Understanding the role of convenience in consumer food choices: a review article

Abstract

It is evident that convenience plays a prominent role in the food choices of today’s consumers. A trend having begun throughout the Western world, consumer demand for convenience foods is now on the rise around the globe. The growing presence of drive-thru windows, microwave dinners, take-out meals, home delivery for groceries and internet shopping, all demonstrate the importance of convenience in determining food choices. Costa et al. have argued that convenience itself determines where, when, why, what, how, and even with whom we eat. Several studies have examined the role that convenience plays in determining food choices, in particular, studies looking at the role of convenience in relation to full meal preparation and/ or consumption.The two areas of investigation will be 1) the dimensions of convenience as a part of the meal preparation and consumption processe, and 2) the individual characteristics of consumers and how they value these dimensions.