Seven out of ten shoppers prefer to buy local food with 93 percent of those that buy local doing so because they want to support the local economy. 29 percent source their local food from farmers markets, 35 percent from local supermarkets and 23 percent from larger supermarkets. These findings were revealed by Bord Bia today from new consumer research on perceptions of Local Food.
The overall findings indicated that consumer demand is for authenticity with health, naturalness and freshness being the primary motivating factors for purchase. According to the research three out of four Irish grocery shoppers claim to buy local food because “they want the most natural kind of food they can get”.
The research was presented by Bord Bia today at the National Conference on Local Food taking place in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. The event which was organised by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in conjunction with Bord Bia was launched by Trevor Sargent T.D., Minister of State for Food and Horticulture.
The research, carried out by Lansdowne Market Research, was designed to capture all of the potential influencers of attitudes to local food and understand the role they play in driving consumer behaviour. Key findings highlighted;
- Local food means ‘fresh’ food to the consumer: “When you buy at a Farmers’ Market its just fresher – which has to be better”
- 76 percent agree that ‘local food tends to taste better’
- The research found that there is a feel good factor attached to local food, with those buying into the trend recognising not only the physical benefits but also the emotional connection they get from the provenance, heritage and tradition of local food
- For almost every food category classed as local – tradition plays a role. 77 percent agree that “It is important that my food comes from a producer with tradition and heritage on their side” and 71 percent agree “Local food brands are what I grew up on; I want to try to keep those traditions alive”.
- Consumers place a value on the provenance of different food products; they are increasingly interested in the origin of their purchases.
- “Supporting” the local community also plays a role; there is a sense of “duty” in buying local. This driver is about “feeling” that one is doing the right thing. 93 percent of those that buy local do so because they want to support the local economy.
The research covered in-depth interviews with opinion leaders and ‘local food’ market experts; nine group discussions with 75 consumers around the country, covering all provinces and a nationally representative quantitative study of grocery shoppers with a robust sample size of 600 respondents. Fieldwork was carried out throughout September and October.
Bord Bia recommendations to producers:
Maintain your small values as you grow – A core emotional driver behind the trend is rejection of mass market food products. Local foods shouldn’t be a copy or “imitation” of big brands in anyway; they should look and feel like they are from a cottage industry. Something as simple as a “handmade” sign/or advertisement at the point of purchase can reinforce the sense in which a local food is “lovingly” made by people who care about quality rather than quantity.
Develop relationships with consumers – Getting to know the seller or producer is a core driver; the story of where a food comes from or how it should be used is potentially very powerful.
Word of mouth is the best form of advertising – Small players don’t advertise but they do generate word of mouth. Part of this is made easy by the social side of Farmers’ Markets because of the human interaction.
You can’t beat tradition in the food business – Creating the sense that recipes and producers have a heritage and provenance is important.
Packaging or simple merchandising – Packaging plays a critical roll for all food categories, perhaps with the exception of meat or fruit and vegetables. The consumer wants packaging to be traditional and as minimal as possible. Simplicity is the packaging answer – one must stay true to their values.