The study found that there is frustration among shoppers who would like to buy British but find that produce is not stocked by their retail stores. Mintel reported that 30 per cent of consumers would buy more UK-grown produce if it were available and this figure rises to 42 per cent in the over 65s age range. However, the buy local concept may not necessarily grow with the ageing population as younger consumers have grown up with year round availability and are likely to take that into old age with them.

Over a fifth of those questioned said the multiples do not stock enough UK produce and 13 per cent said they actually object to having to buy fresh produce grown in other countries.

Farmers markets appear to be doing well out of the buy local surge with almost of quarter of the sample questioned claiming to shop there in order to buy locally grown produce and support their local economy as well as perceiving that the produce is fresher.

But a majority 40 per cent appears to buy what is available in-store, with little regard of where it comes from and one in 10 buy on price regardless of where produce is from as long as it is cheap.

Mintel concluded that a balance will eventually be struck between buying local and year-round availability. The analyst expects the focus to shift towards buying local as consumers adopt an increasingly ethical stance towards their regional and local marketplace to the extent that regional brands may develop to appeal to those consumers who purchase in order to support their local economy or boost regional identities.

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