New Zealand Hospitality Is On The Road To Recovery According To New Research From CGA

Most consumers in New Zealand are feeling positive and ready to support the hospitality sector in 2022, according to a new report from CGA, the global On Premise data and insights consultancy.

As part of CGA’s global expansion program, a host of best-in-class insight solutions are being launched in New Zealand, all dedicated wholly to the On Premise channel. The very first of these research programs to launch is their monthly On Premise Consumer Pulse, which checks in on around 500 New Zealand On Premise visitors to understand their recent behaviour, how they feel about the channel (including any COVID-related restrictions) and their intention for visits in the month ahead.

Key facts

• 89% of New Zealand consumers surveyed have visited the On Premise already in 2022. While there are lingering concerns around COVID-19, the vast majority of these consumers are eager to get back to bars and restaurants – with 78% planning to visit the same or more often than they did in 2021.
• 51% of New Zealand consumers would feel more comfortable visiting the On Premise if social distancing was maintained, while mandatory masks (49%) and table service only (32%) also ranked highly. Keeping these standards high have never been more important.
• However, the vast majority of Kiwis are keen to engage with the channel right now and 1 in 5 (21%) intend to visit the On Premise more over the months ahead than last year.

CGA’s managing director, Americas and Asia Pacific, Scott Elliott said: “There is little doubt that the hospitality industry in New Zealand has been hit hard by the pandemic but this latest research suggests that consumers do want to come back and the tide is beginning to turn. Right now, the key to success for suppliers will be to take learning from other markets a little further down this path. In other developed On Premise markets, the suppliers who have been able to best help their customers navigate a new guest path to purchase - especially in the areas of maximizing visit spend via digital and server advocacy/upselling – have gained space, share and loyalty. Now is the time though, not in 12 months. Based on our experience around the world, there is no doubt that once the hospitality sector has returned to a more traditional trading pattern, the suppliers who were most proactive in their investment at this resurgent stage have seen the greatest benefits. These gains are proving hard to displace by the late-returners.”

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