[Survey on Prepared Foods] Less Than Half Purchase Prepared Foods Once a Week or More. Occasions for Eating Prepared Foods, Weekday and Holiday Lunches, Show a Declining Trend

My Voice Communications Co., Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and Representative Director: Shintaro Shimizu) conducted its 9th internet survey on "prepared foods" from May 1st to 7th, 2026.

For this survey, prepared foods are defined as commercially available, ready-to-eat cooked side dishes. Bento boxes, onigiri, sandwiches, and noodles are excluded. We are pleased to announce the survey results.

[Survey Target] My Voice Communications survey monitors [Survey Method] Internet survey (net research) [Survey Period] May 1st - May 7th, 2026 [Number of Respondents] 11,013 [Detailed Survey Results] https://myel.myvoice.jp/products/detail/33404

◆ Purchase Frequency of Prepared Foods Less than half of respondents purchase prepared foods once a week or more. Among men aged 10-30 and women aged 10-20, approximately 30% stated "have not purchased prepared foods in the past year," a higher proportion compared to the overall average.

◆ Type of Prepared Foods Purchased in the Past Year Among those who purchased prepared foods in the past year, the types purchased (multiple responses) were: "in-store cooked/processed side dishes" at 88.5%, "refrigerated cooked side dishes/chilled pack side dishes" at 37.8%, and "shelf-stable pouch pack cooked side dishes" at 25.6%.

◆ Timing of Eating Prepared Foods Respondents who purchased prepared foods in the past year were asked about the occasions when they eat them (multiple responses). "Weekday dinners" accounted for 73.0%, and "holiday dinners" accounted for 58.4%.

Weekday and holiday lunches each accounted for less than 30% and showed a declining trend compared to past surveys. Furthermore, "weekday lunches" were lower among men aged 30-50 and women aged 10-30, and increased with age thereafter. *For continuation of graphs and more details, please refer to [Detailed Survey Results].

◆ Key Considerations When Purchasing Prepared Foods For those who purchased prepared foods in the past year, the key considerations (multiple responses) were "price" at 62.5% and "taste" at 60.4%, followed by "type of ingredients" at 35.0%.

"Seasoning/condiments," "items difficult to cook oneself," and "family opinions" were higher among women, while "large quantity" was higher among men aged 10-40. "Type of ingredients," "cooking date," and "expiration date/best-by date" tended to be higher among older age groups.

◆ Purchase Locations for Prepared Foods The purchase locations for prepared foods in the past year (multiple responses) were "supermarkets" at 93.2%. This was followed by "convenience stores" at 20.7% and "department stores" at 14.0%.

"Convenience stores" were slightly higher among those aged 30-40, and also higher among those who purchase "daily," "4-5 times a week," or "2-3 times a week." "Department stores" were higher among women, particularly noticeable among women aged 60-70.

◆ Intention to Purchase Prepared Foods Approximately 66% of respondents answered that they "want to purchase" or "somewhat want to purchase" prepared foods actively in the future. Among those who purchase prepared foods once a week or more, this figure was high, ranging from the mid-80% to over 90%.

<< Respondent Comments >> ☆ Frequently Purchased Prepared Foods (Total 5,434 comments) Sometimes I get a sudden craving for greasy foods like fried or grilled items. At such times, I find myself stopping by supermarkets or convenience stores in the evening. (Male, 20 years old) I often buy cooked items with plenty of green onions, which work well as both a side dish and a snack. (Male, 48 years old) I often buy cooked liver, gizzard, and cartilage sold in small packs for nutritional supplementation. (Male, 78 years old) There are various types, so I often buy dim sum from Chinese restaurants. (Female, 26 years old) Simmered beans and simmered vegetables. The seasoning is firm, so they seem to want them in their bento boxes. (Female, 48 years old) Because I work, I prepare my husband's dinner in the morning and put it in the refrigerator. It's difficult to make many dishes, so I buy things like kinpira or spring roll salad to add one more item when needed. (Female, 65 years old) *For those who do not buy prepared foods, we asked for the reasons why.

<Detailed Survey Results> Survey Results on Prepared Foods https://myel.myvoice.jp/products/detail/33404 In addition to the above questions, we also asked about "types of products purchased" and "occasions for purchase." *Regarding the publication and citation of survey results These are the results of an independent survey conducted by My Voice Communications Co., Ltd. via internet research (net research). When publishing or citing the survey results, please be sure to include the notation "Survey by My Voice Communications" or "Survey by My Voice Communications Co., Ltd."

<Inquiries> For inquiries regarding the survey results, please contact us at the following email address: [email protected] (MyEL Desk)

<Related Information> Our independent survey results can be viewed on the "MyEL" survey database, and information on the "CotoEL" AI analysis tool for survey data is also available on note. Please take a look. note Publication Page

<Company Profile> My Voice Communications Co., Ltd. [Representative] Shintaro Shimizu, President and Representative Director [Established] July 1999 [Capital] 161.83 million yen (including capital reserve) [Business] Internet surveys, offline surveys, text mining, survey database, AI analysis services [Location] Sakaeha Building 5F, 3-17-11 Kanda-Nishikicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo [Company HP] https://www.myvoice.co.jp/ My Voice Communications is a research company within the ITOCHU Group, primarily providing internet-based surveys.