Introduction PERIscope 2015 explores consumer behaviours & attitudes towards food, shopping and cooking. Online survey conducted amongst 1,000 adults aged 18+ in China. Results are also available across seven other countries. Survey covers topics such as: Eating at home, attitudes towards cooking, local food, sustainability, the environment, grocery shopping and health & wellbeing. A Consumer Trend Index was created based on the relevant and most indicative questions. This allowed for each country to be ranked within each emerging theme. The ranking is provided at the start of each thematic section. Research carried out by Ipsos MRBI. Please note, there may be discrepancies in relation to some of the „total‟ figures within this report. This is due to rounding (e.g. “slightly agree” at 45, “strongly agree” at 30, “agree” at 76). For further information or queries please visit www.bordbia.ie or email info@bordbia.ie 2 Overview of Themes The Power of Food Back to Work Love Local Understanding the health benefits of eating well Changing shopping & working habits Why local, is and will remain loved Easier Living Joyning Better Business? Using food and cooking to create social, sharing experiences Does ‘better’ business impact on consumer purchase behaviour? Importance of technology & convenience for busy lives The Power of Food “The Power of Food”: Consumer Index 5 Who believes in the benefits of healthy eating? #1 China #2 Spain #3 ROI #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 Netherlands US GB France Germany The benefits and rewards of a healthy diet are cutting through to varying degrees across each of the markets, understanding the implications of healthy eating is the focus for this theme. Attitudes towards healthy food options, eating habits, perception of diet and the importance of “healthy option” labelling of food have been addressed. “The Power of Food”: Chinese Thematic Overview Compared to the other markets surveyed in PERIscope 2015, China believes itself to be one of the healthiest countries, ranked in first place overall. While 82% of the population claim that their diet is either very or fairly healthy, half of Chinese adults believe their eating habits are becoming increasingly healthy. There is robust understanding that diet is important to mental and physical health, 87% agree that good food can benefit both body and mind, while 78% understand that good food is important for mental well-being. China is ranked fourth when understanding that in order to be healthy it is important to eat properly (90%), showing clear recognition of the power of food and its benefits. When it comes to considering their children, almost 6 in 10 Chinese parents are concerned about obesity. Nearly nine in ten parents try to ensure their children have a balanced diet while a slightly smaller proportion claim to to monitor their children‟s sugar intake. Fruit is the most popular item included in Chinese children‟s lunchboxes, followed by milk and sandwiches. The Chinese are one of the most positive countries in their attitude towards convenience foods. 56% believe they taste great, while only 1 in 4 feel they are expensive. Interestingly, though they are popular food items in China, almost half the population (49%) believe they contain poor quality ingredients. Similar to most other countries, a significant proportion of Chinese adults have difficulty understanding the labels and nutritional information on food. Over nine in 10 adults always check food labelling, while over eight in ten struggle with the information provided. There is almost universal (93%) desire among the Chinese for manufacturers to help them eat healthily. 6 Over 8 in 10 Chinese adults believe their diet to be healthy. Half the population also feel their diet has become more healthy in the past 12 months. % % My Diet is … NET ‘Healthy’ 82 Describe their diet as ‘very’ healthy 20 More healthy Describe their diet as ‘fairly’ healthy 62 Less healthy CHINA 2015 50 3 CHINA 2015 China, along with ROI (87%) believe they are one of the healthiest countries in the study, coming in second place of all eight markets. 7 Chinese adults almost universally demonstrate an understanding of the importance of healthy eating. 7 in 10 also believe they eat healthy to control their lives. 8 % Agree To be healthy it is important to eat properly I eat healthy to take control of my life 90 70 ROI, France and Spain (92%) followed by China demonstrate the greatest understanding of healthy eating. They also rank second on eating healthy to take control of their lives, second only to ROI at 73%. Almost 9 in 10 Chinese adults acknowledge the important role good food can play to enhance body & mind. A slightly lower proportion understand how important diet is for mental health. 