March 23, 2012, Chicago – It seems like just
yesterday natural/organic was the hot ticket, but Mintel research shows local is quickly
becoming a consumer favorite, as locally sourced products are becoming
more popular at grocery stores and restaurants alike.
March 23, 2012, Chicago – It seems like just
yesterday natural/organic was the hot ticket, but local is quickly
becoming a consumer favorite, as locally sourced products are becoming
more popular at grocery stores and restaurants alike. According to
recent Mintel research, the same is true in the fruit and vegetable
industry with more than half (52 per cent) of consumers reporting that it’s more
important to buy local produce than organic options.
Data from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD) supports this
statement, as fruit products with a natural/organic claim have declined
58 per cent between 2008 and 2011, while vegetable product launches with that
claim have decreased by 77 per cent during the same time period.
“Natural and organic produce items aren’t completely passe, but local
varieties are steadily gaining ground,” says John N. Frank, category
manager, CPG food and drink reports at Mintel. “Interestingly enough,
senior citizens are even more likely to believe that buying local
produce is more important than organic.”
While it’s true that consumers have their preferences when it comes
to the type of fruits and veggies they consume, they still aren’t eating
the recommended daily amounts. Fourteen percent of Americans don’t eat
any servings of fruit on a typical day and 7 per cent report the same of their
vegetable eating habits. Meanwhile, 69 per cent agree that they should eat more
fruits and veggies than they currently consume.
“Consumers may respond well to a marketing message touting the idea
that eating vegetables is a healthier way to get important vitamins than
taking a pill,” suggests John Frank. “Some 81 per cent of respondents agree
with that statement. Another effective marketing message could be ways
to make meal salads with vegetables, as 59 per cent of respondents say they eat
salads as a meal at least once a week.”
Furthermore, giving vegetable preparation ideas could also go a long
way in increasing produce consumption. It may be lack of ideas that
leads 37 per cent to say the fresh vegetables they buy often go bad before they
have a chance to eat them, and 27 per cent who say they would eat more
vegetables if they knew how to prepare them.
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