As seen in last week’s Retail Intelligence, the nation is embarking on somewhat of a health revolution. One of the more common themes at play is the importance placed on all things fresh; be that meat, fish, or fruit & veg. There is clear evidence of this behavioural shift in the most recent research by Empathy Research for Checkout, conducted amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,002 adults aged 18 and over.
How is this focus on fresh manifesting itself in the behaviour of shoppers? At the forefront is the growth in the proportion of fresh fruit and vegetables being purchased. Almost 9 in 10 (89%) of all adults claim they purchase fresh fruit and veg at least once a week, with 16% of all adults purchasing four or more times a week.
Interestingly, some 30% of adults claim to be purchasing more fruit and veg than they were six months ago. While this increase can be partially attributed to a seasonal shift from winter into summer, a desire to eat healthier is also underpinning this behaviour.
Price wars focused primarily on fresh fruit & veg, particularly from Discounters, are facilitating this behaviour through the widespread availability of affordable fruit & veg. Further evidence of the Discounter impact is found in the fact that Aldi is the store used most often to purchase fresh fruit & veg for 22% of the adult population.
Fresh meat purchases are also on the rise, with 10% of all adults claiming they are purchasing more fresh meat than they were six months ago. This is combined with 70% of all adults claiming to purchase fresh meat at least once a week and 7% purchasing four or more times per week. Of the multiples, SuperValu leads the way when it comes to the stores in which fresh meat is purchased, with just over 1 in 5 (21%) purchasing from SuperValu most often.
SuperValu’s fresh credentials are further endorsed with the highest levels of fresh poultry (20%) and fresh fish (21%) being purchased from it. However,SuperValu also sees significant competition from local butchers and fishmongers. Those living in Leinster (outside of Dublin) are more likely to purchase meat in local butchers, with highest levels of usage for SuperValu for fresh meat recorded amongst for those living in Dublin and Munster.
For further information and more in-depth analysis to better understand behaviour across demographics and retailers, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
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