Millennials will pay more for higher-quality food and show a predilection for products promoting health and wellness, transparent sourcing and environmental responsibility, a new survey by Whole Foods Market finds.
Of 1,006 U.S. adults ages 22 to 37 polled, 68% said they would pay extra for high-quality food, and 53% would do so for high-quality nonfood items like personal care and cleaning products, Whole Foods reported. However, those figures fall to 27% and 20%, respective, for those who “strongly agree” they would be willing to shell out more dollars for high-quality food and nonfood items.
Overall, 80% of respondents “strongly agree” (42%) or “somewhat agree” (38%) that quality is important when it comes to buying food, according to the online survey, conducted by YouGov for Whole Foods.
Fifty-two percent of Millennials said they would pay extra for high-quality, healthy ready-made meals, with 19% strongly agreeing that they would do so.
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“We’re always striving to better understand our customers’ passions when it comes to food,” Whole Foods Chief Marketing Officer Sonya Gafsi Oblisk said in a statement. “Millennials don’t settle for just any food in their shopping carts, and neither do we.”
In the area of wellness, 67% of respondents try to eat healthy on a daily basis, while 59% said they buy food and beverages to help them achieve physical and emotional well-being. About half avoid eating or purchasing foods with specific ingredients.
Many Millennial consumers, however, encounter difficulties in trying to follow a certain nutritional regimen, the Whole Foods study revealed. Forty-five percent said that in the past year they tried a special diet or alternative eating approach, yet 63% found that it’s challenging to do so conveniently. Likewise, 52% agreed that it’s challenging to find the right products in grocery stores to maintain a special diet or alternative eating approach.
Among various dietary regimens, 63% of those polled reported that they’re trying to include more plants and unprocessed foods in their diet.
Millennials, too, exhibit a high level of interest in where their food comes from and how it is sourced, Whole Foods noted. Sixty-four percent of survey participants said how and where their food is sourced influences their purchasing decisions. Similarly, 65% agreed that transparency in food sourcing is important, with the same percentage indicating that transparency is key specifically when buying meat and seafood.
Fifty-five percent of Millennials reported that they’re willing to pay extra for products adopting animal welfare standards, and 65% prefer to buy responsibly sourced brands and products.
Date: September 12, 2019
Source: Supermarket News