Prepared meals offer a middle ground between cooking at home and dining out — they require less work than cooking at home, while costing less than eating at a restaurant — says NPD Group. 
Supermarkets compete with fast food restaurants in the take-home meal business, and the former is winning two-thirds of the time. Shoppers gravitate to supermarkets over fast food restaurants because of the variety of choices as well as the availability of healthy options. They prefer fast food restaurants for specific cravings and for the convenience of pick up via drive thru. [Food/Beverages, Consumer Spending & Attitudes]
Source: “DeliTrack,” NPD Group, Ann Hanson, Executive Director Product, 900 W. Shore Rd., Port Washington, NY 11050; 516-625-0700; ann_hanson@npdgroup.com; www.npdgroup.com. Price: Call for information.
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