Are New Zealand's grocery prices driving people to takeaway?

New research suggests that more than half of New Zealanders now turn to takeaway rather than cooking at home because it’s cheaper, and nearly 1 in 3 New Zealanders generally believe takeaway to be the cheaper option.

The survey of 435 New Zealanders over the age of 18 and across all regions was carried out by Menulog.co.nz[1], a popular online and mobile ordering service for takeaway food.
 
More than half of respondents (53%) admitted to ordering in because it was more affordable than cooking a meal from scratch. The survey also revealed that more than 2 in 3 respondents (68%) said they order takeaway at least once a week or more, and more than half (53%) spend up to $50 weekly on takeaway alone.  Surprisingly, the older age bracket are likely to spend more on takeaway, with almost a quarter (24%) of 45-54s spending between $50-100 a week.

Menulog spokesperson Julia Snabl says: “There is a growing demand for takeaway as consumers are very conscious of their household budget and the expense of cooking home meals. In New Zealand, everyday staples such as milk and butter have been steadily increasing in price2, which increases the expense of even simple home cooked meals.”
 
In line with being generally budget conscious around food, respondents are sensitive to the prices of takeaway meals, with the ‘sweet spot’ being around $15 per person. The survey revealed 1 in 3 respondents (33%) would not pay more than $15 per person, and 39% don’t pay above $20 per person for a takeaway meal.



[1] Survey carried out by Menulog.co.nz. The 435 respondents were individuals living in New Zealand, aged from 18 years to over 55 years old. Respondents were a representative of the New Zealand population.
2 http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/69787453/families-forgo-luxury-milk-as-prices-rise.html