Vive la France!
The French market is another key market for Ireland. It is the fourth largest destination for Irish food and drink exports - the destination for €901m in exports in 2019. It is the third largest source for beef. Dairy exports are also in growth worth over €241m with Irish butter being the single largest part of the dairy exports, valued at €75m in 2019.
Again it is another market that is important for us to understand in the context of consumer behaviours and the implication for Irish food and drinks exports at this time.
Coming out of Covid 19 the French have been true to their colours.
Their love of cooking and food has only but come to the fore.
Quality time is the order of the day and what better way to spend that time than cooking and with family with almost half of French adults spending quality time with family.
(Bord Bia Validators)
A recent YouGov survey highlighted how 43% are taking more time to cook.
23% are learning to cook using recipes and 33% are baking more often (Bord Bia Validators)
The French in their food reappraisal have also gone back to basics, with 41% only buying products that they need (FoodNavigator May 2020). We are also seeing that sensibility stretch into savings with a quarter saving for a rainy day and 72% of those expecting to do more so in the future. Food waste is also gaining attention with 22% saying they are now consciously reducing their food waste and 7 in 10 expect to continue to do so in the future.
The French also have shown their known discipline for snacks and treats with 16% having sweet treats and snacks and 18% snacking outside of meal times which interestingly is a lot lower than other markets comparatively.
Quality of food is also important. 18% are buying better quality beef or better quality cuts of beef as a result of Covid-19 restrictions – a behaviour that over half of these adopters are likely to continue post pandemic.
Buying better quality fish/ seafood/ shellfish appears much more prevalent among French adults than buying cheaper fish (13% are buying better quality more often compared to 6% buying cheaper options more often). Signs also exist that shoppers are buying from certified sustainable fisheries more frequently at this time with 12% of adults adopting this.
34% are choosing brands they know and trust with 46% expecting to continue to do so in the future. Unsurprisingly then, organic is one sector that also appears to be benefitting from Covid 19. In France, some organic food shops are reporting growth in excess of 40% (Ecovia Intelligence, Food Navigator, May 2020)
In the UK, Abel and Cole reported a 25% increase in sales orders and in the US Wholefoods had to start limiting the number of its online grocery customers because of its unprecedented demand.
A key reason for the interest in organic are the perceived health benefits of organic foods viewed often as being healthier and safer. Equally well we are also seeing that interest in eating well for immunity and 26% are trying to improve their health generally and 42% of U35s eating healthier for improved immunity.
“Whenever there is a food scare like SARS consumers look at disease prevention and improving nutrition. Organic food gets a sales boost as they are perceived to be healthier and safer than conventional foods.” (Amarjit Sahota, Founder and CEO of Ecovia Intelligence)
It’s interesting to note how two contrary trends are running in tandem, with an economic crisis the focus tends to be on seeking good value however when there is a food and health crisis there is a tendency to be more quality conscious with people more willing to pay for healthy and nutritious foods, according to Sahota.
Are these behaviours likely to stick?
Our validators would say that French consumers will continue to have concerns around health and immunity, whilst also reappraising their love of food and what they cook. Saving money however also has significant importance given the impending economic challenges ahead. In that context better quality and locally consumed appear to be somewhat more niche like behavioural changes.
Considerations for Food and Drinks Businesses:
- Beef and fish propositions that promote health benefits
- Propositions that promote longer food life
(for eg encouraging sustainable consumption- recipes for leftovers, etc)
- Opportunities for organic
- Opportunities around soil standards and quality assurance
For more detail on the French Validators, please log on to ..