Japan bucks global QSR uptrend with flat traffic growth in Q1
Only its dominant retail foodservice segment saw improvement.
Japan is bucking the global trend for quick service restaurant (QSR) traffic. According to a report by the NPD Group, Japan posted flat QSR traffic in the first calendar quarter of 2016.
On the flip side, Japan saw growth in the its dominant retail (e.g. convenience stores) foodservice segment.
European markets tracked by NPD Group (Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and France), meanwhile, registered an uptick in QSR traffic, and served as the driving force behind the broad health of the industry. European markets were also propped up by visit gains in the full-service restaurant segment, which NPD Group notes is a major shift from recent years.
“Positive reports from the global foodservice industry first emerged in the second quarter of 2015, but after years of uneven growth around the world, it was hard to get too excited about it at the time. The news did get better throughout 2015, and culminated in this quarter’s broadly upbeat global performance,” says Bob O’Brien, senior vice president, global foodservice at NPD Group.
“Since anything can happen, like England’s and Wales’ recent vote to leave the European Union, it is with cautious optimism that we look forward to the remaining three quarters of 2016,” O’Brien adds.
