Some 40 per cent of European shoppers have a specific requirement for dietary information when grocery shopping, according to a new report published by the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council Europe and conducted by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Exploring The Third Dimension: Relevant and Timely Information to Empower Shopper Choice reveals that a growing proportion of the population needs and seeks specific information when they shop. This can range from nutritional information or details about allergy risks through to the ethical standards of a product. In total, around half of the 6,300 shoppers surveyed across six European markets had a specific information demand from their products.

Albert Voogd, chairman of the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council Europe, said: “Most shoppers, most of the time, need and want very little information. However, a substantial and growing group of shoppers has specific information needs that are often not well met. We call these shoppers the ‘information seekers’. Retailers, suppliers and the wider industry lack consistent ways of measuring, capturing and communicating nutrition, dietary, health and environmental information in meaningful ways to shoppers that seek this information. The challenge is to do this without over-complicating the shopping experience for mainstream shoppers.”

The research reveals that ‘information seekers’ are typically more willing to embrace new technology, which could hold the key to meeting some of their additional needs.

Around 45 per cent of green shoppers and 40 per cent of shoppers that are health conscious or have specific dietary needs see a role for technology in helping to meet their information needs in-store during the shopping process, according to the study. This could help them understand whether the product is compatible with their dietary intolerance or provide details of the ethical sourcing policies of the supplier.

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