52% of Irish consumers cannot imagine life without bread, according to recent findings released by Bord Bia.
The research into the baked goods sector in Ireland and the UK was carried out from April – May 2014, and turned up some fascinating commonalities and contrasts between the two neighbouring markets.
Bread and associated morning goods are worth €393 million annually to the Irish economy, with 71% of Irish respondents eating baked products at breakfast, versus 60% in the UK. 82% in Ireland dine on baked products at lunch and 42% at dinner, where as in the UK the figures are 60% and 48% respectively. This indicates that Irish consumers consumer more bread during breakfast and lunch than their British counterparts, who are more likely to tuck into baked products during the evening than the Irish. Irish baked goods shoppers are also more likely to plan their purchases in advance, while UK shoppers show a greater propensity to buy on impulse.
Almost half (47%) of all Irish shoppers have changed their baked goods category spend in the past 12 months with roughly equal proportions increasing and decreasing spend. This is a strong indication of the change and shifting patterns of behaviour that are occurring in the category.
In the Repubic of Ireland, weekly baked goods purchased include Baguettes (45%), soda bread (43%), wraps (37%), rolls, buns and baps (26%) and unsliced loves (16%). 39% of shoppers here always buy the same brand of bread, but 30% will switch to a different brand if it is on special offer.
35% of Irish consumers want more variety in small sized pans on shelf, while 29% would like to see flavoured breads. 28% would like to see reduced packaging and a quarter (25%) would like snack sized bread options to eat on the go. 60% of consumers here would pay more for freshly baked bread, while half would pay a higher price for a product derived solely from natural ingredients. A third (34%) would pay more for baked goods with specific health benefits.
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Conor William O'Brien
