The food-to-go market is set to be worth over £16 billion by the end of this year, grocery experts IGD predict.
The figure, which represents a 6.8 per cent rise on last year, comes on the back of soaring demand for convenient, quick food that can be eaten by people with busy lifestyles.
IGD has split the sector into five distinct categories: coffee specialists (worth £2.7bn), quick service restaurants (£5bn), food-to-go specialists (£4.6bn), convenience, forecourt and other retailers (£2.5bn), and supermarkets and hypermarkets (£1.2bn).
Lunch is the most popular reason for buying food on the go, with 70 per cent of shoppers purchasing for that reason in the last month. Some 28 per cent bought breakfast and 45 per cent a snack.
A third of leisure food-to-go shoppers bought a drink, snack or sandwich to eat in or relax.
IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch said: “Food-to-go represents a strong opportunity for suppliers, but it’s a different market to grocery retail, requiring a very distinct approach to succeed. Suppliers looking to expand into this area must first and foremost broaden their understanding of the different types of food-to-go shopper.
'What drives them to purchase? What excites them? How can you work with your food-to-go customers to keep shoppers coming back for more? Those suppliers who really develop their knowledge of this unique market will be best placed to make the most of the growth opportunities available.”
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