Friday, March 29, 2024

Shift in fussy consumer behaviour

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New Zealanders are spending more on food while not being so fussy about the shape of their fruit and vegetables, according to research conducted by Rabobank and food rescue charity KiwiHarvest. The research found Kiwis are spending significantly more on food than in 2019, while they are also more likely to be buying imperfect-looking fruit or vegetables.
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New Zealanders are spending more on food while not being so fussy about the shape of their fruit and vegetables, according to research conducted by Rabobank and food rescue charity KiwiHarvest.

The research found Kiwis are spending significantly more on food than in 2019, while they are also more likely to be buying imperfect-looking fruit or vegetables.

It also revealed an increased willingness to try meat alternatives, with more Kiwis buying imperfect fruit and vegetables in 2021 rather than paying full price.

The research, part of a wider study also undertaken by Rabobank and KiwiHarvest, found 35% of New Zealanders live in households that are spending more than $200 a week on food, up from 26% in 2019, with 12% of households spending more than $300 a week, up from 7% previously.

Rabobank head of sustainable business development Blake Holgate says there’s also been changes at the lower end of the scale, with only 14% reporting their household spends less than $100 a week on food, well back on the 23% of 2019.

“Increases in food prices are a key factor in this lift, while the significant rise in the use of food delivery services is a further potential contributor to this higher spend,” Holgate said.

The survey found a marked increase in the use of almost all food delivery services such as My Food Bag, Hello Fresh and Uber Eats.

“The variety and convenience offered by these services has seen their usage surge over the past five years, both in NZ and in many other countries around the globe,” he said.

“We anticipate this trend will continue in the years ahead.”

Covid is only likely to have further fuelled this growth, given the associated restrictions which have, at times, limited access to supermarkets and other food outlets over the past 15 months.

When it came to meat consumption, 30% of New Zealanders indicated they were trying to consume less, compared to 33% previously, while 5% were planning to increase their meat intake.

Health reasons were cited by almost 75% of respondents wanting to reduce meat intake, while impact on the environment, cost and animal welfare concerns were the next most-noted reasons.

“With these numbers relatively unchanged from two years ago, it’s clear that meat remains a fundamental component of most Kiwis’ diets.”

However, Holgate says the survey also highlighted that many Kiwis are willing to give substitutes a try.

Since 2019 there’s been a jump in awareness of a range of meat alternative categories, including burgers and sausages made from vegetables, food produced from insect-based ingredients, meat produced from algae and meat-like products grown in a laboratory.

The research found preferences remained split between cheaper, imperfect fruit and vegetables and more expensive regular produce.

A total 39% of respondents indicated they would opt for regular-shaped fruit or vegetables at $4/kg, while 43% would choose misshapen produce at the lower cost of $1.30/kg.

KiwiHarvest chief executive Gavin Findlay says it is pleasing to see these figures have increased over the past two years given negative attitudes towards imperfect produce were one of the key factors contributing to the estimated $2.4 billion of food that goes to waste in NZ every year.

Imperfect fruit and vegetables make up a considerable portion of the food redistributed by KiwiHarvest.

“It is really positive to see New Zealanders’ attitudes toward imperfect fruit and vegetables improving and more Kiwis reporting that these items are stocked by their local retailer,” Findlay said.

“As a result, improving attitudes towards imperfect fruit and vegetables is a major focus of the work we do educating New Zealanders on food waste and what they can do to minimise it. 

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