{"id":12236,"date":"2025-10-29T16:51:06","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T16:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taberner.es\/the-rise-of-immediate-consumption-an-opportunity-for-ready-meals\/"},"modified":"2025-10-29T16:51:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T16:51:06","slug":"the-rise-of-immediate-consumption-an-opportunity-for-ready-meals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taberner.es\/en\/the-rise-of-immediate-consumption-an-opportunity-for-ready-meals\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rise of Immediate Consumption: An Opportunity for Ready Meals"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The food market<\/strong> is changing rapidly. Today, one in three euros of food and beverage spending in Spain<\/strong> is allocated to immediate consumption<\/strong>, according to Circana’s CREST Panel. <\/p>\n

This change reflects a clear trend: consumers are looking for practical, fast, and quality solutions<\/strong>. They want to eat well, but without investing too much time. <\/p>\n

In the main European markets \u2014Spain, France, Great Britain, Italy, and Germany<\/strong>\u2014 immediate consumption already accounts for 37% of total spending<\/strong>. This shows that convenience has become a key driver of food growth<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\ud83d\uded2 Retail Drives the Growth of Immediate Consumption<\/h2>\n

Alternative channels to traditional catering<\/strong> are gaining prominence. Supermarkets, bakeries, gas stations, convenience stores, and vending machines<\/strong> now account for 23% of immediate consumption spending<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Retail<\/strong> leads this advance with a turnover close to 20 billion euros in Europe<\/strong>. Today’s consumer no longer chooses by channel. They decide based on convenience, value, and experience<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

The boundaries between retail and catering<\/strong> have disappeared. Both sectors compete for the same consumption occasions, offering ready meals and options ready to enjoy at any time<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf7d\ufe0f Redefining Competition: From Restaurant to Shelf<\/h2>\n

The food sector<\/strong> is experiencing completely new competition. Restaurant chains<\/strong> no longer compete only among themselves. Now they also compete with retailers<\/strong>, who offer ready-to-eat food<\/strong> with quality, speed, and accessible prices<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

In Spain<\/strong>, this offering is reflected in salad bars, ready meal<\/a> counters, and refrigerated aisles<\/strong>. In Europe<\/strong>, innovation goes further with new formats such as: <\/p>\n