While Bolognese sauce continues to be the most frequently purchased type of pasta sauce amongst adults, there has been a significant drop recorded in purchase frequency year-on-year.
Previously, almost half (48%) of adults claimed to purchase at least once a month, while now less than 4 in 10 (39%) are purchasing with this frequency. Further to this, there are just 7% of adults who purchase once a week or more often, compared to 11% last year.
This research, conducted on behalf of Retail Intelligence by Empathy Research, amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,058 adults aged 18+, sought to understand purchase behaviour in the pasta sauce category.
The cohort exhibiting the biggest reduction in purchase frequency is the 25-34 age group. Last year, 57% of this age group claimed to purchase Bolognese sauce at least once a month, this year the figure is just 33%.
From a brand viewpoint Dolmio continues to lead the category in terms of the brands of Bolognese sauce typically purchased. However, there has been a drop in claimed purchase, with 57% of Bolognese buyers buying the brand currently compared to 64% in 2017. Supermarket private label brands have maintained their purchase incidence (37% in 2017 and 38% in 2018), while Roma also records a reduction in purchase incidence (19% from 25%).
While purchase may have reduced somewhat for Dolmio year-on-year, the draw of the brand still appears to be high. Almost half (49%) of buyers in the category choose Dolmio as their most preferred brand, in line with 2017 levels (52%). Affinity for private label is also unchanged year-on-year with a quarter (25%) claiming that the private label brand they buy is their most preferred brand of all brands in the category.
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.
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