New research from the US Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) shows Americans are nearly twice as likely as they were nine years ago to buy blueberries in the coming year, and the number of households saying they’ve purchased blueberries within the past month (69 per cent)has nearly doubled since 2008.
The study also shows that today’s blueberry consumers are also younger and more diverse than in 2004, and are more likely to be 35-44 year-olds and belonging to an ethnic minority.
“With the mum market representing US$2.7tr in annual spending in the US and the Hispanic market expected to hit US$1.5tr in buying power by 2015, this shift represents a step in the right direction for the blueberry industry,” said USHBC chairman Parm Bains.
“Connecting with the next wave of blueberry purchasers will continue to be a key strategy in driving demand, and this research shows our promotion efforts to date have been on target and are paying off.”
The survey findings suggest that marketers should continue to position blueberries as an ideal fit for modern lifestyles. When asked what they like best about blueberries, consumers cited a variety of attributes including health (84 per cent), taste (81 per cent), convenience (61 per cent) and versatility (44 per cent) – evidence they see them as a simple yet beneficial addition to their diet.
The report showed that the large majority of consumers choose fresh blueberries over other forms, preferring to eat them “out of hand” as a snack (60 per cent), over yogurt (54 per cent), in smoothies (49 per cent) or over cereal (48 per cent).
