How trends affect shoppers

Who isn't interested in a healthy diet and lifestyle these days? Today, obesity is the biggest problem facing society. No wonder more and more people are changing their eating habits. Eating less meat, going vegan, including more fruit and vegetables in our diet: people see all of these trends as increasingly relevant, and not just to themselves personally. We are also becoming more aware of how our eating habits are impacting the environment. Products on the shelves reflect this as well. Just count the number of times you see terms like 'organic', 'free-range' and 'locally produced' on their labels.

Convenience
Another trend resulting in major changes is the need for convenience. This includes not only convenience foods that require little preparation but also our tendency to eat at all hours. How many people actually still sit down to dinner at exactly 6:00 p.m.? Consumers eat a greater number of smaller meals per day. They graze their way through the day: on the go, at work or at home. But even for these 'in-between' meals, people want to have good healthy products at their fingertips.

Consumer buying behaviour
These global trends are changing consumer buying behaviour. This is why those of us at Prominent are constantly conducting research into these trends and developments and considering how they might affect the fresh produce shelf. If we didn't, quickly changing consumer buying behaviour could mean that our current line of products could become outdated just as quickly. Sharing these findings with our partners and other professionals provides a more accurate picture and helps us improve our consumer marketing.

Lynne Witlox
Shopper Marketeer