9 % Agree Good food can enhance body & mind I consider what I eat to be really important for my mental well-being 87 78 China emerges as one of the top ranked countries for understanding the role the power that food can have. They are behind GB & the Netherlands in understanding how food can enhance body & mind, while they are second only to ROI & Spain (79%) when considering the role food plays in mental wellbeing. Chinese parents are particularly concerned with their children’s sugar intake and ensuring they have a balanced diet. Obesity and vegetable consumption are of less significance. % Agree strongly/slightly I am conscious about my children’s sugar intake 79% I try to ensure that my children have a balanced diet I find it difficult to get my kids to eat vegetables with their dinner I am concerned about my children becoming obese 88% 38% 59% China are the second most concerned about both obesity and ensuring their children have a balanced diet after Spain. They rank third when it comes to be conscious about sugar intake, with parents in Spain (84%) & France (81%) taking the top two spots. 10 Fruit is the single most popular component in Chinese children’s lunchboxes, followed by milk and sandwiches. % 51 Sandwiches 17 Cereal bars Crisps 9 Popcorn 9 67 Fruit Smoothie 11 40 Juice 56 Milk 32 Bottle of water 42 Yoghurt 32 Cheese snack/cheese strings Other 17 China and France are the least likely to include sandwiches in their children‟s lunchboxes (51%). In addition, bottled water is not particularly popular in China, with only the Netherlands less inclined (25%) to provide bottles of water. 11 China are one of the most positive countries when considering convenience foods. Over half believe they taste great and that they are good value for money. Convenience foods…… … are expensive … are good value for money 25% 51% 2015 2015 … have poor quality ingredients … taste great 49% 56% 2015 2015 China rank #1 when considering the taste of convenience meals and their value for money. While convenience meals are popular in China, 49% believe the ingredients are of poor quality. 12 Almost universally Chinese adults check the nutritional labelling on food. The proportion who find this labelling difficult to understand is quite high as is the desire for manufacturers to help the population eat healthily. % applies a lot I always check the nutritional labelling on food before buying them I often find it difficult to understand labelling on food I often find it difficult to understand nutritional claims on packaging I would like manufacturers to help me to eat healthy 51 NET % applies 93 28 83 31 82 59 93 Adults in China are the most likely to check nutritional labelling on food (93%), in addition they rank second behind France and Spain when it comes to difficultly understanding and desiring help from manufacturers. 13 “Back to Work”: Consumer Index 15 Whose workplace habits are changing? #1 #2 #3 GB ROI US #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 Netherlands France Spain Germany China The question has arisen across all markets – is the recession coming to an end? Behaviours relating to shopping, workplace habits and trends that are emerging have been analysed in this section in the context of changing shopping habits as well as attitudes towards price and value for money. “Back to Work” – Chinese Thematic Overview While the Chinese have the highest proportion of people who claim to eat their lunch at work (56%), they rank bottom in terms of the “Back to Work” theme. The recessionary changes that emerged in other markets don‟t appear to have impacted the Chinese market to the same extent. Price, while still important to shoppers in China, does not appear to be the main driver when shopping. 8 in 10 Chinese grocery shoppers believe that quality is more important than price when considering fresh food items. China are the least likely of all countries to shop in discount retailers or to travel to get better value. Interestingly, their attitudes are polarised when it comes to spreading shopping across a number of shops. Scratch cooking is a weekly activity for three quarters of the Chinese population, with just over three in ten claiming to do so more often. 16 The majority of adults in China eat their lunch at work, as almost 6 in 10 Chinese adults claim to do so. % Eating lunch at work 2015 56 The Chinese are the most likely (56%) to eat their lunch at work when comparing all the countries in PERIscope 2015. 17 When looking at lunchtime behaviours, adults in China are becoming more inclined to go out to eat lunch rather than bringing in their own lunch. % Bringing in own lunch to work More often % Going out to eat lunch at work 42 21 Less often 38 28 When comparing all the PERIscope countries in 2015, China are the most likely to eat their lunch out of work more often (42%), while those in France are the least likely to exhibit this behaviour. The Chinese are also the least likely to bring their own lunch into work. 18 Chinese shoppers don’t appear to be impulse shoppers, though they will look for the best price possible. They are also driven marginally more by quality than price. % agree slightly When I shop the first thing I look for is price Quality of fresh food is more important than price I most often go to the same store but look for the best value for money I can get I will pay a bit more for grocery shopping to get superior customer service 38 % agree strongly 51 13 41 40 46 17 41 15 I tend to buy on impulse if I think products are cheap 34 12 46 I don’t mind spending time looking for a bargain 35 12 47 80 63 56 When comparing the PERIscope 2015 countries, China are one of the countries least concerned about price, while they rank second when considering quality second only to Spain (81%). 