Bolognese sauce is the most frequently purchased type of pasta sauce amongst adults, with almost half (48%) claiming to purchase at least once a month and just over 1 in 10 (11%) purchasing once a week or more often. This research, conducted on behalf of Retail Intelligence by Empathy Research, amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,011 adults aged 18+, sought to understand purchase behaviour in the pasta sauce category.
Purchase of Bolognese sauce is more prevalent amongst males (54%) and across the 18-24 (60%) and 25-34 (57%) year-old age groups, with those living in Leinster (52%) also more likely to purchase at least once a month.
Dolmio leads the way in the category in terms of the brands of Bolognese sauce typically purchased, with almost two thirds (64%) of those who purchase Bolognese sauce claiming to buy this brand. Supermarket private label brands are purchased by almost 4 in 10 (37%) with Roma in third place with almost a quarter claiming to purchase.
Conversion from typically purchasing a brand to being the most preferred brand to purchase is strong for Dolmio, with 52% of buyers in the category choosing Dolmio as their most preferred brand. As with other categories, the affinity to private label is also strong, with a quarter (25%) claiming that the private label brand they buy is their most preferred brand of all brands in the category.
Dolmio performs strongly on taste, with 60% of those who claim Dolmio is their most preferred brand claiming, “it tastes the best”. There is also strong heritage for the brand amongst shoppers, with almost 4 in 10 (39%) claiming Dolmio is their most preferred brand because “it’s the one I’ve always used”. While the preference for private label is primarily driven by price and value credentials, there are almost half (46%) who prefer private label because they feel it tastes the best.
For further information and more in-depth analysis on consumer behaviour when it comes to purchasing pasta sauces, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine
