How on-the-go eating habits are impacting breakfast innovation in Germany

Please find our latest blog on the 5 trends driving breakfast cereal innovations, which is based on our German Report on Breakfast Cereals (2019), by clicking here.

Consumers’ busy lifestyles are having a major impact on the way they eat, with traditional at-home meals increasingly being replaced by convenient meals or snacks consumed in transit – for example, while commuting to or from work. When surveyed on eating habits in 2015, half of German respondents stated that they had eaten breakfast – which is traditionally considered the most important meal of the day – on-the-go within the past three months. Looking in more detail, breakfast is consumed on-the-go by one in eight consumers at least once a week, and by over a third at least once a month.

Reported on-the-go consumption is most prevalent among males, singles 16-24 year olds. Yet, consumers across all demographics can be seen to contribute to the rise of the to-go snacking market. While the food service industry, led by bakeries and coffee houses, has long reaped the benefits of this development, the retail industry is also increasingly gearing up to meet with evolving consumer needs.

We take a look at some innovative examples…

All-in-one muesli pots

To keep up with the rapidly evolving breakfast market space, cereal manufacturers in Germany have started to experiment with new product formats, introducing new innovative on-the-go lines in response to the growing consumer interest in portable cereal products.

In 2015, two German companies rolled out new cereal pot concepts, which make cereal consumption even quicker and more convenient. The organic foods supplier Frips GmbH has launched a range of on-the-go organic muesli pots named ‘Milk’n Müsli’, which includes a shot of milk powder and a spoon, so consumers only need to add water to eat the product. Around the same time, the Gropper dairy introduced its new ‘Müsli Pause’ all-in-one pots, which come with a spoon and a pasteurised milk pouch.

Ehrmann’s Almighurt to-go

Ehrmann has introduced Almighurt Praktisch und Lecker (Convenient and Tasty) to the German market. Retailing in a 100g squeezable stand up pouch, the yogurt is positioned as a “spoon-less indulgence for consumption on-the-go, at work and at home”. Owing to its chilled nature and the usual requirement of being eaten with a spoon, consumers mostly snack on yogurts at home or at work, with only one in 10 Germans enjoying them while on-the-go. But with the snacking trend set to grow further, yogurt manufacturers need to experiment with new formats that can raise their products’ to-go appeal. Yet, while some celebrities are advocating the benefits of the “baby food diet” –rich in nutrients, small portions – the question remains whether adult consumers actually consider it socially acceptable to eat by sucking on a pouch, at least when in public.

Aldi Juice in Cup

Another out-of-the box breakfast concept demanding attention in the to-go respect is Aldi Süd’s Rio D’Oro Mein Becher Saft! (My cup of juice!). The two chilled NFC varieties, Orange Juice and Naturally Cloudy Apple Juice, retail in 250ml lidded to-go cups.

Convenient to-go cups have gained momentum in Germany’s retail sector in the wake of the country’s booming RTD chilled coffee sector, driven by consumers’ increasing desire for instant energy due to fast-paced and busy lifestyles. To-go cups have, quite literally, become carriers of the spreading coffee and espresso bar culture in the country, potentially triggering favourable memories of coffee house treats. In the juice sector, the characteristic RTD cup can still be considered a novelty.

In her role as a Senior Food & Drink Analyst Germany, Katya draws on her comprehensive knowledge of the German market to identify and explore the major trends across various FMCG categories and provides insights into the German market environment. Katya holds a Master degree in Business Administration from the German University of Saarland and is fluent in English, German and Russian.