New study from Bollo Natural Fruit takes pulse of Spanish consumption habits
Rising prices have failed to dampen demand for fresh fruit among Spanish consumers according to new research from Bollo Natural Fruit.
Presenting the results of its first Barometer on Fruit Purchasing and Consumption Habits at this week’s Fruit Attraction trade fair in Madrid, the company said almost half of consumers (48 per cent) are eating more fruit than five years ago despite inflationary pressure.
The study, based on qualitative and quantitative research carried out by Kantar Worldpanel based on more than 1,000 consumer surveys, revealed that 70 per cent of respondents consume fruit on a daily basis, with a further 20 per cent consuming it at least three times a week. Oranges, bananas, apples and mandarins together account for more than 50 per cent of the total volumes of fresh fruit consumed in homes.
The study showed that people aged 45-65 are the most regular fruit consumers, citing health as the main driver of purchases. By contrast, younger consumers (aged 18-35) are more likely to buy discounted fruit. Older consumers are also more likely to purchase branded fruit, while younger consumers show a preference for cheaper, private-label offerings.
Bollo CEO Antonio Alarcón said the company was pleasantly surprised that the frequency of consumption was so high. He noted that the fact that people were eating more fruit than before the pandemic – even several years after it had ended – was good news for the industry as it suggested that this trend was here to stay.
When asked about the characteristics that define what is considered a good piece of fruit, 45 per cent of respondents cited its taste as the main indicator, followed by freshness (18 per cent), ripeness (14 per cent), colour (13 per cent), appearance (12 per cent) and whether it is in season (11per cent).
Taking into account that consumers cannot taste the fruit before purchase, the study revealed that visual perception plays a key role in the purchase, that is to say that the consumer associates flavour with visual aspects when making their buying decision.
Overall, fruit brands were cited as a guarantee of quality, but the reasons for buying a brand of fruit varied depending on whether the consumer is a regular fruit buyer or not.
For non-regular buyers, the purchase drivers most frequently cited were quality (53 per cent), value for money (52 per cent) and whether the product is tasty or flavourful (49 per cent). For regular fruit buyers, the reasons for choosing branded fruit changed slightly: quality remained the primary motivation (40 per cent), while appearance was the second most commonly cited driver of purchase (37 per cent) and in third place, on 32 per cent, was the origin of the fruit.
Bollo noted that one interesting takeaway from the research is that offers or promotions are not a key factor determining purchases in the case of consumers who are loyal to a brand. Forty per cent of these consumers said that, despite promotions or offers, they would opt continue consuming the branded fruit they normally buy.
“It is clear that consumers who are loyal to a particular brand are less sensitive to price changes,” Alarcón said.
The report also highlighted how consumer purchasing habits are changing, with more consumers favouring supermarkets and discounters as their usual purchasing channels because they offered easier access and cheaper prices.
According to Kantar Worldpanel, supermarkets will account for 40.4 per cent of fruit sales in 2024, up from 37.7 per cent in 2023. By contrast, traditional greengrocers will have seen their market share contract from 37.4 per cent in 2023 to 34.7 per cent in 2024.
However, this trend was not seen in respondents who typically purchase branded fruit – these being just as likely to buy it at traditional greengrocers (65 per cent) as in supermarkets (66 per cent).
Proximity, trust, variety and professional recommendations were the qualities most valued by consumers who typically buy their fresh produce in greengrocers’, while the most common reasons cited for choosing supermarkets were that they are more practical for making large purchases, they have longer opening hours and the price is more affordable.
The study also showed that online purchases are likely to keep on growing: whereas only 18 per cent of respondents said they have ever bought fruit online, this rises to 27 per cent among younger consumers, who are more likely to be motivated by convenience, personalisation and the possibility of comparing prices.
As for large stores and supermarkets, they are preferred because they are more practical for making large purchases, they have longer opening hours and the price is more affordable.
The research identified three key trends that would likely drive future growth within the category: an increased focus on food security, convenience – especially amongst younger consumers – and health and wellbeing.
Alarcón commented: “We wanted to take the pulse of the market and, above all, understand what the consumer’s motivations and preferences are regarding fruit consumption habits. As a leading company in our sector, we believe that giving the consumer a voice is essential to doing our job better and to understanding how changes in lifestyle influence the way society relates to food, in this specific case to fruit, and to the adoption of healthy habits”.
