Convenience is king in retail wars

Despite current popular diets such as juicing, Paleo eating, vegan cooking and avoiding gluten, Aussie consumers are largely putting convenience and price before nutrition and quality when it comes to fresh produce.

The trends, fanned along by social media, have been noted by a spate of surveys and researchers in recent months.

Research commissioned by the Sydney Markets has found convenience is driving fresh food consumption, with many shoppers preferring to pick up their vegetables and fruit at supermarkets.

The survey asked why people shopped at supermarkets and why others shopped at independent greengrocers.

While 22 per cent said the wide range was the attraction for supermarket purchases, 75pc admitted it was the convenience factor.

For the greengrocer shoppers, 69pc said it was the quality of the produce that attracted them to purchase from the shop.

Curtin University researcher Dr Peter Batt has observed the trend of shoppers opting for convenience over quality.

Dr Batt undertook a study commissioned by the Perth Metropolitan Market (Market City) to identify how consumers choose between the alternative stores.

Retail outlets were separated into four categories: the major supermarkets; the independent supermarkets; independent greengrocers; and the growers’ direct markets.

Research students conducted 480 interviews with household buyers within shopping centres at different times of the day to get a thorough cross-section.

A review of consumer behaviour literature identified three key factors to fresh produce purchase decisions - the quality of the offer; a competitive price; and convenience.

He relayed the results and his observations at last year's International Horticultural Congress in Brisbane, and again at this year's National Horticulture Convention on the Gold Coast in June.

He said consumers have a mindset of "I want to buy all that I can and all that I want in just one place".

"Consumers not only eat with their eyes but they buy with their eyes," Dr Batt said.

"Convenience is a big thing. Straight from the bag into the saucepan, or plate or even mouth."

But he said low price is not important to everyone. There are consumers that are prepared to pay more for products.

"While the big supermarkets have the dominance, the independents and direct sellers have key advantages," he said.

His research found 65pc of consumers are dissatisfied with the quality of the fresh produce purchased and most don't return the products, so there is minimal feedback given.

Dr Batt suggested the fresh produce supply chain needs to focus on a total quality concept, from gate to plate.

Ausveg's Project Harvest research shows consumers are increasingly buying vegetables in formats that suit their immediate needs with little left over.

The latest report found an increase in sales of small pre-packaged vegetables and individual vegetables over the past eight months has been matched by a drop in larger pre-packaged formats.

Ausveg spokesperson Kurt Hermann said many consumers are mindful of not wanting to buy more vegetables than they’re going to use.

“These findings really reflect the fact that some Australians are treating supermarkets like extensions of their own fridges,” Mr Hermann said.

“When they go vegetable shopping, these consumers are only planning a couple of meals ahead, because they’ll return in a night or two.

"This means that they’re looking for portion sizes that they can grab, use immediately and have nothing left over.”

“In some cases this leads them to buying loose leaves, or convenient formats like salad trays and small pre-packaged bags.

"In other cases, it means they’re only looking to buy one or two broccoli heads or chillies instead of a full tray."

The report also identified that wanting to avoid waste is preventing many consumers from buying more fresh vegetables, including staples like peas and broccoli.

The latest Roy Morgan Research's culinary-focused consumer profiling tool, Food Segments, suggests food convenience is a driving force in how people are consuming.

The poll ran from July 2014 to June this year, taking in 15,867 respondents.

Dividing the population into seven distinct sections based on attitudes to food, cooking, health, eating out, and entertaining at home, the Food Segments show the "Just Feed Me" group accounts for the highest proportion of Australians (23pc).

Just Feed Me people are not interested in cooking, eating out, or grocery-shopping and will simply eat what they’re given. Nearly 60pc of them are men.

Meanwhile, 17pc of the population fall into the "Zappit" category, which are people who have no desire to cook and opt for easy-to-prepare food or even takeaway.

However, for 51pc of the population, food engagement does matter.

Characterised by their love of cooking and enjoyment of grocery-shopping, people in the family-oriented "House Proud" segment (22pc) are interested in food for both its taste and nutritious qualities.

"Trendsetters" (9pc) are all about new foods, new flavours and new culinary experiences, while "Entertainers" (8pc) are especially fond of food’s social aspects like dinner parties or fine restaurant dining.

"Old-fashioned Cooks" (12pc) love a traditional home-cooked meal but are not big on variety, tending to buy the same foods and brands week-in, week-out.

Roy Morgan Research general manager – consumer products Andrew Price says there is no doubt the age of the "foodie" is here.

"Cooking shows and celebrity chefs are just the tip of a very big iceberg which also includes organic groceries, food bloggers, food magazines, diet crazes, best-selling cookbooks and cronuts," Mr Price said.

“This multifaceted culinary craze presents many opportunities for food-related businesses, but only if they have an in-depth understanding of their target market."

In terms of what it means for producers, there appears to be opportunities and a need to adapt to consumers' change in thinking.

“Australian growers could capitalise on this trend by offering consumer-driven products, like pre-packing fresh vegetables in single-meal servings, either by themselves or mixed together,” Ausveg's Mr Hermann said.

“By offering vegetables to shoppers in easy-to-enjoy formats, the vegetable industry could help Australians make healthy diet choices and increase overall vegetable consumption.”