Global travel restauranteur SSP last week unveiled a whitepaper, focusing on key factors shaping travel and travel hospitality.
The report delves into shifting consumer behaviours and market trends, offering strategic recommendations for businesses to stay competitive.
The whitepaper categorises key trends into three tiers:
The first covers global macro shifts that shape human behaviour and affect global populations.
- These global trends include geopolitical factors that shape the global order, demographic and societal shifts such as ageing populations and changing family constructs, and environmental trends relating to sustainability, climate change and biodiversity.
The second focuses on megatrends that redefine consumer expectations and market dynamics.
- These include the desire for new experiences and the way consumers are seeking the distraction of memorable events that engage multiple senses.
- With the acceleration of the development of digital technologies, the demand from consumers for products and services that speed up and simplify experiences is increasing.
- At the same time, consumers are seeking reassurance from brands on how digital enhancements will work alongside human interaction in the future.
- Consumers are increasingly taking a holistic approach to health, seeking products that support them mentally and physically. They want to make healthier food choices, reducing the amount of sugar, calories, salt and alcohol in their diets while allowing for indulgence.
- Economic instability and the impact of inflation mean value matters more than ever.
- People are becoming increasingly conscious of how their choices and purchases impact the environment, people and their local and global communities. As a result, many are actively seeking to reduce their environmental footprint by choosing brands and products that align with their values.
The report also provides an in-depth look at key trends shaping consumer behaviour and preferences during travel.
- Travel remains a priority for consumers who are now travelling more for leisure than business.
- Interest in ‘bleisure’ trips – combining business trips with holiday travel – continues to increase.
- Travellers are also planning more trips outside traditional holiday seasons.
The whitepaper provides a comprehensive analysis of these trends and strategies for F&B operators in travel retail. It is available for download here.
SSP Group Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Fennell said: “We are the food travel experts – and that expertise must be underpinned by a profound understanding of how the travelling consumer thinks and behaves. To deliver fantastic experiences wherever we operate, we stay close to our customers’ evolving demands and what needs to be done to help our clients meet those needs.
“In the fast-changing post-COVID world, the pace at which trends have emerged has accelerated at an unprecedented rate, meaning keeping abreast of change and reacting to it quickly is an even more demanding process. Across our business, we run a spectrum of some of the most comprehensive studies within our industry to identify and track emerging trends as well as map the regional differences in these shifts.
“And of course how we use knowledge we have gathered is crucial. Here at SSP, it’s the foundation of our planning, and we use it to create innovative brands, on-trend menus and inspiring environments that delight passengers today, and will continue to delight them in the future. This is how we achieve our purpose of being the best part of the journey.” 
Note: The Moodie Davitt Report publishes the FAB Newsletter, which features highlights of openings, events and campaigns from around the world of airport and travel dining.
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