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2 June 2009
Bangkok
When choosing a restaurant, Thai consumers are most likely to base their decision on the type of cuisine served. More than half of Thais (57%) opt for their local cuisine over international fare when dining out, a global survey by research company Nielsen has revealed.
Thai diners go for restaurants that serve their local cuisine and offer value
In a recent online survey conducted in 52 countries around the world, Nielsen asked Thai consumers what the top two considerations are when choosing a restaurant. About one third (32%) of Thai consumers said the type of cuisine served was their main consideration, while reasonably priced food was their second (21%).
Asked what their favorite fare was when dining out, Thai consumers voted local cuisine as their first choice (57%), while Japanese cuisine was second favorite (26%)
“With the increase in the numbers of Japanese restaurants and a burgeoning health conscious group of consumers in Thailand these days, Japanese food is becoming very popular among Thais. Compared to the past, Japanese food has become cheaper and easier to find, which allows more customers to enjoy the cuisine,” said Usana Chantarklum, Director of Consumer Research, Nielsen Thailand.
Across the world, consumers said their preference was for local cuisine (27%), while traditional international favorites Chinese and Italian were close runners up (26% and 17% respectively). The only exceptions were Australians and Singaporeans who nominated Chinese as their favorite cuisine ahead of their local fare; Hong Kong, where consumers’ first preference was for Japanese cuisine, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) whose preferred cuisine was Indian.
The most patriotic restaurant-goers were the Italians, with 92 percent saying they preferred their local cuisine, followed by consumers in Turkey (82%) and India (81%)
The majority of Thai consumers (24%) dine out between once or twice a week, 19 percent said they ate at restaurant 2 to 3 times a month and 15 percent said they enjoy a meal out-of-home 3 to 6 times a week. More than half of Thais were most likely to enjoy a restaurant meal with family and friends (54%), while a further 18 percent said they most often dined out with their work colleagues and 13 percent said they went to a restaurant with their partner.
Dinner is by far the most popular out-of-home meal with around 59 percent of Thai consumers saying their most common meal eaten at a restaurant is the evening meal, followed by Lunch (39%) and Breakfast (2%). This was consistent across most of the world’s consumers with the exception of Latin America where lunch is the main meal of the day – 73 percent of Latin Americans said lunch was the most likely meal to be eaten in a restaurant.
Asked which day of the week they most often ate in a restaurant, Saturday and Monday through Thursday were the clear favorites for out-of-home dining among Thais (31% and 30% respectively).
Consumers across the Asia Pacific dined out more frequently than consumers in other regions, particularly in Hong Kong where nearly one third (31%) ate at restaurants every day. In contrast, Europeans were the least likely to venture out for a meal – more than half (56%) said they dined in restaurants once or less than once a month.
“The frequency of out-of-home dining in different countries very much reflects local cultures,” observes Usana. “While many Asian countries place emphasis on out-of-home socializing, the European culture is more focused on sharing a meal around the family table. However, Nielsen’s survey findings also provide insight into where the main impact of the global financial meltdown has been felt, with Europeans more likely to be tightening their belts and curbing their out-of-home entertainment, while Asia has been less affected.
“Despite recessionary times, Thai consumers still go out for dinner several times a month as it is more convenient than cooking at home. Restaurants should be reassured that dining out remains an affordable luxury. The most certain route to on-going success is well-prepared local cuisine offered with value and pricing in mind,” she added
About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit www.nielsen.com
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