A telephone poll carried out for food and grocery analyst IGD has found surprising loyalty among organic shoppers, despite the organic downturn.
Almost one in five - 19 per cent of shoppers - said they are maintaining their spend on organics and a further nine per cent said they will buy more organic products when they have more money to spend.
The survey was carried out by Mori among more than 1,000 shoppers earlier this month. However, of those questioned, 10 per cent said they have found other products that are cheaper but still provide the same perceived benefits. A further eight per cent claimed they are focusing their organic spend on fewer products, and another eight per cent said they are not sure what organic stands for any more. Some 41 per cent admitted they have never been interested in organic.
Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive of IGD, said: “There remains a strong core of dedicated organic shoppers who are maintaining support, regardless of the economy. Even better news for the organic movement is that these supporters tend to be younger and more affluent - supporting our view that the organic market is experiencing a dip, rather than a collapse...
“The organic movement has the opportunity to win back at least some of these shoppers and to increase sales among their existing customers. By communicating the full range of benefits in a clear and compelling manner, they will enable shoppers to weigh up the value for themselves.”
