This is one of The Food Channel’s Top 10 Food Trends for 2011, based on research conducted in conjunction with CultureWaves®, the International Food Futurists® and Mintel International. For the full list, click here.
Discount eats add flavor appeal to smart phone food apps. Just as the adorable antics of cats have become the unexpected stars of the Internet, food has become the dominant attraction of smart phones. It seems like there’s a new mobile food app popping up every time you start to feel hungry. You can shake your phone on Urbanspoon to create a slot machine effect that spins neighborhood, cuisine type, and price to help you find a restaurant. VegOut helps you find one with lots of vegetarian choices, and Open Table not only locates restaurant choices using GPS technology, but also lets you know if there are tables currently available.
But it’s the availability of mobile grocery coupons and restaurant deals on smart phones that consumers will really grab onto in the coming year.
With unemployment expected to remain at high levels for many months, if not years, consumers are hungry for bargains, and the new deal-oriented apps let you find them without the need for clipping coupons. It’s the new weapon of choice for the bargain hunter stalking his dinner prey.
Online services like CouponClipper.com now have mobile editions that allow you to pull up coupons on your phone. Even traditional paper coupon king Valpak now offers mobile couponing that uses your phone’s GPS to find deals in your immediate area.
Savvy restaurants text and tweet about hot specials that not only bring in extra business, but also make customers feel like insiders. It’s a great way to build patron loyalty, and we expect to see this kind of smart marketing to be big business in 2011. Read the full top ten. To view our Top Ten Foods to Watch in 2011, click here.
For evidence, read:
Zagat Launches Interactive Food Truck Finder
Exploring Food Apps for Smart Phones
New App Lets You Track Calories Via UPCs
