Total fresh fruit and vegetables grew 5.2% in value and fell 1.3% in volume in the latest year. TNS Worldpanel Usage data shows people are eating only 2.6 portions of fruit and veg on average a day, despite many 5-a-day initiatives. However, on a more positive note, kids showed the largest increase in portions eaten, from an average 1.8 per day in 2005 to 2.2 in 2006.
An increase in price was a large contributor to the 5% rise in the value of fruit, despite a sharp fall in the average price in the second-largest fruit segment, bananas. This was driven primarily by the major retailers but also by the strong growth in pre-packed value and family bags. Soft and tropical fruits have also driven an increase in the number of trips made by the average consumer, with soft fruits in particular contributing high average spend to the category.
A key trend is the decline in shopper numbers for traditional staple fruits such as bananas, apples and pears, while more consumers are buying what used to be considered niche fruit types. Uglifruit, pomegranates and mangoes have all seen a significant lift in shopper numbers.
Health continues to be the main reason why people eat fruit, but we are also seeing a wider trend of increasing food purchase for enjoyment as external influences on consumer behaviour, such as the rise in popularity of television cookery programmes, inspire shoppers to be more adventurous.
Vegetables grew 5.3% in spend although they fell in volume, with more expensive pre-packed vegetables continuing to dominate sales (now 71.8% of spend).
Organic produce grew 9.1% and now accounts for 3.4% of the category by value. Organic salad is the largest segment of the market and has produced double-digit growth for the past two years, growing most recently by 13.8% in spend. Non-organic fresh produce has also grown, 5%, outstripping growth in total grocery as a whole.
Tom Hogg, TNS Worldpanel
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