Irish Consumer Attitudes to Fresh Produce

Date: July 2007

Table of Contents

Introduction – Research Method.............................................................1

1. General Consumption of Fresh Produce...........................................2

2. Fresh Produce Average Daily Consumption ...................................11

3. Fresh Produce Shopping Behaviour ...............................................18

4. Awareness and Attitudes to Fresh Produce....................................25

5. General Attitudes to Shopping, Cooking and Food.........................32

Appendix 1............................................................................................42

Appendix 2............................................................................................49

1

Introduction – Research Method

The total market for retail sales of fresh produce in Ireland in 2005 was approximately €996

million, leaving the category second only to dairy produce in terms of the most important

food categories (Source: TNS Superpanel).

Since 1998 Bord Bia has conducted consumer market research into behaviour and attitude

trends in relation to fruit, vegetables and potatoes, through conducting a quantitative research

survey every two years. The research outlined in this document is an update on research work

carried out in previous years and is intended to gauge changes in consumers’ attitudes and

behaviour, in respect to the purchase and consumption of fresh produce over that period.

In November 2006, Bord Bia engaged Research Solutions (market research consultants), to

undertake a survey on their behalf which consisted of 808 face-to-face interviews in

respondents own homes. Quota sampling was implemented to ensure that a fully

representative sample of adults (18+ years) in the Republic of Ireland was interviewed. The

quotas were controlled for gender, age and social class.

The results are written up and presented in terms of consumers and grocery shoppers. 57% of

all adults surveyed were either primarily or jointly responsible for grocery shopping in their

household, these grocery shoppers were asked a number of questions relating to their

shopping behaviour for fruit, vegetables and potatoes. As such, some parts of this report will

refer to this sub-sample of grocery shoppers, but the distinction will be highlighted between

these and all consumers.

A key element investigated in this report was consumers’ consumption of fresh produce and

to this end, they were asked to detail what fresh produce they would eat in a typical day.

These servings were then analysed by weekday versus weekend, location and produce type, to

name a few.

Appendix 1 provides charts illustrating the full responses to a large number of consumer

attitudinal statements. Appendix 2 provides an additional level of analysis giving an insight

into what a number of distinct consumer groups’ behaviour and attitude to produce is,

allowing produce suppliers to potentially target different segments of consumers.

The report is written up not only to present the key research findings but also to present an

analysis of the implications of the research, in so doing hopefully presenting opportunities

for suppliers and retailers of fresh produce in Ireland.

For further information on this research report contact:

Lorcan Bourke,

Strategic Information Services

Bord Bia,

Clanwilliam Court,

Dublin 2.

Phone 01-6685155

2

1. General Consumption of Fresh Produce

Frequency and Incidence of Consumption Consumers were asked their frequency of consuming a range of fresh produce items,

complementary items and substitute products. Frequency of consumption ranged from daily,

4-5 times weekly, once a week and/or less often. The chart below outlines the incidence of

ever having tried any of these products (i.e. incidence of trial).

Fruit, vegetables and potatoes are among the foods that are eaten with the highest frequency

by consumers, occupying a central role in the Irish diet. Their associations with health and

positive nutritional worth make them valued foods to the national diet. There was almost full

trial of foods such as fresh potatoes, fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. 80% to 90% of

consumers stated that they had ever eaten products such as salads, yoghurt with fruit, rice,

stews and potato derivatives such as chips, wedges and waffles. When looking at the

frequency with which people declared they were eating the various produce types, it was

found that circa 40% of consumers ate fruit, vegetables and potatoes on a daily basis. Just

under a third were found to drink fruit juice daily, with a further 26% found to drink it 4-5

times a week.

3

A second tier of produce related food items appeared to include convenience format and/or

extended shelf life products. This grouping included such items as tinned or packet vegetable

soups, frozen / tinned vegetables and pasta / noodles, with 70% to 79% of consumers

claiming to have ever eaten these. In frequency terms, a minimal proportion of consumers

were found to eat from this group on a daily basis, circa one in six ate from them four to five

times a week, with around 40 – 50% eating from them at least once a week. Pasta/noodles

had the highest frequency levels of consumption from this group, with 55% of all adults

found to be eating them at least once a week.

A third tier grouping of produce related items had a lower incidence of trial ranging from

40% to 69%. This group included pre-packed and prepared produce i.e. chilled leafy salads

and prepared fresh fruit, vegetables & potatoes. This tier also included probiotic drinks and

smoothies. Two thirds of the adult population claimed to have trialled probiotic drinks and

58% smoothies, which is very high given how recent these products are in the market. In fact,

12% of all adults aged 18 years or older drink a probiotic drink on a daily basis with a further

17% claiming to drink one, four to five times a week. This level of daily consumption ranks

probiotic drinks sixth in terms of most frequently consumed produce related items, on a daily

basis, after fresh potatoes (44%), fresh vegetables and fresh fruit (both 41%), fruit juice

(30%) and yogurt with fruit (15%).

4

Health is the key reason cited for eating more of all types of produce – fresh produce is at the centre of the health agenda

Consumers were asked to nominate the key types of produce that they were eating more, less

or the same versus three years ago. The results showed that consumers claimed to be eating

significantly greater amounts of healthy foods in particular fresh fruit, vegetables and salads.

The three carbohydrate groups have all increased over the past 3 years, with pasta and rice

showing the greater net gain (10% and 8% respectively), one in ten claimed to be eating more

fresh potatoes versus 3 years ago. One in five claimed to be eating less chips/waffles/ wedges

than three years ago, with only 5% saying they were eating more.

5

Changes in Consumption Behaviour - Gains and Losses

While “health” was the key reason cited for eating more of all of these types of produce,

“improvement in the quality of fresh produce available” and “value for money” emerged

quite strongly as motivators (“value for money” was a particularly strong motivator for the

purchase of potatoes). The change in consumption was examined for a number of fruit, salad

and vegetable types. The chart below details the net gains or losses seen by each type.

