The national health kick which has taken over the UK in recent years has affected few markets more than fresh produce.
The sector has revelled in the country’s new-found commitment to wellbeing, and this, combined with a surge in consumers wanting to know more about the provenance of their food, has seen organic fruit and vegetables experience a real shot in the arm.
The organic market is one of the fastest-growing categories across all fresh produce, having seen its value increase by 38 per cent over the past five years as consumers become more selective and conscientious about what they’re eating. A total of 17 million households in the UK now buy organic produce, with an extra 1.8m jumping on the bandwagon since 2013.
Yet, unlike other emerging categories, the overall number of organic products available to consumers has actually decreased as its popularity has grown.
Simply put, there is now a smaller group of products being bought by a bigger group of organic-hungry consumers. But with value growth of eight per cent and volume growth of six per cent in the last 12 weeks, the organic trend looks set to continue.
This latest growth has been driven by old favourites like bananas, apples, cucumbers, tomatoes and mushrooms. These staples of the fruit and veg drawer accounted for £5.8m of additional sales in the latest period.
The lesson for retailers here is that the unique appeal of the organic category means that variation and innovation are not necessarily the key to success. Whereas in other categories we’ve seen new, novel and exotic products like courgetti spaghetti and frozen berries drive growth, this is not the case when it comes to organic. Instead, shoppers want the focus to be on simplicity and quality, going back to basic, wholesome and humble products.
Organic trips are also almost a kilogram lighter than other produce shops, and are bought less frequently. This is a category where quality is far more important to consumers than quantity.
Higher average prices are the driving force behind sector growth, proving that shoppers are willing to pay a premium for organic produce that is naturally grown, fresh to eat and tastes great.
