4. SPECIFIC OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN FAST FOOD
4.1. D INNING HABITS IN C ZECH R EPUBLIC
Dinning and food is an integral part of culture, that can be observed on national level.
There is only a limited number of continuous studies, that would focus on dinning habits in Czech Republic. Findings of available studies will be disused in following subchapters.
Firstly, it is important to find out which meals Czech population have in a day.
Gfk Cpnsumer Life survey conducted in 2015, among respondent who were 15 year and older, among other things, also researched which meals Czechs eat during the day.
According to the survey:
• 73 % of Czechs have breakfast
• 39 % of Czech have morning snack
• 89 % of Czech have lunch
• 45 % of Czech have afternoon snack
• 85 % of Czech have dinner
• 23 % of Czech have evening snack (Oupic, 2017)
In accordance with the survey results, the most frequent meal among Czechs is dinner.
Comparted to other countries, where the research was also conducted, Czechs have breakfast less often than other countries. The survey average among all the countries was 79% of inhabitants having breakfast. But twice as many Czechs have morning and afternoon snacks compared to the average among all the surveyed countries.
(Oupic, 2017)
4.1.1. Survey Naše společnost 2003
To illustrate the evolution of dinning habits in Czech Republic, firstly the results of study Naše společnost, conducted in 2003, will be described. The study took place from 19th of May to 26th of May 2003. There was total of 1 048 respondents, who were 15 years old and older and were Czech residents.
45 According to the study:
• 53 % of household do cook at home every or almost every day
• 39 % of households cook at home several times a week
• 5 % of households cook several times a month
• 1 % of households cook several times a year
• 1 % of households cook less often, than several times a year
• 1 % of households doesn’t cook at home at all (Sociologický ústav AV ČR, 2003) The frequency of cooking at home was closely related to standard of living of the household. While only 41% of households, whose standard of living was classified as very good, cook at home every or almost every day, 59% of household whose standard of living was classified as poor cook at home every or almost every day. Additionally, households with more than one member cook more often than single member households. (Sociologický ústav AV ČR, 2003)
Frequency of eating out according to the study was as follows:
• 2% of households do eat out every or almost every day
• 4% of households several times a week
• 15% of households several times a month
• 32% of household several times a year
• 27% of households eat out less often, then several times a year
• 20% of households do not eat out at all (Sociologický ústav AV ČR, 2003) Additionally, according to study, the consumers who eat out more often are usually single, have higher standard of living and they are younger rather than older.
(Sociologický ústav AV ČR, 2003)
Frequency of eating out in the Czech Republic, was also part of the research conducted in 2012, according to OMD Snapshots monitoring tool:
• 9 % of respondents eat out at least three times a week
• 20 % of respondents eat out one to two times a week
• 48 % of respondents eat out one to times a month
• 19 % of respondents eat out only on special occasions
• 4 % of respondents do not eat out at all (Hospodařské Noviny, 2012)
Although both surveys use a different frequency range, and the sample of respondents is different. It can be concluded that frequency of eating out increased between 2003 and 2012.
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4.1.2. FOOD survey
Another research dealing with the diet of Czechs is the FOOD survey, which has been ongoing for more than 10 years. This research is being carried out in cooperation between the European Union and Edenred. Given the fact Edenred specializes in employee benefits, such as meal vouchers, this research focuses primarily on how respondents have lunch.
According to the FOOD survey, the number of Czechs who have lunch regularly increased from 56 % in 2009 to 70 % in 2018. That is significant increase, however for example in neighboring Slovakia 75 % respondents have lunch regularly. In France even 80% of respondents have lunch regularly. (Česká televize, 2019)
For 80% of Czechs, the decision factor, when choosing what to have for lunch is, what they currently have a taste for. However, the speed of service is also gaining in importance for the Czechs. It is decisive factor for 47% of respondents. Followed by nutritional value of the meal with 44 %. For 25% of respondents portion size is a decision factor. Price of the meal is decision factor for only 20 % of respondent.
However, that can be attributed to the widely available lunch menus for reduced price and fast majority of Czech employees receives meal vouchers as one of the employee benefits. (Česká televize, 2019)
According to the survey, 49% of Czechs eat out for lunch. (Česká televize, 2019) Number of people eat out who for lunch is so high thanks to widely available lunch menus for reduced price, meal vouchers as employee benefit and employee canteens with meals often subsidized by the employer.
Lastly, according to the research fast-food are popular place to have lunch for Czech.
In 2009 12% of respondents stated, that fast-food is their popular place to have lunch.
In 2013 it the number decreased to 9 % and in 2018 it fast-food was popular outlet to have lunch for only 5 % of respondents. However, 5 % is still the largest surveyed from all the surveyed countries. (Česká televize, 2019) The sales of the two largest fast-food chains present in the Czech Republic, further confirms popularity of fast-food, in 2018 McDonald's earned CZK 5.81 billion and KFC CZK 3.7 billion. (Štuková, 2019) Additionally, number of McDonald’s outlets in Czech Republic has in increased from 95 to 105 between 2016 and 2020. (Statista, 2021)
4.1.3 Impact of Covid-19 on dinning
Owning to the Covid-19 pandemic was majority of catering facilities in the Czech Republic open only for approximately 6 months out of 12 months in 2020. In 2021 the catering facilities had to stay closed till 25th of May. (ČTK, 2021) This significantly impacted consumer’s expenditure on eating out. In 2020 Czechs spend only 116,6
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billion CZK on eating out. Compared to that in 2019 Czech spend over 200 billion CZK on eating out. (Kovanda, 2021)
Pandemic further accelerated widespread of work from home, which is according to the Edenred one of the reasons why number of people eating out for lunch decreased over last year. (Edenred, 2021) According to the same source, however the average bill when eating out increased by 3 % over last year. However, the increase in the average reflects current inflation rate of 3 %. (Edenred, 2021)