Implication: The common thread found for those produce items winning favour with consumers was

convenience of use/preparation, versatility, purchase and storage with little waste. This is

backed up by previous Bord Bia research (Fresh Vegetable, Salads & Soft Fruit Focus Group

Research 2005-2006). Presenting cabbage and turnips in more convenient formats, minus the

hassle of carrying, chopping and reducing potential waste, was suggested to stimulate the

same levels of increased consumption as other fresh vegetables. Consumers are emotionally

very satisfied with these produce items but do not want the hassle they bring. It was also

suggested that parsnips could benefit from increased recipe development and more promotion

of usage ideas e.g. honey roast parsnip. The short shelf-life of raspberries presents a logistical

challenge to all retailers. It is noticeable from the above listing that the fruit and vegetables

gaining popularity are those that are highly convenient, versatile in usage, easily

prepared/consumed with little waste or bother. With a wide selection of fresh produce

available nowadays, “time strapped” consumers, leading busy lives, are increasingly choosing

produce items based on these criteria. The strong growth in the chilled prepared salads/

vegetables market in recent years is further evidence that consumers are prepared to pay extra

for convenience formats.

6

Rejection of Fresh Produce

The survey asked those respondents who said they were eating less fresh produce than

previously, the reason why this was the case.

The key reason most people cited for not including fresh fruit, vegetables or salads in their diet was the tendency to overlook it. Most agreed that they “never really think about it in their diet”

Other reasons cited by some were that vegetables involved too much time and hassle to

prepare, whereas the key reason for not eating salads was they didn’t like their taste.

The two key barriers for eating more potatoes that emerged were: 1) problems with the time

and hassle involved in preparation 2) they were seen as fattening (albeit some consumers

recognised the reduced health credentials being due to accompaniments such as sauces,

butter, salt, etc.)

Of the 7% of consumers who were eating less potatoes today compared with 3 years ago, 50% of these were doing so due to “weight management” concerns, however just under half (21%) expressed concerns with respect to the accompaniments consumed with potatoes

Preparation was seen to be the single greatest barrier to eating potatoes. The main ways seen

to encourage consumers to eat more potatoes were through the development of new products

(and/or packaging) delivering convenience, providing easy simple recipes for potatoes, as

well as promoting them as healthy but without the hassle.

7

Understanding of Recommended Portion Size

The researchers presented consumers with photos of various portion sizes of fruit, vegetables

and potatoes. They were then asked to identify what they would consider to be one portion

based on a photo prompt of three portion examples (see above). The majority of adults

(75%) aged 18+ correctly identified one medium apple as one serving of fruit, with 14%

believing it to be only half an apple. Nearly two thirds (63%) correctly identified two

tablespoons as a portion of vegetables. However, only 45% correctly identified one medium

sized potato as a portion size. A similar percentage (46%) overestimated a single portion size

to be two medium sized potatoes, which was higher amongst the older age cohorts and those

living in rural or farming households.

Implication: This confusion regarding portion size suggests that a set of simple clarifying guidelines are

needed to engrain daily habits in consumers’ minds. Portion size information needs to be

easily communicated on produce packs (where possible) and fully understood by consumers.

There may also be a significant underestimation of the perceived portions of produce being

consumed particularly in relation to potatoes.

8

Daily Allowance Consumption Behaviour

Although over half (58%) of the population consider five or more portions of fruit and

vegetables per day to be the number of recommended daily servings, only a quarter actually

eat this amount.

Almost 6 in 10 people are aware of the “five or more a day message” but on average Irish people claim to be eating only three portions of fruit and vegetables a day. They also claim to be eating 1.5 portions of potatoes per day*

* as we have already seen there is currently consumer confusion in relation to what a potato portion size

actually is (with 46% overestimating it), so in fact they could be eating even larger quantities of potatoes

An inconsistency currently exists between consumer awareness of what is the recommended

number of portions of fresh produce and their actual behaviour.

The key reason cited for not eating the recommended number of servings was ignorance of

the recommended 5 portion-a-day requirement, rather than considered rejection, although

there is a minority of consumers who claimed they do not eat the recommended five a day

because they simply prefer eating other foods (28%). 15% of respondents stated that do not

like to eat fruit and 7% stated that they do not like to eat vegetables.

9

There was a slightly higher incidence of not eating the recommended five portions a day

amongst the lower socio-economic groups and those living in Dublin.

Consumers believe they are eating fewer portions than what is recommended.

10

Further analysis of what people believed to be the recommended number of portions versus

what they actually were eating revealed that only 32% of consumers were eating what they

actually thought as the recommended daily amount. 60% were found to be eating less

portions than their perceived ideal, with only a minority of 8% eating more. This illustrates

the behaviour that the majority of consumers were knowingly eating fewer portions than they

perceived to be recommended.

Implication: If 58% of consumers recognise five or more portions of fruit or vegetables to be the

recommended allowance, then clearly further awareness/education is needed i.e. the message

must reach the other 42%. Consumer confusion on this issue may represent a significant

opportunity for fresh produce companies to provide information and stimulate demand, in so

doing increasing their own sales. Furthermore, even though 58% of consumers know what

they should be doing, they are not all doing it, and therefore there is plenty of room for

working towards the recommended behaviour.

11

2. Fresh Produce Average Daily Consumption

Consumption Behaviour through-out the Week

Consumers were asked to think about a typical day and the servings of fresh fruit, vegetables

and potatoes that they would eat. They were then asked to record a diary of a typical week

day and a typical weekend day. Every serving was detailed by; what it was, the time of day it

was eaten at, how it was prepared, where they ate it, where it was purchased and the meal

occasion it was eaten at. Servings for weekday and weekends were analysed separately to

evaluate any difference in consumption patterns.

Fresh produce consumption was found to be less at the weekends than during the week due to lifestyle related differences - this was especially evident for fruit

It was found that on average consumers claimed to be eating 4.4 servings of fresh produce

related items on a typical weekday and only 4.1 servings on a typical weekend day. In both

cases (weekday and at the weekend) there was higher averages exhibited amongst female,

those outside the Dublin area and those from higher socio-economic backgrounds.

