Restaurant-branded products within the UK retail market remain niche, with factors such as the need for high restaurant brand awareness and competition from established grocery brands acting as significant barriers to entry. However, whilst there are various examples of restaurant-driven retail products that have failed to be sustainable over the years (eg Planet Hollywood), Nando’s sauces/marinades and PizzaExpress salad dressings continue to be market leaders in their respective sectors.

This report is primarily focused on the foodservice/restaurant brand within a grocery retail environment, although it also investigates the impact of ‘designer food’ on consumers by investigating past and current restaurant-driven retail brands as well as briefly exploring the world of celebrity-branded foods. It also examines the impact of the recession on consumer shopping habits both in- and out-of-home, as well as establishing in which food categories consumers are most motivated by branding.

Hypothesis: Can restaurant brands successfully make the transition to the retail sector?

Main issues

• Identify which brands have successfully made the transition in the retail market and which have not

• Understand the barriers to entry

• Capitalise on insight into people’s brand perceptions and examine how celebrity endorsement affects purchasing behaviour.