS
When it comes to checking the ingredients of fast food products (on labels and packages), 67% of Europeans state not to do so
However, 14% of shoppers check the amount of calories of a fast food product, 13% check all the ingredients, and 7% state to check only one specific nutritional value.
9. MOST POPULAR FAST FOOD CHAINS
The findings presented in this report are based on the results of an investigative task submitted to the Roamler Crowd during the month of January 2020. The purpose was to determine the crowd’s purchasing practices when it comes to fast food products. The findings take into account data collected from 5.767 respondents, located in Italy, France, Spain, UK, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany.