Gathered Around the Table

Almost thirty-six percent of consumers watch a TV show or video while eating.Home is where the heart is for dinnertime in 81 percent of U.S. households, according to The NPD Group, a leading market research company. The NPD f

April 6, 2018

Almost thirty-six percent of consumers watch a TV show or video while eating.

Home is where the heart is for dinnertime in 81 percent of U.S. households, according to The NPD Group, a leading market research company. The NPD food and beverage market research study finds that home is the most popular location for eating dinner and 47 percent of consumers report eating dinner with everyone in their household every night of the week.

And therein lies opportunities for the licensing industry. More families are eating at home, but that doesn't mean that an entire meal is made from scratch. For a parent rushing home from work it is a tempting alternative to gather the family around the table and serve up polenta with braised meatballs or roasted mushroom and parmesan linguini with grilled chicken from Bravo's "Top Chef." Short cuts to a home cooked meal can be provided by a brand such as Carrefour Kids, a line of nutritional food products created in partnership with The Walt Disney Company. Want to do all the cooking, but need inspiration—reach for a recipe idea from Food Network chef Paula Deen.

According

to the study on dinnertime consumption habits entitled Dinnertime MealScape Study, dinner is most often consumed in the kitchen, followed by the dining room and then family/living room. An interesting note for the entertainment side of the licensing business is that approximately 36 percent of individuals are watching a TV show or video while eating. Although about half of households reported eating dinner together, shift eating is somewhat sizeable, with more than one-in-three consumers indicating they ate at a different time from other household members.

Survey results showed that dinner is described as a "full or complete meal" by 68 percent of consumers; 29 percent of consumers feel dinner represented more of a "small or mini meal" and 2 percent viewed it as a snack. Nearly two-thirds of all individuals rated their in-home dinner occasion as an excellent or very good experience, while one-in-three in-home dinnertime eaters felt less well about their experience.

"We found through our research that consumers derive the most enjoyment from preparing meals at home for their families," says Dori Hickey, director of product management at NPD. "When we assessed consumer satisfaction with their dinnertime food and beverage selections, we found that overall satisfaction was higher among consumers who made dinner at home compared to those who ate out or brought food in. It's really about bringing the family together and nurturing the ones we love by preparing and sharing a meal."

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