Americans are increasing their consumption of fresh foods
A new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers shows that, compared to three years ago, Americans are consuming more fresh products, including fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses, which may be driven by the desire for healthier diets and lifestyles.
A new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers shows that, compared to three years ago, Americans are consuming more fresh products, including fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses, which may be driven by the desire for healthier diets and lifestyles. The data were gathered in December 2016 by the OpinionWay institute for Bizerba and Invatron, makers of technology solutions dedicated to fresh food departments.
The study shows that nearly half of Americans (48%) consume more fresh products than they did three years ago and 41% say their consumption has remained stable over that period. Appearance, quality, and price are the three key purchase triggers for consumers buying fresh products across all categories. The one exception is cheese, for which price is the deciding factor. For all other products, appearance is the primary driver, inciting consumers to purchase fresh products even if they were not planning to.
Supermarkets were rated as the best across all categories for buying fresh products, thanks to the variety of product offerings, the overall shopping experience, and the best value for the money. The majority of respondents (63%) say they opt to shop at supermarkets ahead of natural and organic grocery stores (14%), wholesale clubs (9%), and discount stores (8%). Amazon and other online retailers are breaking into the market, but are the preferred medium of only 5% of Americans.
Cost is a key concern for the 11% of Americans who are eating less fresh food than they have historically. More than a quarter of respondents (26%) say they eat fewer fresh products because they are less well-off financially, and 24% say they think that fresh products are more expensive than before. Additionally, 21% of respondents who consume fewer fresh products say they cook less than before, and 14% say they have less time to prepare meals at home, so they no longer purchase fresh products because of the concern over spoilage (24%). Only a small subset (11%) of those consuming fewer fresh items say they are no longer interested in a healthy diet, and 8% say the stores selling quality fresh products have closed near where they live.