Australian households spent just 13.7 per cent of their food and non-alcoholic beverage budget on eating-out, as opposed to eating-at-home, down from 37.2 per cent pre-Covid, new figures reveal.
The new Australian Foodservice Advocacy Body’s State of the Foodservice Industry Report 2022, released at Fine Food Australia being held in Melbourne this week, is the first definitive report of its kind, covering industry trends by stakeholder groups, facts about Australia’s foodservice market, the size of the sector, foodservice distribution and consumer behaviour.
It was compiled using extensive quantitative as well as qualitative research and data tracking series by AFAB founding member Food Industry Foresight (FIF), as well as data collated from AFAB members, the ABS, and other government and industry bodies.
“The information contained in this report is crucial for businesses to plan the way ahead and also in highlighting the opportunities that abound in a post-Covid world,” said AFAB CEO Tony Green.
“As an industry, foodservice is facing challenges unlike we have ever seen before,” he adds. “The devastating fires and floods around the country that kicked off 2020 were swiftly followed by a global pandemic that halted the economy and entirely disrupted life as we knew it.
“While this third year of Covid-19 has not brought the lockdowns and travel restrictions of 2020-21, businesses are still being challenged by labour shortages, staff illness, soaring inflation and supply chain disruption.”
The report also includes the new Foodservice Confidence Index, or FSCI, which takes the pulse of the market each quarter. The AFAB FSCI for the second quarter of 2022 shows, not surprisingly, that overall confidence levels among foodservice operators are at their lowest since 2017, with the exception of pubs and function caterers.
“AFAB is a new organisation, and we are committed to being a relevant and proactive voice for the industry,” says Green.
To purchase the report, email Tony Green – tony@ausfab.org
“This State of Play Report, and our ambition to define and facilitate a new foodservice data standard, are our first steps in serving and supporting our members, and the industry as a whole.”