Consumers in China are choosing convenience over health as a result of the economic downturn and long working hours.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


People are spending more on convenience food, such as frozen ready meals, and less on fresh food, according to the results of two polls that compared last year’s at-home and dining out habits with this year’s.


ACNielsen Homescan Services director Fanny Chan Ying-fong told the South China Morning Post that the recession had brought economic pressures to average families and that social traditions such as a home-cooked traditional family dinner were being affected.


People who ate at home are buying around 20% more convenience and frozen foods than last year, while spending on fresh food fell 19% in the same period.


A different ACNielsen survey found that around 22% of people were dining out less than they did a year ago due to economic factors. Around 13% of people eat out more often but tend to frequent cheaper and more convenient venues such as teahouses and fastfood outlets.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact