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 Despite the worsening economy and stronger focus on what shoppers are paying for food, our latest Shopper Trends research tells us that shoppers are not disregarding their values, and in fact, ethical shopping for food has not lost momentum.
Shoppers are looking again at every option: where they buy, what they eat and how they cook. With key economic indicators turning negative across the board, the strength of commitment to better food and better ethics is being tested for the first time.
What we’re finding is, even in a recession, shoppers are not about to abandon the tastes, habits and beliefs that have been built up over the last decade.
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| Ethical shopping for food has not lost momentum | |
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Favouring Fairtrade
When asked about product purchases that have been made in the last month, a quarter of shoppers (25%) have purchased foods that support Fairtrade, almost three times more than 2006, which was only 9%. This growth suggests that consumers have become much more engaged with their food as ethical values have become deeply embedded in their purchasing decisions.
Liking local
Similarly, support for local producers and suppliers has also been gradually increasing over the last few years. The number of shoppers buying locally produced food has almost doubled in the last three years to 27%, compared to 15% in 2006.
Demand for local foods may in part be driven by the expectation that local food is fresher, but also the recession has made shoppers increasingly keen to support local producers. A strong growth in demand for local foods creates opportunities for suppliers and retailers to develop ranges with strong provenance credentials. For some, this opportunity may be simply about communicating its sourcing more clearly.
Probing for provenance
While one of the clear indications of shoppers’ interest in provenance is demonstrated by their interest in local, there’s also a clear indication that they are probing for provenance more generally. The number of shoppers who regard country of origin as important when purchasing food has also increased to almost a quarter (23%), compared to 16% in 2006. Additionally one fifth (20%) is concerned about the distance food travels compared to 11% three years ago.
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Higher expectations in standards of animal welfare
High profile publicity on the subject of animal welfare has obviously made an impact. Retailers and suppliers have responded rapidly and as a result, there has been greater visibility of products with higher animal welfare credentials.
Knowing about the standards of animal welfare has also increased to one fifth (20%), from 10% in 2006. Additionally, almost half (46%) of shoppers mentioned animal living conditions when asked about concerns they have relating to food production, compared with 30% in 2006.
Organic the exception
Only organic seems to have lost momentum. The proportion of shoppers who say they are buying organic food has dropped to 19% compared to 24% in 2008 – the only area of ethical food shopping that has seen a decline, confirming other reports. This is partly due to a swing towards other ethical options, and is mainly among more casual organic shoppers.
All of these factors suggest that while becoming increasingly price sensitive during these challenging times, shoppers are not leaving their ethical concerns at home when they go food shopping. The aspiration for high quality, more sustainable food remains. As well as using pricing as a competitive tool, there is clearly scope for promoting ethical credentials as shoppers continue to be influenced by values and not just value.
More information:
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Shopper Trends 2009: Food Shopping in a Recession |
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It has never been more important to keep your finger on the pulse of UK shoppers. IGD’s Shopper Trends 2009 will help you identify the opportunities and threats as you aim to meet the evolving needs of shoppers in a time of unprecedented economic uncertainty. |
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