The fast food market - Germany

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Fast food is the term used to describe restaurants that focus on saving time for the customer, enabling them to receive their order in record time, to eat in or take away. Fast food services also tend to offer much more attractive prices than traditional restaurants. Fast food is generally very popular in large metropolises , enabling workers to save time during their working day.

Fast food is based on products that are quick and easy to cook, the main ones being the following:

• Pizza
• Kebab
• Sandwich
• Pasta
• Sushi

Increasingly decried for its negative impact on quality of life, the fast-food industry has recently been seeking to renew itself by offering fresh products more in tune with the concerns of the times, enabling the market to attract new customers. Forecasts predict global sales reaching $884.56 billion in 2027, at a CAGR of 7.35% over the period 2020-2027. The global market is dominated by Asian countries, notably China and India, whose overpopulation means they depend on ways to make their daily lives more rational and efficient.

McDonals remains the world's most powerful fast-food chain, with sales of $23 billion in 2021.

The German fast-food market is growing slightly, reaching 15.3 billion euros in 2019, followed by a sharp fall in 2020 marked by confinements, bringing this figure down to 10.7 billion euros. However, this increase is not particularly noticeable among the big chains, whose annual values fluctuate from year to year and don't seem to follow a regular rhythm. Once again, this may be explained by a general awareness of the need for healthier foodstuffs , or a demand that takes environmental issues into account.