The examination of time awareness in the preference of catering at places of work

In our opinion an individual’s value system has an influence on their motivation of food consumption. An individual’s relation to time influences the circumstances of food consumption and preparation, as well as the criteria system of food purchase and in this aspect it may become – as a secondary segment criteria – a group forming factor in the market of food consumption. One of the alternatives to release the time-risk factor emerging during food purchase is to take advantage of the possibilities to consume food away from home. As opposed to traditional food consumption methods new service and merchandise solutions, which are capable of satisfying demand for comfort, are gaining importance. As a result, the currently the currently insignificant sector of canteens will probably expand. Although price sensitivity is a currently determining factor in Hungary, it is proven that time – because of its scarcity – is being reassessed, which slowly but steadily will induce changes in connection with food consumption and purchase preferences thus influencing the structure of food merchandise and the product-service portfolio. Institutional catering is not a common practice in our country yet-primarily due to the price sensitivity of food consumers. The publication of the overall results of the survey is beyond the constraints of the present paper but we were aiming at drawing the most important conclusion. Such practice-oriented conclusion can be that as far as employers are concerned, their growing contribution to institutional catering would be advantageous for many reasons: on the one hand, it could increase loyalty to the workplace and also it could give a huge impetus to the market of domestic institutional catering on the other hand. In our opinion the value-system and food preference-based segmentation could provide an opportunity to both employers and caterers to work out target-group oriented marketing activities.