Great Flavor Increases Consumption
By Jelger de Vriend
Member of FreshXperts LLC, Innovative Fresh
In 1930, Americans spent 3% of their disposable income on food in restaurants. By 2010 that percentage had increased to 4%. Not much, you might say. However, during that same period the share of income spent on "food at home" gradually declined from 21% to 6%.
As share of income, we deliver today the cheapest food in history. To put it more negatively; the "food at home" industry has consistently been loosing market share in the consumer market for more than 80 years.
Why have we been unable to seduce consumers in spending a considerable part of their income on food at home?
For too many years we've primarily focused on delivering competitively priced products. We've been very good at reducing costs and increasing productivity. Food had to be cheap, widely available, safe and it had to look good. And we delivered.
However, when consumers give their final verdict about fruits and vegetables they rarely talk about price and appearance. Sure, price and appearance are important to drive initial sales. But how about that final verdict from the consumer? After consumption?
Have you ever met a consumer that said; "I ate an apple and it tasted terrible. But, I am satisfied because the price was low". No, I am pretty sure you haven't.
We continuously find that more than half of that final consumer satisfaction in fresh produce comes from flavor. Price and appearance play only a small role in that final verdict.
That final verdict about fresh produce is mostly driven by flavor. We repeatedly find that if flavor is right, price is largely irrelevant. And when flavor is great, superior consumer satisfaction will lead to repeat purchase.
It is this repeat purchase that increases fresh produce consumption.
We want consumers to have a great flavor experience and come back for more. That is how we increase consumption.
Sales of many seasonal and impulse products is purely driven by this flavor experience and by intensified repeat purchasing.
If we want to increase fresh produce consumption and drive produce sales we have to deliver a superior flavor experience.