Of all the produce servings on a typical day, just under a quarter were found to be fresh

vegetables and a similar proportion of potatoes.

Consumption of fresh fruit was higher during the week versus the weekend, due to fresh fruit being used as part of a more structured regime of “snack food” in work, school or college

12

Implication: Consumption of fresh fruit in the home drops away at the weekend, which could possibly be

increased by highlighting other potential usage occasions for consumers e.g. breakfast /

brunch recipes, yogurt with fruit as a snack, smoothies, fruit as an energy boost for sports

activities, etc.

13

Time of Day of Servings

When servings were analysed by time of day it appears that consumption generally followed

traditional meal times, but different foods came into prominence in differing time periods. During the week a quarter of all servings of fresh produce were eaten between noon and 2pm

(lunchtime) and 44% were eaten between 4 to 8pm (dinner). Over the weekend, lunchtime,

i.e. noon to 2pm, accounted for 30% of all servings and dinner for only 37%.

Fruit juices and smoothies dominate the morning period, although people tended to drink

them slightly later at the weekend, possibly due to a later start time. Two thirds of all juice or

smoothie servings during the week were consumed during breakfast hours. Fresh fruit

dominated the mid-morning slot with nearly half of all servings being consumed between

10am and 2pm, either as a snack or as part of lunch. As expected, fresh vegetables had two

time peaks of usage during weekdays around lunch and dinner time - lunchtime accounted for

a third, but dinnertime dominated with over half of all servings. Consumption of vegetables

also changed at the weekend, when compared with weekdays, with the highest proportion of

servings being served for traditional Sunday lunch. Similarly, potatoes were predominantly

eaten at dinnertime, with two thirds of all weekday servings typically eaten between 4 and

8pm. At the weekend potatoes come into prominence around lunch time too, particularly for

Sunday lunch.

14

Methods of Preparation of Fresh Produce

As might be expected, the methods of preparation employed for fresh produce varied

depending on the type of produce. Unsurprisingly, nearly all fresh fruit was eaten raw while

almost two-thirds of potato servings were boiled, followed by baked (13%) and steamed

(10%). There was an increase in roasting potatoes at the weekend, as part of the “traditional

Sunday roast”. Boiling was also the most important method of preparation of fresh vegetables

at the weekend, with six in ten servings prepared in this manner. Furthermore, at the

weekend, nearly a fifth of all vegetable servings were eaten raw, driven by increased use of

salads, closely followed by steaming at approximately one in six.

15

Location of Consumption – In or Out of Home

Overall, consumption of fresh fruit, vegetables and potatoes was centred in the home

particularly at the weekend, when only 7% were found to be consumed outside the home.

When we looked at the types of produce, it was evident that potatoes were nearly entirely

eaten in the home and circa nine in ten of all fresh vegetable servings were eaten in the home.

During the week nearly a fifth of all produce servings were outside the home, with work,

school or college accounting for 11% of the overall amount. The servings eaten at work,

school or college were primarily comprised of fresh fruit servings and what has been grouped

as “other vegetable produce” which was dominated by fresh vegetable soup. Fresh produce

servings eaten “on the go” only accounted for 4%, which was predominantly consumers

eating fresh fruit.

Just over 4 in 10 servings of fresh fruit are eaten outside the home on weekdays, with 16% being eaten “on the go” highlighting the importance of fresh fruit’s role in snacking behaviour

16

Less structured routines at the weekend typically meant lower overall consumption of fruit,

vegetables and potatoes. However, weekend consumption patterns for most produce types

were quite similar to mid-week consumption apart from two significant differences. Firstly,

only 14% of fresh fruit was eaten out of home at the weekend compared with 44% during the

week, which was due to consumers not working or attending school/ college, where fruit was

used as lunchtime or snacking food. Secondly, “Other Vegetables” share fell back to 6%

from 23%, again due to consumers not working or attending school/ college where vegetable

soup was often eaten as a lunchtime option.

Implication: These findings would suggest that fresh fruit needs to be continuously highlighted and

promoted as a nutritious convenient snack food, targeted at the mid-morning and mid-

afternoon consumption occasions e.g. fruit as a snack between meals. Furthermore, other

weekend usage occasions need to be identified and encouraged e.g. Sunday lunch, snacking

for sports, etc.

17

What Channels is Produce Purchased Through?

As expected supermarkets dominate as the primary location for purchasing fresh produce

with approximately eight in ten servings purchased from there. The channels used to purchase

fruit, vegetables and potatoes were slightly different on weekdays versus at weekends. There

was a higher incidence of purchasing in convenience stores, garage forecourts, canteens,

cafes and restaurants (especially for fresh fruit purchasing) during the week compared with

the weekend (21% versus 16%) due to consumers being more “on the go” during the week.

Implication: Increasingly, a wide variety of convenience retail channels and foodservice outlets are

becoming important sources of fresh produce with people increasingly living their lives “on

the go”. This is particularly the case for fruit, as much of it is in fact eaten “on the go”. As

such, there are market opportunities for produce through these other channels which need to

be explored fully by produce suppliers.

18

3. Fresh Produce Shopping Behaviour

Introduction

57% of all adults surveyed were either primarily or jointly responsible for grocery shopping

in their household, these grocery shoppers were asked a number of questions relating to their

shopping behaviour for fruit, vegetables and potatoes.

Fresh Produce Shopping Channel

Supermarkets emerged as the primary channel for purchasing most of the

fruit, vegetables and potatoes bought in a typical week, with 7 in 10

grocery shoppers claiming this to be the location chosen for their main

shop. However, in terms of “top-up shopping”, convenience stores were

the chosen option for 33% of grocery shoppers, followed closely behind

by the supermarkets at 30%.

Implication: Convenience stores capture a highly significant one third of all “top-up” fruit, vegetable and

potato shopping, being oftentimes located on major traffic flows and/or near to residential

areas. As they are typically smaller store sizes, these retailers need to consider better ways to

manage and promote fresh produce items in-store. Key to this will be to source and

merchandise quality fresh produce, provide general information on produce to consumers

(sourcing policy, seasonal availability, etc.), while always highlighting the nutritional benefits

and multitude of ways of using fresh produce (recipes etc.).

