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Industry growth, more Australians eating out, working out

Nick Hall

More Australians are eating out at cafes, restaurants, fast food outlets and pubs, a new report from market research and analysis firm, Roy Morgan has found.

In the year to March 2018, Australians went out for food and drink nearly 1.35 billion times, or an average of 66 times each by every Australian aged 14+, up by an average of two trips per person since last analysed in September 2016.

Michele Levine, Roy Morgan CEO said that while previous reports have indicated a rise in time spent online, the latest results indicate a renewed focus on social and physical activities.

“Last week we outlined the cumulative time spent by Australians with various types of media with time online whether at home, at work or elsewhere clocking in at 21.9 billion hours for the nation and exceeding the time spent at work of 20.5 billion hours for the first time,” Levine said.

“The good news is that there are plenty of other activities Australians love to enjoy when not working, sleeping, or spending time on the Internet. The most popular social activity for Australians is eating and drinking out done a cumulative 1.335 billion times in the 12 months to March 2018 – up 80 million on the year to September 2016.”

The report into popular activities for Australians found that in addition to eating out, visiting gyms, exercising and playing sport was also up slightly since last analysed.

“Although Australians are themselves engaging in doing more sport and formal exercise now done a cumulative 862 million times by Australians, fewer Australians are heading to professional sporting events, now down to 32 million times,” Levine said.

“This means Australians are approximately 27 times more likely to be engaging in their own sporting activity than paying to attend a professional sporting event.”

The results provide further encouragement for the nation’s fitness professionals, who have seen an average annual industry growth of over five per cent since 2013.