Fast food consumption can be a useful barometer of various characteristics of a nation’s consumers. Latest data from Kantar Media’s TGI study in the Republic of Ireland shows that 79% of adults eat fast food, with 76% of consumers getting takeaways and 44% eating in. 13% of consumers (455,000) are heavy users of takeaways (get them once a week or more), higher than the British figure of 11%.
Fast food takeaways in Ireland saw a decline in popularity when the economic downturn hit, with the proportion of adults who are heavy users falling from 21% in 2008 to 13% in 2012, since when it has stabilised. It would be easy to write the decline off solely as a consequence of economic issues, but of course with ongoing drives to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles there are likely to be other influences at play.
Heavy users of takeaways are particularly likely to take a hedonistic approach to life, enjoying drinking and spending. They are for example 62% more likely than the average adult to enjoy getting drunk with their friends and 48% more likely to agree that they tend to spend money without thinking.
The attitudes of heavy users of takeaways also reveal some potentially efficient means of reaching them. TGI data shows they are 62% more likely to agree that they like to be able to add their own comments or content to a website, 51% more likely to agree that they tend to buy products from companies who sponsor exhibitions or music events, and 49% more likely to agree that they enjoy watching ads that feature their favourite celebrities.
To view archived TGI Insights of the Week please click HERE
In association with
