Our Methods

The process of analysing the Foodservice markets is complex. After alll, there are often more than 100,000 restaurants and catering outlets in the major European countries. The restaurant and catering sector in France comprises 375,000 restaurants and food outlets. It is therefore impossible to collect product consumption information from all establishments.

Our experience over the last 40 years has taught us that at least three complementary approaches are needed:

• An approach focusing on outlet managers, with five specific target groups:
  
  • self-managed social foodservice outlets
  • outlets managed by contracts caterers
  • independent commercial restaurants
  • outlets managed by chains and specialist operators
  • outlets operated by traders in the CVA sector
• An approach focusing on Foodservice distributors, covering three main distributor categories:
  • specialist Foodservice wholesalers
  • cash & carry operators
  • industrial-scale producers that deliver their products directly to Foodservice outlets
• An approach focusing on consumers - essential for qualitative research:
  
  • semi-directive group meetings
  • individual interviews with a representative sample of consumers

In addition to these three basic approaches, GIRA Foodservice also uses its substantial database, built up over the last four decades: the company has published 900 studies since 1989, providing an historical overview of changes in the market and informed anticipation of future opportunities.

The complementary nature of these approaches provides a clear vision of market mechanisms, the forces that drive change, potential future scenarios and emerging trends.

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