Customers enjoy trying new desserts: Technomic report

Sixty-six per cent of consumers globally would purchase a dessert from a restaurant more often if there are new options they haven’t tried before. This is one finding of Technomic’s Dessert Global Menu Category Report.

The report explores food-service sales growth, consumer purchases and preferences, macro restaurant trends, dessert category trends, seasonal and holiday influence, and limited-time offers.

The report also identifies operator initiatives and key global and local dessert chains, along with secondary competitors, such as Dairy Queen, McDonald’s, Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, Mister Donut and Costa Coffee.

Key findings include the following:

• 66 per cent of consumers globally would purchase a dessert from a restaurant more often if there are new options they haven’t tried before
• 48 per cent of consumers globally would order cheesecake—the third most-popular dessert on average in the world—from a restaurant
• 48 per cent of consumers in Indonesia like avocado as a flavor in their dessert at restaurants, making the fruit as popular as both strawberry and vanilla
• 41 per cent of consumers globally would like to see more vegan or dairy-free desserts on restaurant menus, including 56% of consumers in China

“Despite challenging market conditions, consumers are still eager to experience new products from restaurants, and dessert remains one of the key parts of the menu where operators can deliver on that demand,” explains Aaron Jourden, director of international research and insights at Technomic. “Within this context, it’s as important as ever for restaurant operators and their suppliers to understand which products, flavors and attributes consumers are looking for when making their purchase decision, as well as the primary trends and product innovations influencing menu development within the dessert category.”

The report is a deliverable included in Technomic’s Global Foodservice Navigator. For more information, visit technomic.com.