19

Average Spend on Fresh Produce

Over a third of grocery shoppers spend over €10 on fruit per week, 38% spend over

€10 on vegetables and only 11% spend over €10 on potatoes.

On average grocery shoppers claim to be spending €26 per week on fresh produce, €10 on vegetables, €9 on fruit and €7 on potatoes

20

Decision Making Criteria for Fresh Produce

Physical appearance of the fruit, vegetables and potatoes, including the produce display was cited as the number one factor influencing the purchase decision for fresh produce

When questioned regarding decision making about the types of fruit and vegetables

purchased, the key motivating factors were very similar for both types. Over half of this

decision was influenced by display, primarily that fruit and vegetables appeared fresh to

them. Just a fifth of the decision was based on price and a quarter was driven by pre-planned

purchasing.

21

Grocery shoppers were seen to choose potatoes differently to fruit and vegetables, citing

various aspects of “quality” as the most important criteria (i.e. quality/ appearance /

freshness), followed by “price” and “potato variety”. Potato variety was found to be the key

decision making factor for 20% of the grocery shoppers and of equal importance to price.

Seasonal aspects of the chosen potato (i.e. early, mid-season, main crop) and the size of the

bag accounted for 10% and 11% of the choice respectively.

A “known potato variety” was found to be the key decision making factor for 20% of grocery shoppers buying potatoes following quality/appearance/freshness

22

What Makes a Produce Item Fresh for Consumers?

Grocery shoppers primarily use visual and sensory aesthetics as critical indicators of

freshness for fresh fruit and vegetables. The most employed method to judge freshness was to

“touch or feel” followed by inspection for “free of blemishes” i.e. sight. The “use by date”

was used by a fifth of all grocery shoppers as their first method of gauging the freshness of

fruit and vegetables. “Seasonality” and “country of origin” were other considerations but only

5% and 3% of grocery shoppers respectively use these as their primary cues.

Implication: These findings would suggest that in-store displays of fresh produce (particularly in

supermarkets) are critical in influencing a consumer’s decision to purchase fruit and

vegetables. The best way to have quality produce on shelves is to source from a trusted

producer/supplier, while ensuring that the produce hasn’t travelled too far. “Price”

information is also important while “seasonality” and “country of origin” information, though

not primary cues, are of interest and should be clearly communicated.

Consumers seek extra assurances on the appearance of potatoes and information on the actual

potato variety is essential for a sizeable number of consumers. With some potatoes sold in

non-see through paper packaging, it may be worth further exploring these issues with

consumers.

23

The main things to get right in-store in the fresh produce department would appear to be:

• Put fresh produce at the centre of the “healthy eating message”

• Ensure that stock is sourced in its freshest possible condition and rotated at all times

to encourage purchase

• Ensure displays are merchandised correctly and consistently with fresh items

• Make sure quality, freshness and appearance cues are paramount

• Strong freshness cues are essential, e.g. stock levels, removal of spoilage, etc.

• Inform consumers of price and/or any special offers at point of sale

• “Seasonality” and “country of origin” need to be clearly communicated and

understood by consumers (these criteria can contribute towards imparting uniqueness

of Irish grown produce at a time when consumers are increasingly seeking “local”,

“seasonal” and “close to source” products)

• Inform consumers on quick and easy recipes and ways to cook / prepare vegetables

• Provide information on the positive nutritional value of fruit and vegetables and what

constitutes a portion

24

The Fresh Versus Frozen Decision

In terms of preference for which format fruit and vegetables were purchased, fresh wins out,

as the vast majority of fruit (78%) and vegetables (67%) were purchased fresh in a typical

weekly shop. For vegetables, frozen is second to fresh at 18%, closely followed by canned or

tinned at 15%. For fruit, frozen only accounted for 7%, of purchases and tinned accounted for

15%. This would suggest that vegetables were more than twice as likely as fruit to be

purchased in a frozen format. This was reflected in the lower incidence of purchasing frozen

fruit, with only one in five grocery shoppers buying at least one fruit variety frozen, compared

with two thirds buying at least one variety of frozen vegetables. The following table details

the average number of fruits and vegetables purchased in a typical weekly shop by format:

Number of Produce Items Purchased in an Average Weekly Shop

Format Fruit Vegetables

Fresh 3.3 3.7

Frozen 0.3 1.1

Tinned/Canned 0.6 0.8

Total 4.2 5.6

Implication: It would appear there are a handful of fruit and vegetable items that are regularly bought in

either the frozen and tinned/ambient condition. For producers of fresh produce, these

represent substitute items and one (or more) less purchase of fresh produce items. Frozen and

tinned/canned fruits and vegetables offer the consumer convenience, longer shelf-life and

easier storage capability, with little waste for consumers. Fresh produce producers should

seek these attributes out for their product offerings.

25

4. Awareness and Attitudes to Fresh Produce

Comparing the Health and Taste Credentials of the Main Dietary Carbohydrates

A UK report (Source: British Potato Council 2005 ) sought to evaluate consumers perception

of potato, rice and pasta to establish which they felt had the best taste, had the most calories,

was the healthiest, and was the highest in fat. Bord Bia chose to replicate this survey question

in an Irish context and compare the results.

45

41

24

41

27

27

66 11

14

37

25

15

41

9

Perceptions Regarding Potato Health

Credentials Versus Pasta and Rice

The best taste

The highest in

fat

The healthiest

The most

calories

POTATOES RICE

(Base: All grocery shoppers)

16

39

19

48

33

25

47

PASTA

% % %

N/A N/A N/A

72

0.1

138

1.3

86Calories (kcal)

0.5Fat (g)

Facts: (per 100g cooked weight)

ROI

UK Survey 2005

24% and 27% of Irish & UK consumers incorrectly saw potatoes as having

the highest fat content when in fact it has the lowest

Two thirds of Irish adults considered potatoes to be better tasting than rice and pasta and

41%believed potatoes to be the healthiest of the three offerings. This was significantly higher

than the UK, where the figure in relation to perception of healthiest was only 27%. Similar

proportions of both Irish and UK consumers (47-48%) incorrectly identify pasta as having the

highest fat content when it is in fact rice, with potatoes having the lowest fat content. There

were a higher proportion of Irish consumers who correctly identified this (25% versus 9%

amongst UK consumers).

