Retailers can grow twice as fast by investing in food to go, according to new research by IGD.

The company is predicting that the food to go sector is set to grow at twice the rate of overall grocery retail, with the channel growing to £22.8bn by 2023, up from £17.8bn this year. 

The findings showed that convenience and forecourt retailers will grow by 4.9%, while supermarkets will grow by 5.3%.

Coffee specialists and food-to-go specialists, such as Pret a Manger and Greggs, will grow the fastest, up by 5.3% and 5.7% respectively. 

Gavin Rothwell, head of food to go at IGD, said the food-to-go market remains a strong growth
opportunity that continues to provide a great source of inspiration.

“Food-to-go specialists as diverse as Greggs and Coco di Mama have been bolstering their coffee credentials, while convenience stores, among the most notable this year being Eat17 and  Co-op, have focused on enhancing the range of food-to-go options on offer to meet more missions more effectively,” he added.

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