Pret A Manger sandwiches in fridge

Sunday has overtaken Friday as the second strongest trading day for food-to-go occasions after Saturday.

In the first six months of 2024, Saturday accounted for 19% of food-to-go occasions, Sunday 16.9% and Friday 15.4%, according to Lumina Intelligence.

When Lumina last ran the research, in 2022, Saturday accounted for 17.5%, while Friday was second on 14.7% and Sunday third with 13.2%. 

The change in behaviour is linked to work-from-home Mondays, having an effect of extending the weekend by making people feel more able to go out on Sunday, according to Lumina.  It is also linked to an increase in drink-to-go options, including iced drinks and coffee to go in the convenience channel.

 

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Drink occasions on a Sunday in particular have grown by 4.6% compared with 2022, according to Lumina.

“Food-to-go operators have embraced this drink innovation,” said Lumina Intelligence MD Jill Livesey.

“As a result we’ve seen phenomenal NPD in drinks, not just in products but in display as well.”

Food-to-go outlets are also growing in number, with a thousand new sites forecast to enter the market every year from 2024 to 2027.