In a comparison of views towards potatoes, pasta and rice, similar proportions of Irish and UK consumers (24% and 27%) incorrectly identified potatoes as having the highest fat content, when it is in fact rice followed by pasta. In fact, potatoes have the lowest fat content of the three carbohydrates

As such, a significant portion of the UK and Irish population considered rice to have the

lowest fat content of the main carbohydrate staples, which is in fact false, with potatoes

suffering under the negative perception and the bad image of being too fattening.

Implication: The potato sector needs to get out a strong simple message to consumers i.e. potatoes have

the lowest fat content of the three main dietary carbohydrates and have a superior taste. Also

26

the link between the negative effects on healthy eating in relation to high fat content and high

calories, needs to be explained to consumers for the main dietary carbohydrates - this would

appear to be poorly understood at present.

Irish Consumer Views on “Country of Origin”

Where price and quality are equal for Irish and non-Irish produce, almost 7 in 10 grocery shoppers prefer to buy Irish

93% of grocery shoppers claimed to pay attention to the origin of fresh produce, but only 4 in

10 expressed a clear-cut outright preference to always buy Irish. 27% of respondents declared

a desire to buy Irish, but only if it is not more expensive than imported produce, while a

similar portion declared no affiliation to any country of origin, with availability, price and

quality the only decisive factors. Country of origin was totally irrelevant to only 7% of

respondents.

Implication: Almost one in four grocery shoppers will always try to buy Irish fresh produce above all else.

However, despite being interested in fresh produce of Irish origin, 27% of grocery shoppers

will trade off “Irishness” for quality and price. This puts the onus on the Irish potato sector

always to remain competitive.

The fact that 7 in 10 grocery shoppers expressed the view that all things being equal they

would prefer to buy Irish, presents a great opportunity to Irish suppliers and retailers to

highlight the key benefits of Irish produce i.e. being fresher, grown locally and close to

source. This information needs to be clearly available either on pack or at point of sale.

27

Irish Consumer Views on “New Season” and “Seasonality”

Six in ten of consumers expressed a preference for the description of “New Season” to refer to “New Season Produce in Ireland”

When asked, 60% of respondents expressed a preference for the description of “New Season”

to refer to new season produce in Ireland only, as opposed to new season for other countries.

However, the proportion of those who actually understood the description fell below this for

all three categories, fruit, vegetables and potatoes. While one in two assumed new season

potatoes to mean Irish new season, the figure was slightly lower in the categories of fruit and

vegetables.

Nearly 6 in 10 consumers claim that they vary their fruit and vegetables purchasing according to seasonality, reflecting a perception that “in season” produce is fresher

Implication: Consumers are confused on claims in relation to the seasonality of fresh produce they

currently see around them. The majority of consumers (6 in 10) clearly stated that they would

prefer “New Season” to uniquely refer to new season Irish. An opportunity exists to remove

confusion surrounding seasonality by retailers, by clearly explaining the Irish growing season

to customers and tie seasonal Irish produce in with other seasonally available foods through

recipe suggestions, linked purchase, etc. Seasonality represents another key selling point for

Irish grown fruit, vegetables and potatoes especially when linked to superior freshness.

28

Information Available on Fresh Produce

The above chart illustrates the proportion of consumers who used a variety of sources of

information on fresh produce, while the question also asked where they would like to obtain

more information on fresh produce i.e. from what sources.

Friends and relatives provided nearly 42% of all consumers with their information regarding

fruit and vegetables, with TV programmes also rating quite high at 30%. By far, the most

desirable source of information that consumers sought were leaflets in store, with one in three

citing this method as their preferred choice. Demonstrations in-store was rated as the second

most popular preferred source of information, by 21% of consumers.

Recipe leaflets, in-store demonstrations and media practical information / recipes on how to cook and prepare fresh produce, represent the best communication options to increase fresh produce consumption

Implication: Presently there is a gap between how consumers get information regarding fresh produce and

the sources from which they say they would like to get it from. The two most prominent gaps

occur for in-store leaflets and demonstrations:

• At present it would appear that leaflets lag in fifth place on the list concerning

dissemination of information, after friends/relatives, TV programmes, magazines and

on the label/packaging.

• Demonstrations rank eighth in terms of where consumers actually get information on

products but second in terms of how they say they would prefer to get information.

29

As such in-store leaflets and demonstrations would be a welcome mechanism to:

• Create awareness of produce

• Encourage trial of new recipes

• Prompt new usage occasions

• Give basic information on source, seasonality, variety/type, etc.

• Provide other consumer information of interest (see next section)

30

“Other” Information Sought on Fresh Produce

Consumers expressed widespread interest across the board concerning more information on

labels placed on fresh produce. The four most important additional information items that

consumers claimed that they would like to find on labels included:

1. nutritional information for fruit and vegetables

2. different ways to use potatoes 3. how to select the best fruit and vegetables 4. methods of encouraging kids to eat fruit and vegetables

Implication: Consumers would broadly welcome the provision of information (via leaflets or in-store

demonstrations) on all aspects of fresh produce:

• Fruit and vegetable portions

• Quick and easy usage recipes – especially for kids

• Convenient preparation tips

• Health / nutritional values of specific fruits, vegetables and potatoes

• Tips on how to select best quality fruit and vegetables

31

Irish Consumers Awareness of Potato Varieties

Roosters, Kerrs Pinks Records, Golden Wonders and British Queens were the most known

potato varieties being purchased. Grocery shoppers, in general, exhibit higher levels of

awareness of potato varieties than their non-shopping counterparts, both spontaneously and

when prompted. The varieties of potatoes that all consumers were most aware of were

Roosters, Kerrs Pinks and Records. One in two spontaneously mentioned Records when

asked, which rose to six in ten for Roosters and Kerrs Pinks amongst grocery shoppers. At a

prompted level, approximately two thirds of all adults were aware of each of these varieties;

again the incidence was higher at over 80% amongst grocery shoppers. Golden Wonders and

British Queens also achieved high levels of awareness with at least half of all adults aware of

these at a prompted level.

