New Zealand was once a land of meat-and-three-veg dinners, but Kiwis have become increasingly experimental with their eating habits, a Canstar Blue survey shows.

The survey researched the Most Satisfied Customers for Meal Kits, which was won by HelloFresh, the Berlin-based company that entered the New Zealand market in 2018.

The survey revealed how the growing popularity of meal kits is changing New Zealanders’ habits, including 47% saying they have tried different foods as a result of having meal kits.

The survey also revealed the environmental and health concerns New Zealanders have around their food, with 48% saying more should be done to promote healthy eating in New Zealand, and 36% saying there is too much packaging used in meal kits.

A significant majority of respondents were also concerned about cost, saying food in New Zealand was more expensive than in other countries. Just over half of the respondents believed GST should be removed from fresh produce.

Just over 50% of respondents spend between $101 and $200 on groceries every week, while 21% spend between $50 and $100. At the extremes, 3% spend less than $50 and 5% spend over $300.

Canstar’s research showed the main drivers of customer satisfaction for meal kits were value for money, taste of the food, and variety of meals. Other drivers of satisfaction were flexibility, customer service, freshness of food and reliability and timing of deliveries. HelloFresh received 5 stars in the majority of satisfaction drivers, including taste and variety.

“Meal kits are becoming more popular and Kiwis are using them to explore recipes and ideas they might not have previously considered,” said Jose George, General Manager of Canstar New Zealand.

“But with the popularity come some frustrations - Kiwis are not fans of extra packaging, and feel like our fresh food is too expensive.

“But meal kits can be a great way to save on food wastage, and meal kit companies do look for ways of cutting down on packaging.”

“It’s interesting to see how many respondents support the removal of GST on fresh food. This idea has been discussed in the political realm for some time, but could be a very tricky policy to implement,” Mr George added. “I don’t expect it will happen any time soon, so Kiwis should probably look at other ways to cut down on their grocery budgets.

“Keeping an eye out for specials, trying different supermarkets, and participating in loyalty programmes can all be helpful to managing budgets over time.”

Olaf Vreeburg, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of HelloFresh New Zealand, said “at HelloFresh, our customers are at the heart of everything we do, from our recipes developed, from customer feedback, to our choice of delivery days and flexible subscription.

“We're thrilled to receive this Canstar award, as our focus is always on ensuring we deliver the best possible product and service for Kiwi households. The receipt of this award, together with the popularity of HelloFresh in New Zealand so far, is tremendous validation of our product and how well it fits with the lifestyles of busy Kiwis all over.

“And, we’re excited to further develop our product to serve an even greater range of needs through 2020 and beyond.”

For further information please visit the Canstar NZ site here.

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