CHICAGO — Opportunities for the dessert category are growing in Canada as fewer consumers now than in 2016 define dessert as simply a post-meal occasion, according to Technomic’s 2018 Canadian Dessert Consumer Trend Report. This shift in thinking points the way toward more flexible, anytime dessert opportunities that will call for more portable and snackable options.
“Shifts in the way consumers are thinking about dessert align with the increasingly on-demand nature of foodservice in general,” explains Bret Yonke, manager of Consumer Insights at Technomic. “We’re also seeing dessert become more of an experience as trending items, such as over-the-top milkshakes and neon-coloured sweets, lead the way on this front by piquing the curiosity of adventure-seeking consumers.”
Some highlights from the report include:
- Mood plays a major role in dessert consumption, with 63 per cent of consumers saying they’re more likely to eat dessert when they want to treat or reward themselves
- 48 per cent of dessert occasions that take place after a restaurant meal do not occur at the same restaurant where the meal was consumed
- Younger consumers (ages 18 to 34) are willing to pay $1.50 per dessert topping, compared to just $0.70 among older consumers (ages 35+)
Compiling findings from more than 1,100 consumer responses, as well as menu and industry data from the Ignite database, the 2018 Canadian Dessert Consumer Trend Report serves as a guide for foodservice operators and suppliers to understand how consumer usage and attitudes toward dessert are evolving in Canada and to identify key areas of opportunity.
