A quantitative investigation into eating out and the status of this activity in consumers with particular emphasis on events and experience

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the rising trend of eating out and why the experience is so sought after by consumers, which has proven to be uncharted territory within events and eating out literature. All literature on this subject dates back to the start of the century, and with the rise of social media and casual dining restaurants, consumers are different. As a result, this research paper will aim to examine modern-day consumer behaviour within this environment whilst extracting new data that has not been considered before. Additionally, this paper will relate back to existing literature whilst comparing the new results to the old. The quantitative method of data collection used within this study was an online questionnaire, generated on social media platform, Facebook, which saw 139 respondents. The sample comprised mostly of consumers aged between 18-25 which allowed the researcher to compare and analyse modern-day consumer traits with existing statistics from the literature. The results discovered three main themes which spoke volumes in conjunction with the existing literature. The findings only highlighted the problem further as it proved the existing data was no longer relevant as consumer behaviour had changed. The findings from this dissertation will be of use to restaurant managers and owners alike as it illustrates the most important factors that consumers look for when going out to eat. Furthermore, it will also assist them in developing their own brand and establishment that will reflect the needs and wants of the modern-day consumer. While this study has contributed to an understanding of the modern-day consumer, there is still further research to be done on selected groups of individuals. These results would broaden the industry’s knowledge of their consumers even further and generate great insight into their differences.