AGE PROFILE of grape consumers Children 0-1019% 11-166% Male 17-345% 35-6413% 65+8% Female 17-3410% 35-6422% 65+17% Info: Usage overview of grapes. Year ending August 2007. In-home/lunchbox consumption Take-home sales of grapes are up 2.8% to £461m A third are eaten by females aged 45 plus Just over one in five occasions is out of the home Grapes are more likely to be eaten Monday to Friday than at the weekend A quarter of grapes are eaten with sandwiches Further potential for grapes at breakfast Females aged 45 and over account for 33%, or 320 million occasions. Males of the same age group make up another 17%, while the under-10s eat 20%. But consumption among young adults (17-24) and all males under 65 is declining, which flags up the need for more dynamic marketing to these consumer groups. Snacking in the home is the biggest occasion at 26%, with evening snacking making up nearly two thirds of all grape snacks. Just in front of the lunchbox, breakfast is the fastest-growing occasion, stimulated by suppliers of cereals encouraging consumers to add fruit to them. Grapes eaten with cereals are showing 21% growth but there is room for further growth at breakfast as grapes are still less likely than other fruit to be eaten then. Consumption is shifting to the week, with Saturday and Sunday occasions down and strong growth for Mondays and Tuesdays. Research has suggested that flavanols contained in grapes may improve cardiovascular health and even improve memory as the blood flow to the brain is enhanced. Drummond Richards

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