Table of Contents
Overview
-
- What you need to know
- Products covered in this Report
Executive Summary
-
- The market
- Burger restaurants
-
- Figure 1: UK burger bar market, value sales and forecast, 2011-21
- Chicken restaurants
-
- Figure 2: UK chicken bar market, value sales and forecast, 2011-21
- Companies and brands
- McDonald’s retains an unassailable lead by store and usage numbers
- KFC reports ambitious growth plans
- Gourmet venues beef up the burger market
- The consumer
- Nearly three in four Brits eat at fast food restaurants
-
- Figure 3: Fast food outlet usage, by type, July 2016
- Scope for venues to prompt more frequent visits
- Visiting fast food venues is seen as a treat by most
-
- Figure 4: Attitudes towards fast food restaurants, July 2016
- Customisable dishes could help attract older diners to fast food chains
-
- Figure 5: Fast food menu enticements, July 2016
- Grilled chicken could help operators appeal to the health-conscious
-
- Figure 6: Interest in healthier alternatives at fast food restaurants, July 2016
- Freshly made burgers is top expectation from gourmet burger venues
-
- Figure 7: Expectations from gourmet burger venues, July 2016
- What we think
Issues and Insights
-
- Customisation can help venues engage older age groups
- The facts
- The implications
- More scope for healthier options on fast food menus
- The facts
- The implications
- Speed of service is a key enticement, yet table service appeals widely
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Burger and chicken market is in growth
- Activity from brands needed to offset decline in core users
- Eating out remains a key discretionary spending area
- Falling Pound could have an impact on food prices
- Further rises in National Living Wage pose a challenge
- FSA’s pink meat burger guidelines offer clarity to gourmet burger sector
Segment Performance, Market Size and Forecast
-
- Both burger and chicken bars are in growth but under pressure
-
- Figure 8: UK chicken and burger bar market, value sales, 2011-21
- Demographic changes and consumer confidence could temper market growth
-
- Figure 9: UK chicken and burger bar market, value sales and forecast, 2011-21
- Concerted efforts by brands to innovate can help to boost the burger sector
-
- Figure 10: UK burger bar market, value sales, 2011-21
- Figure 11: UK burger bar market, value sales and forecast, 2011-21
- Chicken bar operators innovate to stay competitive
-
- Figure 12: UK chicken bar market, value sales, 2011-21
-
- Figure 13: UK chicken bar market, value sales and forecast, 2011-21
- Forecast methodology
Market Drivers
-
- Eating out remains a key discretionary spending area but consumer confidence has been shaken
-
- Figure 14: Consumer spending priorities (after bills) – Dining out, November 2009-July 2016
- Falling Pound and rising costs head concerns for operators
- Imports play a role in fast food chains’ sourcing
- Further rises in National Living Wage pose a challenge
- A boost to tourism but risk of shortfall of staff
- FSA’s pink meat burger guidelines offer clarity to gourmet burger sector
- The rise in obesity puts chicken shops under scrutiny
- Fast food chains urged to limit use of antibiotics in meat and poultry
- Core user group set for stunted growth
-
- Figure 15: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2011-16 and 2016-21
Key Players – What You Need to Know
-
- McDonald’s retains an unassailable lead by store and usage numbers
- KFC reports ambitious growth plans
- Burger King focuses on a few high-impact areas
- Gourmet venues beef up the burger market
- Rice boxes strengthen KFC’s offering in lunch space
- Nando’s blurs boundaries with beef dishes and Fino platter
- McDonald's aims to dispel myths about product quality
- KFC celebrates 50 years in the UK
- Reconfiguring in-store formats to improve customer experience
Market Share
-
- McDonald’s retains an unassailable lead by store and usage numbers
-
- Figure 16: Selected leading burger and chicken restaurant chains, by outlet numbers, 2013-16
-
- Figure 17: Selected leading burger and chicken restaurant chains, frequency of use, July 2016
- Burger King focuses on a few high-impact areas
- KFC reports ambitious growth plans
- Gourmet venues beef up the burger market
-
- Figure 18: Selected ‘better’/’gourmet’ burger operators in the UK market and planned/reported outlet expansion, July 2015 and July 2016
- Premium chicken restaurants remain niche
-
- Figure 19: Selected chicken bar operators in the UK market and planned/reported/projected outlet expansion, July 2016
Launch Activity and Innovation
-
- McDonald’s launches table service and Signature Collection range
- Rice boxes strengthen KFC’s offering in lunch space
- Fast food operators create “zones” in store formats
- Burger King granted permission to sell alcohol
- GBK launches supermarket range
- Nando’s blurs boundaries with beef dishes and Fino platter
Advertising and Marketing Activity
-
- McDonald's builds brand trust and immerses into VR
- Good to Know campaign looks to dispel myths about product quality
- VR campaign aims to drive home food provenance
- “Always working” campaign highlights improvements to Happy Meal
- McDonald’s reminds people of its relevance for good times and night times
-
- Figure 20: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure, by selected chicken and burger bar operators, 2012-16
- Burger King targets young adults through social media and cinema
- KFC celebrates 50 years in the UK
- Social media campaigns look to engage young core users
-
- Figure 21: Selected chicken and burger bar brands’ social media presence, 2016
- Nando's ramps up festival tie-ups in sponsorship drive
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Brand Research
-
- What you need to know
- McDonald’s is the most trusted brand of all
- Nando’s excels as a fun and vibrant brand
- KFC is the top brand in being seen as traditional
- Brand map
-
- Figure 22: Attitudes towards and usage of selected restaurant brands, July 2016
- Key brand metrics
-
- Figure 23: Key metrics for selected restaurant brands, July 2016
- Brand attitudes: McDonald’s leads on value image, innovation and trust
-
- Figure 24: Attitudes, by brand, July 2016
- Brand personality – Macro: McDonald’s stands on a par with Nando’s and Byron as vibrant and engaging
-
- Figure 25: Brand personality – Macro image, July 2016
- Brand personality – Micro: Byron takes the lead on cool and special, McDonald’s has the strongest family image
-
- Figure 26: Brand personality – Micro image, July 2016
- Brand analysis
- Popular among users, Byron is largely unknown
-
- Figure 27: User profile of Byron, July 2016
- Nando’s excels as a brand with a good reputation
-
- Figure 28: User profile of Nando’s, July 2016
- KFC is the top brand in being seen as traditional
-
- Figure 29: User profile of KFC, July 2016
- McDonald’s is the most trusted brand of all
-
- Figure 30: User profile of McDonald’s, July 2016
- Only 5% of users see Burger King as favourite brand
-
- Figure 31: User profile of Burger King, July 2016
The Consumer – What You Need Know
-
- Nearly three in four Brits eat at fast food restaurants
- Scope for lighter and grab-and-go meals to prompt more frequent visits
- Visiting fast food venues is seen as a treat by most
- Quick service only reason to visit fast food venues for half of users
- Freshly made burgers is top expectation from gourmet burger venues
- Customisable dishes appeal at fast food chains
- Grilled chicken could help operators appeal to the health-conscious
Fast Food Usage Habits
-
- Nearly three in four Brits eat at fast food restaurants
-
- Figure 32: Fast food outlet usage, by type, July 2016
- A significant group of 35-44s use chicken and burger bars
-
- Figure 33: Usage of any burger outlet and any chicken outlet, by age, July 2016
Frequency of Use of Fast Food Outlets
-
- McDonald’s continues to dominate the market…
- …gourmet burger venues remain niche
-
- Figure 34: Frequency of eating in or getting a takeaway from fast food outlets, July 2016
- Scope for venues to prompt more frequent visits
Attitudes towards Fast Food Restaurants
-
- Visiting fast food venues is seen as a treat by most
-
- Figure 35: Attitudes towards fast food restaurants, July 2016
- Quick service only reason to visit fast food venues for half of users
- Fast food feels processed to 60% of diners
- Lighter options are in demand by people who grab and go
Expectations from Gourmet Burger Venues
-
- Freshly made burgers is top expectation from gourmet burger venues
- Diners expect gourmet venues to offer control over their burgers
- Table service is widely expected at gourmet venues
-
- Figure 36: Expectations from gourmet burger venues, July 2016
Fast Food Menu Enticements
-
- Customisable dishes could help attract older diners to fast food chains
- Flavours from around the world pique diners’ interest
-
- Figure 37: Fast food menu enticements, July 2016
- Alcoholic beverages interest one in five diners at leading chains
-
- Figure 38: Interest in alcoholic beverages at fast food venues, by fast food outlet/restaurant usage, July 2016
Interest in Healthier Alternatives at Fast Food Restaurants
-
- Grilled chicken could help operators appeal to the health-conscious
- Diners are interested in thick and root vegetable fries
- Offering healthier beverages could add interest to fast food venues
-
- Figure 39: Interest in healthier alternatives at fast food restaurants, July 2016
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
-
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
-
- Forecast Methodology
-
- Figure 40: UK burger and chicken bar market, value sales, best- and worst-case forecast, 2016-21
- Figure 41: UK burger bar market, value sales, best- and worst-case forecast, 2016-21
- Figure 42: UK chicken bar market, value sales, best- and worst-case forecast, 2016-21
Appendix – Advertising and Marketing Activity
-
-
- Figure 43: Advertising expenditure by selected chicken and burger bar operators, by media type, 2014-16
-
Back to top