19 A greater proportion of Chinese adults are shopping in discount retailers and travelling further to get better value less frequently than before. However, views on shopping around are polarised. % Shopping in Discount Retailers More often Less often 29 59 % Spreading my shopping across a number of shops % Travelling further to shop to get the best value to get better value 47 48 26 63 Chinese shoppers are the least likely of all the PERIscope 2015 countries to shop in discounters and travel to get better value. 20 Three quarters of Chinese adults prepare meals from scratch at least weekly. Almost half claim to do so at least once a day. % preparing a meal from scratch once/ few times a day % preparing a meal from scratch few times a week 2015 29% 75 46% Compared to other countries in this study, China ranks third. Only the Netherlands (81%) and Spain (79%) scratch cook more frequently. 21 Just over 3 in 10 Chinese adults claim to be cooking meals from scratch more often than 12 months ago. Frequency of cooking meals from scratch more often or less often compared to 12 months ago Cooking from scratch more often 31 Cooking from scratch less often 11 The Spanish and the Chinese have increased their scratch cooking the most, in identical proportions (31%). 13% of US adults however, claim to be scratch cooking less often, the greatest proportion of all the countries. 22 Love Local “Love Local”: Consumer Index 24 Where is local produce on the rise? #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 China Spain France ROI Germany US Netherlands GB The focus of this theme is “why „local‟ is, and will remain loved” and the importance of transparency when it comes to food production and purchase. The importance of transparency, knowing the source of your food has emerged as a central trend in the food and drinks industries over the past few years. This theme manifests in attitudes towards locally produced food, cooking from scratch, importance of pre prepared or convenience foods and the frequency of purchasing local food. “Love Local” – Chinese Thematic Overview Over six in ten Chinese adults believe that local produce is important, with almost a quarter claiming it to be very important. Over half the population believe that local food refers to food that is produced in a close proximity to where they live, while exactly 50% of the population believe it also refers to produce that is found in farmers‟ markets. China ranks first on the theme of “Love Local” as they are the most likely, of all countries included in PERIscope 2015 to always check for the symbol of quality and country of origin labels. Knowing the source of food is clearly important for the Chinese population. Just over eight in ten Chinese adults have confidence in the food available in the supermarket. When comparing across the countries, they are second from the bottom, only French shoppers have less confident in the food found in supermarkets. China are the most frequent buyers of local produce, which influences their first place ranking on this theme. A quarter of the Chinese population claim to purchase local food daily, while almost nine in ten claim to purchase local produce at least once a week. 25 Almost 7 in 10 Chinese adults believe that purchasing local produce is important, nearly 1 in 4 claim it be very important to their purchase behaviour. Importance of buying local food when shopping 66% Total importance Very important 24% China is ranked fourth when considering the importance of buying local, compared to all other countries in the study. The Netherlands continue to place the least amount of importance on local (34%). 26 Over half of Chinese adults believe that local produce is made in a close proximity or available in farmers’ markets. 53% … made within a close proximity to where I live 50% … available in farmers’ markets 4 in 10 believe local food is… 41% … made within a 20 mile/30km radius from where I live Much less believe local food to refer to food that is … 26% … made within the province in which I live 17% … made within the country in which I live Approximately 5 in 10 believe local food is food that is… 27 The practice of checking labels for both country of origin and symbol of quality is carried out by almost all Chinese shoppers. The quality symbol appears to be marginally more important. Checking for Country of Origin label Always check Checking for Symbol of Quality label 42 62 Sometimes check 53 35 NET (check for quality symbol) Never check (95) 5 (98) 2 China ranks first in terms of checking for country of origin labels and symbol of quality labels. On the other hand GB ranks at the bottom for checking both labels. 28 Over 8 in 10 Chinese adults are confident in that the food they buy in supermarkets is safe. % applies a little I am confident that food in supermarkets is safe 59 % applies a lot 23 81 Confidence in the food purchased in supermarkets is found in Spain (96%), ROI (95%) and GB (94%.) most often. China ranks seventh, followed only by France. 29 A very small proportion of Chinese shoppers purchase local produce less often than once a month or never. Almost 9 in 10 include local produce in their shopping at least once a week. Frequency of ‘local’ food purchases Daily 25 Few times/ once a week 64 Few times/ once a month Less often/ never 7 4 Chinese shoppers rank first when it comes to the frequency of making local purchases (89% at least weekly), followed by Spain (71%) and Germany (66%). 30 Easier Living “Easier Living”: Consumer Index 32 Who is under the most time pressure? #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 China Spain US GB Germany France ROI Netherlands It is all about making the consumers‟ life easier. Companies need to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. We have utilised statements relating to the use of ready prepared ingredients, convenience meals and pre prepared meal components. Time is a key criterion for this theme the focus is on attitudes towards foods that are easy and quick to cook, easy to prepare, as well as those with a willingness to spend time cooking and eating a proper breakfast. “Easier Living” – Chinese Thematic Overview China has emerged as one of the countries with the least time to spare for cooking. Nine in ten claim to eat convenience meals often, while almost seven in ten believe they don‟t have enough time to cook as frequently as they would like. The Chinese population display the greatest desire for foods that are quick and easy to cook and to prepare, while also acknowledging that they are eating convenience meals more often in almost one in five instances. In addition, the Chinese consumer is utilising ready prepared ingredients more often than any other country in PERIscope 2015, contributing to their first place ranking. China has the highest proportion of the population who shop online, over seven in ten claim to have ever purchased their grocery shopping online. They are also the most frequent users of this technological solution, with 84% claiming to order their groceries online at least once a month. The Chinese also use the internet to download recipes and to download food apps for their mobile phones. Over seven in ten adults in China have ever downloaded these types of solutions, with nearly 1 in 4 doing so on a weekly basis. 33 The majority of Chinese adults look for food that is easy to prepare and quick to cook, as the majority consider themselves too busy to cook meals as often as they would like. % Agree I’m too busy to cook meals as often as I would like 68 I tend to pick foods that are quick to cook 85 I tend to pick foods that are easy to prepare I rarely have time for a proper breakfast 94 44 Chinese shoppers rank second when it comes to cooking time restrictions. They are most likely of all the countries to pick foods that are quick and easy to cook or prepare. 34 Convenience meals and ready to eat foods play a big role in Chinese households. 9 in 10 claim to eat them often, while 7 in 10 believe they are 35 a good substitute for home cooking when required. % Agree I would often eat ready prepared/ convenience meals’ 90 We use a lot of ready to eat foods in our household 71 Convenience meals are a good substitute for home cooked meals when time is limited 70 Chinese adults rank in first place across all the above statements, they are the most positive towards convenience foods and eat them the most frequently. Adults in ROI and the Netherlands tend to be on the other end of the spectrum. While attitudes towards convenience foods are overwhelmingly positive amongst Chinese adults, 1 in 4 acknowledge that they are eating them less frequently. % CHINA 2015 More often 19 Less often 25 China rank in first place when it comes to eating convenience meals more often. Those in France have the greatest proportion of adults who claim to eat convenience meals less often (34%). 36 Almost 7 in 10 Chinese adults claim to use ready prepared ingredients at least daily / several times per week. % Using Ready Prepared Ingredients 32% Once/few times a day 35% Few times a week 8% Once a week 9% Once/few times a month 13% Less often Never 2% China use ready prepared ingredients more frequently than any other country, while those in Germany use them the least with only 3% using them daily. 37 More than 7 in 10 Chinese adults have ordered their grocery shopping online. Half of these do this once a month or more often. 38 How often have they ordered their grocery shopping online? 71% of Chinese adults have ever ordered their grocery shopping online. Every day/ few times a week Less often 16 17 Once a week 17 17 About once a month 33 China has the highest percentage of people who have ordered their shopping online, followed by Spain (37%) and GB. (30%). In addition, the Chinese order online more frequently than any other country in PERIscope 2015, with 67% ordering online more than once a month. 2-3 times a month The Chinese are particularly tech savvy, as almost 8 in 10 adults have ever downloaded a recipe while nearly three quarters have downloaded a food app. 77% 72% Downloaded Recipe Downloaded Food App 39 Most recent download activity 20% Past Week 27% 18% 13% Past Month Longer Ago Past 6 Months 24% 19% Past Week Past Month 16% 12% Past 6 Months Longer Ago China ranks first in terms of downloading recipes and downloading food apps. Adults in ROI are the least likely to download either, with 24% downloading a recipe and only 12% downloading a food app. Joyning “Joyning”: Consumer Index Who is searching to feel connected? #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 France Germany China Netherlands Spain GB US ROI The desire for connection, new ways to be satisfied and using food as a social experience. This theme focuses on trying new foods and having new experiences, new ways of connecting with people and with food. The attitudes of those who enjoy spending time cooking to create a great meal and who consider it important to spend time together as a family over meals – including breakfast and dinner, have been included. Additional areas for focus include those who consider that they have good levels of cooking expertise, those who like cooking/preparing meals and hosting dinner parties. “Joyning”: Chinese Thematic Overview China is ranked third for taking enjoyment from food, using it as a social experience. Over nine in ten in China like to try new food, ranking first out of eight countries for their enjoyment in trying new food. However, the proportion who eat food purely for enjoyment, exclusive of health reasons is quite low, followed only by the Netherlands. China records an average proportion of the population who are passionate about cooking, with less than half believing that cooking is either a passion or is good fun, ranking fourth overall. Also, the Chinse population are the least competent at cooking roast dinners and feeling comfortable hosting a dinner party. One in five Chinese adults claim to have attending a cookery class in the past three years, the highest proportion of any other country in PERIscope 2015. China are also one of the countries entertaining at home the most, with nearly eight in ten claiming to entertain at home more often. Over nine in ten believe it is important to eat dinner as a family while China have the lowest proportion of all the countries who claim to never eat breakfast as a family. 42 The Chinese appear adventurous in trying new foods, and get enjoyment through cooking. However, the health benefits of food appear to be a 43 key factor, as just over a third of people eat for enjoyment. % Agree I like to try new foods I eat for enjoyment and not for health reasons I enjoy cooking and being able to create a great meal It is important to spend time over dinner as a family 94 35 79 96 China ranks first in terms of spending time over dinner as a family and second, only to Spain, for enjoying new foods. They are ranked joint third for enjoying cooking a great meal and they are close to the bottom of the rankings for eating for enjoyment rather than health reasons. Almost half the Chinese population have a positive relationship with cooking, though a minority consider themselves to have a passion for cooking. Good Fun A Passion Attitude towards cooking 2015 18% 47% 28% When it comes to cooking, the Chinese rank as the 4th most passionate country, behind Germany, US and France. ROI are ranked bottom, with only 36% of adults in ROI considering cooking to be good fun or something to have a passion for. 44 Over 1 in 10 Chinese adults would enjoy hosting a dinner party and cooking for their guests, while less than a quarter are confident in their skills to create a dinner with the trimmings. Level of cooking expertise (%) Would enjoy having a dinner party where I do all the cooking 14 Would be confident that I could produce a good Sunday roast with all the trimmings 23 On the basis of dinner party hosting and producing meals with all the trimmings, China is the least competent country at cooking compared to all other countries in the PERIscope 2015 study. France and Germany are among the most competent. 45 1 in 5 Chinese adults have attended cooking classes in the past three years. Almost 8 in 10 also claim to entertain at home more often nowadays. 46 % who have attended/taken cooking classes in the past three years 2015 20 % who are entertaining at home more often nowadays 2015 79 The Chinese have the highest proportion of their population who attend cooking classes (20%), GB have the lowest at only 5%. In terms of entertaining at home, China also rank first, followed closely by the Dutch (77%) while those in ROI entertain at home the least (25%). Almost 3 in 10 Chinese adults claim they sit down to a family breakfast every morning. Weekends are the most popular, with almost half claiming to eat breakfast as a family only on the weekends. % CHINA 2015 Every morning Weekdays only Weekends only School holidays only Holidays away from home Term time only Never 29 6 49 9 3 1 3 The Chinese have the smallest proportion of their population who claim to never eat a family breakfast (3%), compared with 22% in the US. 47 Better Business? “Better Business?”: Consumer Index 49 Who is concerned about environmental issues? #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 China Spain Germany France Netherlands US ROI GB The concept that „good‟ business will be good for business in an economic sense is the focus of this theme. We have analysed attitudes towards environmental concerns, terminology and ongoing issues, including awareness, understanding and propensity to purchase. Changing behaviours towards these issues will also be included in order to demonstrate development in this area. “Better Business?”: Chinese Thematic Overview China have emerged as the most environmentally conscientious of all the countries included in PERIscope 2015, as they are ranked first on the theme of “Better Business?”. Almost three quarters of the population believe that they are taking environmental considerations into account in their choice of products, while just under seven in ten claim to prefer purchasing from companies who take environmental issues into consideration, more than any other country. Fair Trade is also an important consideration for Chinese shoppers, with over nine in ten claiming to buy Fair Trade products where possible, along with environmentally friendly packaging and smaller packs. Interestingly, there is wide variation between awareness levels of different environmental issues. China are ranked in the top three for high awareness of sustainably production, while they are in the bottom three for awareness of carbon footprint. Food waste, animal welfare and conserving resources all record very high levels of awareness in China, contributing to their first place ranking overall. 50 Almost three quarters of Chinese adults claim they are more conscious in their choice of products due to environmental concerns. Slightly less have a preference for companies that consider these issues. % Agree I am more conscious of environmental issues in my choice of products today I prefer to buy from companies that are aware of the impact of environmental issues 74 69 China rank first across all the countries for both statements relating to their environmental concerns. France and Spain also demonstrate high levels of agreement with these statements, while those in the Netherlands continue to be the least engaged with environmental issues. 51 Almost universally, Chinese adults attempt to purchase Fair Trade produce, smaller packs and buy from brands that use environmentally considered packaging. % Agree I try to buy Fair Trade products/brands whenever they are available 93 I always try to buy brands that use environmentally sensitive packaging 92 I buy food in smaller packs because it means less waste 92 The Chinese rank first on all three purchasing factors. Spain also demonstrates high levels of consideration for these issues, while Fair Trade issues, environmentally friendly packaging and consideration of food waste appear to have gained the least traction in ROI and GB overall. 52 A greater proportion of Chinese adults are aware of the term “Sustainably Produced” than “Carbon Footprint”. % Carbon Footprint Sustainably Produced 10 I have never heard of it before today 37 32 I have heard of it but do not consider it important 19 22 I consider the term to be a fad 21 20 I sometimes try to buy food with this issue 13 I actively/ always try to buy food with this issue 10 16 China ranks third last when comparing awareness levels across the countries for Carbon Footprint, while they record the third highest level of awareness for Sustainably produced, only Germany (94%) and the Netherlands (91%) record higher levels of awareness. 53 There is almost universal levels of awareness among the Chinese population for the terms “Food Waste”, “Animal Welfare” and “Conserving Resources”. % aware 2015 Food Waste Animal Welfare Conserving Resources 95 94 96 China ranks first for awareness of these issues across PERIscope 2015. GB and France record the lowest levels of awareness for Animal Welfare (76%), while US ranks bottom for Food Waste (72%). 54