Digital Domination: Tech's influence on mealtime decisions

shsfoodthink.com ©2017 Sullivan Higdon & Sink. All rights reserved. The data in this report may be reproduced as long as it is cited:
“Digital Domination,” Sullivan Higdon & Sink FoodThink, 2016. 1

Contents
1. Embracing Technology
2. Smartphones: The New Grocery List
3. Cooking with Technology
4. Implications and Discussion
This white paper explores the following topics:

Consumers are embracing tech
when making food decisions
Key Takeaways
of Americans say they are using
technology to find restaurants and
other food sources, make food
decisions and help them cook.
50%

“Digital Domination,” Sullivan Higdon & Sink FoodThink, 2016.
39%
4
Mobile use is gaining
popularity in retail
Key Takeaways
say they won’t go to the grocery
store without their smartphones,
especially Millennials at 53%.

Times are changing. So are food habits.
When it comes to food, Americans want a combination of simplicity and variety.
That’s where technology comes into play, with nearly 40% of Americans saying
that technology is changing their food habits (up from 33% in 2014).
Embracing Technology
Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree
12%
11%
25%
22%
31%
26%
14%
17%
18%
24%2014
2016
“Technology is changing my food habits.”
Q: How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements? (Strongly/Somewhat agree)

Moms and dads approve
Parents are more likely than non-parents to say that technology is changing their
food habits. When engaging these consumers, food marketers should consider their
increased time demands and growing desire for convenience.
44%
(118)
Moms
47%
Index* (126)
Dads
33%
(90)
Non-Parents
*What’s an index?
An index is a quick and easy way to
see how the statistic for that consumer
segment compares to the total responses.
An index of 100 represents the average
response. An index over 100 means that
response is higher than average and
below 100 means it is lower than average.
For example, an index of 120 means that
it is 20 percent more likely than average
and an index of 80 means that it is 20
percent less likely than average.

Where to eat? Ask the internet.
When the time comes for
consumers to venture out,
they’re likely to seek
recommendations on the
internet. With online peer
reviews and ads promoting
the latest and greatest
menu items, it’s no surprise
that half of Americans say
technology has impacted
the way they find food.
Q: How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
18%
32%27%
10%
13%

Technology: every cook’s sous chef
When consumers aren’t using the internet to find restaurants and other food
sources, they’re bringing it into their kitchens. Half agree that they’re embracing
technology to help with food decisions and cooking. Boomers are increasingly
embracing technology when it comes to food decisions at 37%.
“I embrace using technology to help with food decisions and cooking.”
Total
Millennials
Boomers
48%
50%
68%
64%
34%
37%
2014
2016

Over the past two years, Boomers
have continued to adopt technology
at a steady rate, especially when it
comes to mealtime. They’re more
likely now than ever to agree that
technology is changing their food
habits (up 20% from 2014). And it
doesn’t end there. Nearly half of
them say they are finding more
ideas online than anywhere else.
FOOD FOR
THOUGHT
Boomers: the newest tech-savvy consumers
2014 2016
20% INCREASE
FROM 2014
20%
24%
“Technology has impacted
the way I ﬁnd restaurants
and other sources of food.”

Top Media Sources and Fact-CheckingSmartphones: The New Grocery List
Browsing the web while browsing the aisles
Smartphones have become a vital part of daily life, and this is no exception
when it comes to grocery shopping. Nearly 40% of consumers say they
would never go to the grocery store without their mobile phone.
Millennials, organic shoppers and parents are especially mobile dependent.
“I would never go to the grocery store without my mobile phone.”
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
18%
21%
23%
12%
26%
Millennials
Index* (138)
Organic Shoppers
(136)
Parents
(130)
*What’s an index?
An index of 100 represents the
average response. An index over
100 means that response is higher
than average, and below 100
means it is less than average.
¹ Pew Research Center Survey,
July 2015.

Phone dependence varies by store format
Mobile usage while grocery shopping is on the rise, but store format makes a difference.
Nearly half (48%) of wholesale/club shoppers say they would never go to the grocery
store without their phone. But when it comes to supermarkets, about one-third (36%)  
of shoppers say they won’t shop without their phone.
“I would never go to the grocery store without my mobile phone.”
Wholesale/Club Index* 123
Natural store 118
Supercenter 105
Total 100
Supermarket 92
48%
46%
41%
39%
36%
*What’s an index?
An index of 100
represents the average
response. An index over
100 means that response
is higher than average,
and below 100 means it
is less than average.

