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13 April 2009
Singapore
If you are a Singaporean who frequently dines out, there is a good chance it will be a dinner occasion with friends or family on a Saturday night, according to the latest Global Online study by The Nielsen Company. According to Nielsen, the most common out of home occasion is an evening event for almost eight in ten (78%) Singaporeans, and for one in two (48%), Saturday night is the most popular evening out.
“Singaporeans lead a relatively hectic lifestyle, and for many, the only time they can find to enjoy a leisurely dinner is on the weekend, and Nielsen’s findings show that Saturday is the most popular day of the week for this,” commented Joan Koh, Executive Director for Consumer Research, The Nielsen Company Singapore.
When choosing a restaurant, two main factors affect the choice of restaurant global consumers prefer to patronize. In Singapore, half the respondents (57%), say they are most likely to base their choice of restaurant on the type of cuisine served. At the same, many local diners are also on the look-out for reasonably-priced food (55%).
“Singaporeans are both food lovers and bargain-hunters - judging by the plethora of dining deals offered by credit card companies which have proven popular for many restaurant goers, who often choose their dinner venue based on the availability of an offer,” noted Ms Koh.
“In fact, Singaporeans (14%) topped the rank globally for citing special offers/promotion as one of their main consideration for choosing a restaurant,” she added.
Asked what their favourite fare was when dining out, consumers the world over said their preference was for local cuisine (27%), while traditional international favourites Chinese and Italian were close runners up (26% and 17% respectively). The only exceptions were Singaporeans, along with the Australians, who nominated Chinese as their favourite cuisine above their local fare; although preferences in Singapore are likely driven by ethnicity, with Singapore’s population made up of 75 percent Chinese.
The majority of global consumers (44%) dine out between one and three times per week, although as many as 38 percent only enjoy a meal out-of-home once a month or less. Consumers in Asia Pacific dined out more frequently than consumers in other regions. In Singapore, over two in five (44%) dine in restaurants weekly, at least.
“The frequency of out-of-home dining in different countries very much reflects local cultures,” observes Ms Koh. “Many Asian countries place emphasis on out-of-home socializing, and it is fairly common for celebratory meals to take place in restaurants. Nowadays, we often see restaurants packed, and with queues forming at the entrance on special occasions like Chinese New Year, and Christmas. With many Singaporeans, dining out has become a tradition of its own!”
In Asia Pacific, consumers were most likely to enjoy a restaurant meal with family and friends (58%), while a further 21 percent said they most often dined out with their partners. For seven in ten (69%) Singaporeans, the most common dining companion are family and friends. Another quarter (24%) of local respondents dines out most often with their partners.
About The Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey
The Nielsen Global Online Survey is the largest half-yearly survey of its kind, aimed at gauging current confidence levels, spending habits/intentions and current major concerns of consumers across the globe. The latest survey, conducted in November 2007, polled over 26,000 internet users in 52 markets from Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas and the Middle East.
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