Convenience the key for consumers in shopping for fresh produce

CONSUMER awareness and innovation hold the key to breaking into the growing convenience food market, according to Bord Bia.

Recent data from Kantar Worldpanel on the prepared fruit and vegetable category in Irish retail outlets has shown convenience is still a very important factor for consumers when shopping for fresh produce.

In the year to October 2010, while the value of the retail prepared fruit and vegetable market fell by 3% compared with the same month in 2009, the volume purchased was up by 2.5%.

This market is now valued at just under €86m.

Bord Bia horticulture division manager, Mike Neary, said: “Adding value and innovating in the fresh produce category is tapping into a segment of the market that has potential to grow.

“These formats also provide the ideal opportunity to highlight the positive messaging around the health benefits of consuming the recommended five-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables per day.”

The growth in volume was driven by increased household penetration and an increase in the volume purchased per trip to the fixture. The average price per kilo was down by 5.4% and this would have contributed to greater volume sales.

Three-quarters of the sales (by volume) in this category come from the vegetable and chilled salads categories.

This data highlights that produce presented in a prepared convenient format is an important consideration for consumers in their total fresh produce purchase.

Meanwhile, Daphne Carthy of Bord Bia’s operation in Paris reports that supermarket group Carrefour has boosted sales by opening a series of city centre coffee shops.

Turnover is up 28% for Carrefour Express and up 16% for Carrefour Contact, since the group expanded its convenience model.

Daphne Carthy notes: “Carrefour Express was launched at the beginning of December with its 3,500 references including a mixture of national and private label brands. Carrefour City Café, on the other hand, is more focused on the snacking sector with a range of 700 products, to take away or eat in.”