Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/375622
PURCHASING HABITS AND TRENDS 24 % 2013 30 % 25 % 33 % 17 % 71 % GMOs should never be used in foods and beverages, say: of specialty food consumers purchase KOSHER or HALAL certified foods 62% of specialty food consumers purchase all-natural foods Specialty food consumers aged 65+ are the most likely to purchase locally sourced foods Purchases of products with FAIR TRADE claims rose 5% in 2013 71% of specialty food consumers support companies that practice women men LOCAL JAM SUSTAINABILITY 2012 LOOKING AHEAD Retailers can benefit by attracting the subset of specialty food consumers who purchased products with sustainable and ethical claims in the past six months. Grocers should stock an array of ethically produced food and beverages and clearly call out their claims. While frequent purchasers of specialty foods are interested in green or ethical claims, there is a gap in food knowledge and awareness among occasional specialty food shoppers. To grow the industry, retailers and manufacturers need to educate lighter users of specialty foods, who are least likely to buy ethical and green products. 84% of specialty food consumers believe it's important to buy sustainably produced food Sustainables: specialty food consumers who reported buying sustainable foods in past 6 months; for the 2014 survey, that number is 27 percent of respondents. C4 TODAY'S SPECIALTY FOOD CONSUMER 2014 Special-Interest Foods and the Specialty Food Consumer A bout 77 percent of all consumers (and 84 percent of specialty food consumers) believe it is important to buy sustainably produced food. Core specialty food consumers are the most likely of all groups to purchase foods or beverages with any ethical or eco-friendly claims. The most commonly purchased food and beverage product claims are all-natural (62 percent), organic (56 per- cent), and locally sourced (47 percent). The claim "artisanal" garners less attention from these consumers, as mass- produced foods have quickly appropriated the term, diluting its impact. Fair trade, non-GMO, sustainable, and ethically sourced or produced claims have become increasingly important to specialty food consumers. More than half of specialty food consumers have negative opinions about GMOs. Roughly one-quarter of respon- dents said GMOs should not be in foods or beverages, and another quarter said more research and testing is needed before they are used in the food supply. Gluten-free is a popular claim with specialty food consumers, with 21 percent saying they bought a gluten-free food in the past six months. However, nutrition and health may be more compelling drivers for those purchases than actual gluten intolerance. Respondents are at least partially motivated by the fact that these products are often made with alternative grains, like quinoa, that are nutritionally superior and impart a different flavor than wheat.