NEW YORK –Restaurants have historically assumed that their competition was other restaurants, but according to the latest American Express MarketBriefing, that may be changing. As retailers continue to improve their prepared-foods departments to offer more fresh and exciting foods, they’re giving restaurants a run for their (consumers’) money.

According to a Technomic survey, consumers report purchasing prepared ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat foods more frequently than in past years, with 37% now saying that they pick up an item weekly or more often (compared to 22% last year). And only three out of 10 consumers (30%) say they rarely or never purchase foodservice items from supermarkets and other retailers, down slightly from 33% a year ago.