Grocery shopping has never been easier
Technology has changed grocery shopping to the extent that many consumers
refuse to shop without their mobile phones. Shoppers can clip digital coupons
while interacting with store websites and applications, as well as grocery shop
online. The convenience of online grocery ordering is quickly drawing attention
from young urbanites, suburban families, older singles and other consumers
looking to remove shopping trips from their packed calendars. Americans agree
that online grocery ordering saves them time (39%), saves them money (36%)
and allows them to order in bulk (15%).1 Continued focus from food marketers
is necessary to capitalize on the growing interest in online grocery ordering.
FOOD FOR
THOUGHT
FOOD FOR
THOUGHT
Saves Time
39%
Saves Money
36%
Bulk Ordering
15%
1
“The Online Grocery Shopper,” The Hartman Group, 2013.

Cooking with Technology
Recipes at hand: from pages to screens
More than half (55%) of consumers say they’re finding more cooking ideas online
than anywhere else. The percentage of Americans using their phone as a recipe
book has also increased, with 38% agreeing that they reference their phone more
often than traditional recipe sources (up 36% from 2014).
Technology and food habits
Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree
25% 30% 24% 9% 12%
18% 20% 22% 11% 29%
I get more cooking
ideas online than
anywhere else
I reference my
mobile phone more
than a cookbook

Cookbooks are here to stay, for some
Convenience-driven consumers like Millennials and parents are more likely to use
their mobile phones for recipes. On the other hand, Boomers and non-parents are
less likely to use mobile recipes, opting for the traditional cookbook.
Likelihood to use mobile recipes (by segment)
MORE
LIKELY TO
USE MOBILE
RECIPES
LESS
LIKELY TO
USE MOBILE
RECIPES
Millennials Index* (153)
Parents (134)
Boomers (44)
Non-Parents (82)
*What’s an index?
An index of 100
represents the average
response. An index over
100 means that response
is higher than average,
and below 100 means it
is less than average.

Whether consumers prefer to find recipes on their phone or in a traditional
cookbook, most (73%) agree that technology makes it easier to find recipes.
15
Finding recipes: easy as pie
“Technology has made it easier to ﬁnd recipes.”
Parents Millennials Boomers Total Non-Parents
75%
74% 73% 73%
71%
Index* 104
102
100 100
98
*What’s an index?
An index of 100 represents the average
response. An index over 100 means that
response is higher than average, and below
100 means it is less than average.

Benchmarking food marketing efforts in today’s marketplace.
Embracing technology
Implications and Discussion
Consumers are taking
advantage of technology to
help with meal decisions.
Make it easier for
consumers by ensuring
your brand has a strong
online presence, is using
the correct tools and is
presenting relevant content.
When looking at your brand with a tech lens, ask
your team the following questions to ensure you’re
reaching your audience:
1. Which audience segment presents the greatest
opportunity for our brand?
2. What is the current technological need of  
the consumer? Is it already satisfied by another
platform (e.g., Open Table, Ibotta, etc.)? Or do we 
need to create a new solution?
3. How do we measure success when evaluating our
digital offerings? What key performance indicators
should we be measuring?

The smartphone has
become an extension of
our hand when it comes to
shopping. Consumers are
utilizing their phones to
create grocery lists and
find products. Some
formats, like club stores,
have shoppers with a
higher phone dependency.
17
Smartphones: the new grocery list
As a grocery marketer, discuss the following 
questions with your team:
1. What is our shopper’s digital path-to-purchase? Are  
we set up to reach them at each point on their path?
2. How can we better equip our stores to enable easier
tech usage for our customers while they’re shopping
(e.g., free WiFi)?

Consumers are looking
for recipes online, so
give them what they
want. Leveraging
owned channels such
as branded websites
and social media to
provide relevant recipe
inspiration can help keep
your brand top-of-mind
when consumers make
meal decisions.
As you evaluate current and potential digital
offerings, consider the following:
1. How do our digital offerings make our  
customers’ lives easier?
2. How could we use our digital offerings to 
gain better insight into what our customers want  
(i.e., user data)?
18
Cooking with technology

About the study
19
In early 2016, SHS conducted the latest round of its FoodThink research study
monitoring how consumers think about what they eat and America’s relationship
with food. After conducting its first study in 2012 and a second study in 2014, SHS
continues to monitor and research various food topics.
The study was executed among 2,037 consumers across the country via an online
email survey (confidence interval of +/-2.17% at a confidence level of 95%).
Respondents had to be at least 18 years old and have joint or primary responsibility
for the grocery and food decisions in their household. They came from a mix of
demographic backgrounds and regions across the U.S. The study covered a wide
range of topics, such as perceptions of food production, cooking trends and
changing thoughts about food.

FOR MORE about Sullivan Higdon & Sink’s
FoodThink study, please visit
www.shsfoodthink.com
FOR CUSTOM REPORTS AND ANALYSIS, CONTACT
Ali Sizemore Mahaffy, Co-Chief Executive Ofﬁcer
ali.mahaffy@wehatesheep.com

Digital Domination: Tech's influence on mealtime decisions

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