A number of other potato varieties were found to have limited awareness amongst both the

general public and within grocery shoppers. Lady Rosetta, Saxon and Cultra had prompted

awareness levels of less than one in ten.

Implication: Irish consumers know and actively seek their preferred potato varieties. Roosters, Kerrs

Pinks, Records, Golden Wonders and British Queens are the main potato varieties that Irish

consumers can identify. Suppliers and retailers of Irish potatoes should actively promote the

availability and distinctiveness of these varieties based on taste, seasonality, locality (origin)

and suitability of purpose.

32

5. General Attitudes to Shopping, Cooking and Food

To evaluate general attitudes to specific food types, shopping, cooking, freshness, price,

health benefits and consumption/preparation in general, consumers were asked their level of

agreement using a scale from “agree strongly” to “disagree strongly” across a number of

statements pertaining to these topics.

Attitudinal questions were examined under 5 broad headings:

• Attitudes Towards Specific Food Types - see Charts 1, 2, 3, 4 in Appendix 1.

• Attitudes Towards Shopping & Cooking - see Charts 5,6,7,8 in Appendix 1.

• Attitudes Towards Food Freshness & Price Expense - see Chart 9 in Appendix 1.

• Attitudes Towards Food and Health Benefits - see Chart 10 in Appendix 1.

• Attitudes Towards Food & Consumption/Preparation - see Chart 11 in Appendix 1.

These five broad headings are now discussed as separate sections.

33

I) Irish Consumers Attitudes Towards Specific Food Types

Attitudes to specific food types were measured by asking consumers to associate food types

such as fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, fresh potatoes, salads, pasta, rice and chips/ waffles/

potato wedges with appropriate descriptors.

The chart below summaries the food types that were most positively associated with the

statements listed in the left hand column, as well as the food types associated with the most

negative associations.

Potatoes: By looking at these associations, it was evident that potatoes were not considered

to be as healthy as fresh vegetables, fruit or salads. Potatoes were also viewed as having more

adverse effects regarding weight management. In cooking terms potatoes were viewed as

versatile but were not seen to be convenient or easy to prepare. However, one in two

associate potatoes with being good value for money. As seen previously (in the UK/Irish

carbohydrate comparison) pasta and rice were independently not perceived as being as

healthy as potatoes by Irish consumers. Chips/waffles/wedges were considered to have the

lowest health benefits and worse impact on weight management.

34

Fresh Fruit: Fresh fruit along with fresh vegetables rated the highest in terms of health

credentials, with fruit rated slightly higher for some statements. Nearly 8 in 10 associated

fresh fruit as being good for children. Fruit rated highly in the cooking/preparation measures,

in its convenience and it was seen as quick and easy to prepare (which was noted by 6 in 10

Irish consumers). It was however not particularly seen as becoming more popular or

fashionable. A third of consumers’ associate fruit with being expensive but nearly 1 in 2 rate

its value for money credentials.

Fresh Vegetables: Fresh vegetables performed extremely well in terms of health benefits and

weight management. However, only 4 in 10 perceived vegetables to be quick and easy to

prepare, and a similar proportion rated them as convenient. Vegetables were found to have

the lowest levels of associations with trendiness but were seen to be safe to eat and taste

good.

Salads: Salads performed well for health benefits, although not to the same extent as fruit

and vegetables, and they were especially not seen in the same light when it came to providing

a meal solution for children. Salads performed the best across all produce types for weight

management, but they were not perceived to be versatile or good for imaginative cooking.

Their ease of preparation was recognised by over half of all consumers. Only a third of

consumers associated salads with positive taste credentials and only a quarter rated salads as

value for money.

Implication: It is important to highlight health benefits of potatoes vis-à-vis substitute carbohydrates in

any promotional material, as currently there is consumer confusion on their healthiness and

fears in terms of their negative influence on weight management. The key challenge for fresh

fruit is addressing the perception that the category is not fashionable or popular. Highlighting

new and trendy fruit types/varieties along with more innovative methods of preparing or

consumption could help address this. Fresh vegetable promotion should focus on their unique

contribution towards health benefits and weight management. Fresh vegetables need to be

refocused in consumers’ minds by promoting them as trendy and fashionable - they need to

be placed at the centre of the health agenda for consumers. The taste properties and versatility

of salads require promotion to encourage greater consumption.

35

II) Irish Consumers Attitudes Towards Shopping and Cooking General attitudes to shopping and cooking highlighted some interesting insights.

Two thirds of all adults either agree strongly or slightly with the statement “There is too much plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables nowadays” highlighting potential concerns regarding the environment and/or waste charges

Increased awareness of environmental issues and waste charges were cited as the reason

behind wanting less packaging on fresh produce.

One fifth of consumers stated that sometimes they do not purchase fresh produce as they find it heavy and awkward to carry and one quarter of all Irish consumers agree strongly/slightly that they have difficulty in storing it

A proportion of consumers had difficulty in storing and carrying fresh produce, with one in

five consumers restricted by weight /bulk factors and one in four consumers citing storage

difficulties with produce.

Time pressures are a key factor for consumers nowadays, as they seek all forms of convenience fresh produce items to fit in with their modern busy lifestyles and expectations

Time pressures were found to be a key factor for consumers nowadays, with one third

admitting to buying potato alternatives (i.e. pasta, rice, noodles) because of their time savings

properties and a quarter purchase ready prepared produce for the same reasons.

Just over a quarter of respondents claimed to be cooking less “traditional” potato and vegetable dinners due to time pressures, while a quarter will buy ready-prepared vegetables, salads or potatoes due to their time saving credentials

Less “traditional” potato and vegetable meals were being cooked due to time constraints.

