Consumer Trends: Money mattersConsumer Trends: Money matters

Fern Glazer

The ubiquitous deals that helped to drive restaurant traffic throughout the economic slowdown are losing their appeal with consumers.


While price remains the top motivator for visiting restaurants, the number of customers who say they are prompted by deals is on the wane, according to new data from The NPD Group.


“Price is a key driver, and we as an industry have tried to come up with different strategies, but it’s not working,” said Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant analyst with the Port Washington, N.Y.-based research firm. “What’s out there is no longer perceived as a deal.”


Nearly 23 percent of consumers surveyed said that price was the top reason for visiting a restaurant, up nearly 2 percent from 2006, NPD found. Food variety a...