This report explores the landscape of the on the go food and drink market, with emphasis on the packaging that helps make products viable for on the go eating and drinking. Analysis focuses on what is driving creation of new on the go products, what products look promising for the future, and the behavior and attitudes of consumers towards eating on the go.

An important issue in defining the term “on the go” is how or if it differs from “convenience.” In short, Mintel believes that on the go is a subset of the convenience market. For instance, all seven of the products listed above are also convenience items. However, other convenience items, such as a gallon of milk at the corner store or a microwavable roast, do not fit the definition of on the go.

The analysis is conducted via seven relatively new on the go food and beverage products that also feature innovative packaging. These products are:

--Campbell’s Soup At Hand

--Any brand of breath strips in a flip top package

--Evian bottle with the ring on top

--Frito Lay Go Snacks

--Hershey’s Swoops

--Yoplait Nouriche yogurt drink

--Almaden wine in a bottle-sized carton

Mintel explores the idea that the on the go food and drink market is growing and will continue to grow faster than either eating at home or formal dining away from home. In addition, it is packaging that will drive the uptake of new on the go products, and the business of on the go packaging is still relatively young and undeveloped.

Mintel defines on the go food and drink as products that are consumed away from home and not purchased in restaurants. On the go products may be consumed while commuting, at work, or while engaged in a variety of leisure activities away from home. Mintel has not attempted to quantify the size of the on the go market because many items that are consumed on the go can also be consumed for non-on the go occasions.

Packaging is an integral part of what makes a product suitable for on the go consumption. The definition of this type of packaging is not exact, but rather exists on a sliding scale. For instance, a two-liter bottle fits a definition of on the go for a picnic, but not for commuting to work. Similarly, any single serve bag of chips can be an on the go snack, but chips that are in a crush-proof container are more suited for on the go, and perhaps those in a resealable container are even better suited to on the go.