A fifth of all consumers are using cook-in sauces with added vegetables as a method of getting their required vegetable portions

For those consumers preparing meals involving cook-in-sauces, many were found to be

choosing sauces with “added vegetables”, as a means to increase their intake of vegetables.

Implication: Produce must be available to consumers in convenience formats, with the least amount of

packaging while incurring the least amount of waste. The demand for convenience is at all

levels – packaging, produce formats/sizes, transport, storage, ease and length of preparation /

cooking.

36

III) Irish Consumers Attitudes Towards Food Freshness & Price/Expense

Consumers put quality ahead of price, with over four in five respondents agreeing to the statement that “Freshness of fresh food is more important than price”

Just over half expressed concerns of the nutrient credentials of pre-prepared

fruit/vegetables/salads believing they may have lost some nutrients in the preparation process

– however their convenience was seen to overcome any such shortcomings. As was

mentioned previously some consumers were having difficultly with storage and would like

more vegetables to be available in half sizes. Over a third of consumers found that if they

bought a big bag of potatoes, the potatoes would be gone off before they used them all. 3 in

10 consumers stated that they threw out produce at the end of the week as it had usually gone

off.

37

Nearly six in ten claimed that they were prepared to pay more for better quality fruit and

vegetables, with just over a half claiming they would buy more vegetables if they were better

value.

The overriding claim regarding quality and price, is that quality wins out - in saying that, nearly three in ten are buying more of their fruit and vegetables from discount stores, so presumably price remains an important factor

38

Implication: Freshness and quality cues in-store would appear to be the most important aspect of retailing

fresh produce. As such, retailers should primarily focus on all aspects of quality to drive up

sales. Produce must be available to consumers in convenience formats, with the least amount

of packaging while incurring the least amount of waste. Price is always an important

consumer driver as manifest by the increased popularity of the discounter channel.

39

IV) Irish Consumers Attitudes Towards Food and Health Benefits

Over half (58%) of the population consider five or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day to be the number of recommended daily servings, but 80% agree that it is important to eat the recommended daily allowance – by deduction further education of the 5-a-day message could lead to increased levels of consumption

Despite only a third of grocery shoppers expressing a clear-cut preference to buy Irish

produce, the majority (68%) of consumers expressed increased confidence in the safety of

fruit and vegetables produced in their local area.

Implication: In-store practical information about the basic properties of fruit and vegetables will increase

interest amongst consumers. Education is required regarding how to cook and prepare

produce, nutritional values of fruit and vegetables, portion size and the 5-a-day message. As

seen previously the best and most preferred medium for conveying this information is either

in-store leaflets or in-store demonstrations. Locally produced produce is the most trusted in

terms of food safety and can also claim the same benefits as Irish sourced produce i.e. being

fresher, grown locally and close to source.

40

V) Irish Consumers Attitudes Towards Food Consumption / Preparation

More fundamental to increasing the usage of vegetables was the revelation that there would

appear to be a lack of cooking skills in the Irish population.

A fifth of all consumers claim they do not know how to prepare vegetables properly

One in five consumers said they did not know how to cook vegetables properly.

Nearly two thirds of consumers choose vegetables that are easy to cook and prepare from their repertoire of choice

47% of grocery shoppers buy 5 or more fruit varieties in a typical weekly shop and 69% buy

5 or more vegetable items in their typical weekly shop.

Two thirds of respondents agreed that they pick fruits and vegetables that they found easy to

cook and prepare. Naturally convenient produce types and conveniently packed preparations

of produce that are quick and easy to prepare, were seen to encourage increased consumption.

A third of all consumers say they are not adventurous when it comes to buying fruit and vegetables and 4 in 10 will only eat salads in the summer

Many consumers openly profess to being either not adventurous with fruit and vegetables or

restricting salad usage to summers only.

Implication: There appears to be a large deficit of knowledge concerning how to cook vegetables properly.

This would appear to present an opportunity to educate consumers and increase consumption.

The increased choice of fruit and vegetables available to consumers, when coupled with

reduced cooking skills and a greater desire for time saving and less waste, means consumers

are focusing their fresh produce buying on items that meet their convenience needs. This is

happening despite consumers often professing an emotional attachment to more traditional

produce items and liking their taste (e.g. cabbage/swedes). Educating the public into different

and easier ways to cook and handle fruit and vegetables could turn people back on to more

traditional produce items. The provision of recipes and preparation ideas could empower less

knowledgeable consumers to purchase and consume more of a wider variety of produce.

Information on basic fresh produce use and preparation in the context of seasonality could

also encourage less knowledgeable consumers to eat more.

41

Irish Consumers Attitude Towards Organic Purchases & Attitudes

Nearly three in ten of the population claimed to have purchased some sort of organic food

within the past three months. A slightly higher incidence of purchasing was evident amongst

a number of sub-groups within the population, namely females, especially females aged

between 25 to 44 years and those in the more affluent socio-economic groups. Males aged

25-34 had the highest incidence amongst all males, but it was females in these two age

groups who had the highest incidence amongst all age/gender groups. The highest levels of

organic purchasing occurred within those people who claimed to eat the recommended five or

more portions of fruit and vegetables a day i.e. more enthusiastic buyers of fruit and

vegetables.

It would appear that Irish consumers buy into organic food for a bundle of reasons. Those that

have purchased organic food were more likely to find claims regarding the beneficial aspects

of organic food (i.e. it’s healthier, tastes better, is more natural, etc.) to be more credible than

their non-buying counterparts. Three quarters of organic buyers for example, believed that

organic food was better for their health, compared with 59% amongst all consumers. Both

groups identified that perceived health benefits had the most influence on their propensity to

buy organic food.

Implication: At present, claims regarding better health credentials and that organic food tastes better, are

the two most influential factors cited by those who buy organic food. The environmental

benefits of organic food are also high on the consumers’ agenda. The benefits of organic food

need to be more fully explained and promoted to consumers, to increase its uptake amongst a

wider, more mainstream audience.

42

Appendix 1

43

I) Irish Consumers Attitudes Towards Specific Food Types

Chart 1.

Chart 2.

44

Chart 3.

Chart 4.

45

II) Irish Consumers Attitudes Towards Shopping and Cooking

Chart 5.

Chart 6.

46

Chart 7.

Chart 8.

47

III) Irish Consumers Attitudes Towards Food Freshness & Price/Expense

Chart 9.

IV) Irish Consumers Attitudes Towards Food and Health Benefits

Chart 10.

48

V) Irish Consumers Attitudes Towards Food & Consumption/Preparation

Chart 11.

49

Appendix 2

50

Age and Lifestage Segmentation

The chart below illustrates the consumer segments interviewed and their level of occurrence

within the sample population.

Every respondent surveyed was classified into one of the five segments listed above based on

their lifestage. Having children is a major division in terms of lifestage, with consumers’

behaviour and attitudes changing with the event of having children. The age profile of the

respondent and age of his/her children was used as a segmentation tool.

The younger age segments were the Young Singles and the Younger Family Formations.

These are made up of consumers generally aged under 34, the Young Singles defining

characteristic is that they have no children, although they can be married, living with partner

or single. Young Family Formations are aged under 34 with children or are consumers over

the age of 34 but only have young children (i.e. under 10).

The three remaining segments used were from the older age groups. Older Singles being aged

35 or older who have no children, Older Family Formations are aged over 35 years and have

children who aged ten or older, Empty Nesters are consumers aged 45 years or older and their

children have grown up.

51

Young Singles

Young Singles were found to have the lowest consumption of fruit and vegetables across all

segments, they consumed less produce compared to the total population on a daily basis.

The importance of time to Young Singles in day to day life was evident, as they were much

more regular consumers of pre-prepared fresh produce, frozen vegetables and tinned

vegetables. One third of this group claimed to often purchase ready prepared produce from

the chilled cabinet because it saves time.

This group were most likely to consume vegetables such as peppers, onions and mushrooms,

now versus three years ago. When looking for information regarding fresh produce, in-store

leaflets and on the label/packaging were cited as the most popular.

Ease of preparation cues are necessary to increase purchasing levels of fresh produce due to the perceived time pressure Young Singles are under

52

Older Singles

One of the key issues of importance to Older Singles was their attitude to the way fresh

produce was handled and prepared - their view would appear to be that “simplicity is best”.

Older Singles were more likely to have health concerns with the safety of fresh produce and

claimed to be more confident in the safety of produce from their local area. Older Singles

also had the highest incidence of expressing a preference to buy Irish grown produce at 45%.

Older Singles had the highest consumption levels of fresh potatoes, with 93% of the segment

eating them at least four to five times a week.

Assuring messages on produce handling, Irishness and locally sourced produce are key motivators for Older Singles.

53

Young Family Formation

The Young Family Formation group were defined by the fact that they had younger children

and they were not overly pre-occupied with the health aspects of fresh produce. Instead price,

value for money and time considerations were more important.

Pre-prepared produce was found to be popular amongst Young Family Formations because of

its time saving qualities. Young Family Formations were most likely to consume cook-in

sauces with added vegetables as a source of their required number of portions.

Young Family Formations had one of the highest incidences of consuming juices, smoothies,

yogurts with fruit and probiotic drinks across all groups, possibly for their young children.

Family and friends emerged as the most preferred source of obtaining information regarding

fresh produce. This was significantly higher than the other four segments. This group also

expressed the highest level of interest in using the internet, albeit only for a small percentage

at 6%.

Young Family formations are under time pressures due to the young age of their families. Time saving recipes and convenience formats are of interest to them, while information highlighting quality cues and nutritional benefits is also most welcome.

54

Older Family Formation

The Older Family Formation segment had the highest spend for fruit, vegetables and potatoes

across all segments. On average they spent a total of nearly €30 per week on various produce

types, which was primarily due to the larger and older households in this segment. Quality

and range was clearly an important issue for this segment, as nearly two-thirds vary their fruit

and vegetable purchased according to season.

The Older Family Formation were most likely to purchase their fresh fruit and vegetables in a

supermarket, and had a higher (13% of segment compared with total population of 10%)

incidence of purchasing either directly from a farm, from a box scheme or farmers market.

This group were the least likely group to purchase from convenience stores.

Older Family Formations were found to be the heaviest consumers of rice, with nearly a fifth

eating rice daily or four to five times a week. A similar proportion ate stir-fries with meat and

7% ate stir-fries without meat at this frequency. This reflects the teenage/young adult

composition within the household profile.

When looking for information about fresh produce, in-store leaflets were cited as the top

ranking choice, followed by in-store demonstrations.

Providing quality and range is key to increasing purchase amongst the Older Family Formation group - however highlighting seasonality will also impact. The teenage/young adult composition of these families must be catered – offer trendy recipes and dishes

55

Empty Nesters

The majority of Empty Nesters were found to alter their purchase behaviour according to

seasonality. This could be a quality issue or it could be price driven, as six in ten claimed they

would buy more vegetables if they were better value.

Empty Nesters identified with the importance of eating fruit and vegetables, with nine in ten

agreeing with the statement that “fruit is a healthy option for snacking”, and a similar

proportion agreed with the importance of eating the recommended daily allowance of fruit

and vegetables. Half of all Empty Nesters claimed to eat between four and five fruit and

vegetable portions per day, giving the segment an average of 3.3 portions daily, the highest

across the five segments.

Empty Nesters had the highest incidence of using a dedicated fruit and vegetable shop or

greengrocer (at 13%) as the outlet to purchase most of their fruit and vegetables, a further

17% used them as a top-up outlet. The majority of Empty Nesters professed a desire to

purchase Irish grown fresh produce, with two thirds preferring to buy Irish - the others

actually prefer to buy Irish but will buy imported produce if it is cheaper.

This group had the highest incidence of preferring information regarding fresh produce to

come from trusted official government sources (14%). In-store demonstrations and leaflets

were also suggested as preferred means of getting information. Magazines and press coverage

was also ranked quite high amongst this segment.

Health cues could be used to target this segment as they all agree regarding the importance of eating fruit and vegetables. There is also a definite preference for Irish produce amongst Empty Nesters