CONSUMER ATTITUDES TO
LOCAL FOOD
Qualitative Research
February 2010
Report Structure
1
2
3
• Background & Objectives
Pages 2 - 6
• Our Changing Lifestyles
Pages 7 - 11
• Local Food Definition
Pages 12 - 30
•What Motivates us to buy local
Pages 31 -37
4
5
• Local Food and the Retailer
Pages 38 - 50
6
• Implications for Local Food
Pages 51 – 56
Background
Bord Bia wished to re-visit the local food agenda and explore the extent to
which it remains important to Irish consumers and how best to leverage this
trend.
Objectives of the research included:
1 To revisit the definition of local food and see if it has changed
2 To understand the changes in lifestyle since 2007 and their impact on the
category
3 To understand consumers motivations to purchase local food
4 To explore the best ways to promote the category
2
Background
Monaghan & Cavan
Galway & Mayo
Meath & Dublin
Tipperary & Offaly
Clare & Limerick
Carlow & Kildare
Kilkenny & Waterford
Cork & Tipperary
The qualitative research was designed to capture attitudes and opinions around a
number of counties.
The eight group discussions included respondents from ‘Bordering Counties’ allowing
us to speak to ordinary people about their ‘local food’ and foods from their
neighboring counties.
All participants were asked to complete one of two pre-group tasks in advance of
attending the discussion:
1. To bring an item of ‘local food’ to the group discussion
2. To ‘find out’ about the local food in their area using any means
3
Research design - qualitative structure
4
Research design – quantitative survey
Face-to-face omnibus survey of Irish consumers
• Nationally representative sample of Irish adults (15+) – n=1000
Sex
Social Class
Age
Male
Female
ABC1
C2DE
21%
18-24
50%
57%
26%
25-34
50%
43%
21%
16%
35-44
45-54
17%
55+
5
Penetration of Local Food
Q3. Thinking about all of the food you buy, eat or cook at home,
would you describe any of that food as “Local Food” or not?
Base: All
17%
83%
Yes
No
6
OUR CHANGING LIFESTYLES
7
A people at a cultural crossroads…
• The economic collapse means everything is up for review
• Consumers talk about the way in which they are reconfiguring their values
• The Irish consumer talks about how they „lost the run of themselves‟ during the boom
• And there is a sense of loss that is palpable in many areas of Irish life...
• The solution, many consumers talk about is, getting back to our „roots‟
• This is not just a „fashionable‟ realignment on the focus on roots
• The new austerity means people have to scale back and „change their ways‟
8
A positive legacy of the boom…
• The age old Irish trait of begrudery appears to be something that is on the wane
• The boom has made us a people who are proud of our people
• We like the idea of Irish people doing well now – the entrepreneur is valued
• As a result we hear people talk about „wanting to support their own‟
• Part of this response may also be reaction to imigration
• The numbers of „new Irish‟ mean some of the „old Irish‟ are becoming defensive
• And in a sense we are becoming protective of our „old Irish ways‟
• Food benefits from this re-focus on the „older Irish ways‟
• The nostalgia for simpler times pre-boom means people say they want simpler food
• And simple food means meat, vegetables and soup...
9
A community with more time on its hands…
• A more tanigble legacy of the post boom era is how people are becoming time-rich
• More people out of work means people simply have more time on their hands
• Some people are putting that spare time to work by growing their own food
• Those who haven‟t ventured in the „grow your own‟ arena are at least more interested
• The economic slowdown means people are slowing down too
• During the boom we all complained about not having enough time
• Now consumers talk about taking more time over food
• Maybe the old cliche about „convenience food‟ being for the time poor was true
• People weren‟t just saying they ate convenience food because they were busy
• The genuinely were busy!
10
So our relationship with food is changing…
Famine, War, Rationing
circa 1845 to 1955
Limited Choice
Vast Choice, Boom
Moderation
Excess
1950s-80s
1990s to 2010
• There is a period from the mid 50s to the mid/late 80s that consumers recall
• Food wasn‟t plentiful but at the same time we never went hungry
• Choice was limited but this may not have been a bad thing
• Today we a desire to get back to these „basics‟ – proper food in moderation
• The price of our boom time excesses is a retrenchment into the era of limited choice
11
LOCAL FOOD - DEFINITION
12
Awareness of local food
Q.1 Which of the following types of food are you aware of?
Base: All
90%
Health Food
Artisan Food
Slow Food
Ethnic Food
24%
17%
59%
Local Food
93%
Frozen Food
95%
Orgainc Food
95%
Local Food now appears to be a category in its own right
13
Definition of Local Food
Q2. Which of the following best describes what you consider
to be Local Food?
Base: All
Other Mentions
Food produced within the Republic of Ireland
Food produced within the province you live in
Food produced within the county you live in
10%
5%
(41%)
(11%)
15%
48%
Food produced or grown by local people
Food from small producers that is not mass produced
(26%)
20%
Total
19%
29%
27%
32%
36%
51%
33%
81%
29%
49%
Note: Figures in red refer to 2007 study – source Lansdowne Market Research
And the ‘definition’ has shifted from a geographically
focused on to a more producer and product-centric one…
14
Our local food map of ireland…
• At a micro level local food differs by county
• Or even by townland
• The names of producers are different
• But the categories are consistent
15
By simply counting the „words‟ people use we
see some common threads…
Powered By:
16
But by stripping out the „generic‟ words…
…we find Local Food is all about local heroes
Powered By:
17
So local food is about more than just place
If you view local food through the lense of geography & literally „where something is
made‟, „big‟ names are part of the mix…
But the reality is, for consumers, local food should be „small players‟ like a farmer,
butcher, baker or neighbour
The key is that food producers are „small players‟. They can be from down the road,
next door or from a neighbouring townland or province.
What makes food local is that it is NOT mass-produced...
18
Examples of local food…
Q.4 On a scale of 1 to 5, which of these foods are a good example of
local food?
Base: All who buy local food
Very good
39%
Good
17%
Neither
21%
Poor
15%
Very Poor
6%
Some consumers do still think of mass-market branded as ‘local’.
We will explore who in more detail…
19
Examples of local food…
Q.4 On a scale of 1 to 5, which of these foods are a good example of
local food?
Base: All who buy local food
Very good
Good
Neither
15%
39%
17%
Poor
21%
Very Poor
6%
But ‘smaller’ brands are likely to feel more local…
20
Examples of local food…
Q.4 On a scale of 1 to 5, which of these foods are a good example of
local food?
Base: All who buy local food
Very good
15%
Good
39%
Neither
17%
Poor
21%
Very Poor
6%
Some consider Galtee to be ‘local’
21
Examples of local food…
Q.4 On a scale of 1 to 5, which of these foods are a good example of
local food?
Base: All who buy local food
Very good
38%
Good
48%
Neither
Poor
Very Poor
6%
4%
2%
But strongest agreement exists for ‘handmade’ foods…
22
Examples of local food…
Q.4 On a scale of 1 to 5, which of these foods are a good example of
local food?
Base: All who buy local food
Very good
41%
Good
46%
Neither
Poor
Very Poor
7%
3%
And for ‘farmers market produce’…
23
Examples of local food…
Q.4 On a scale of 1 to 5, which of these foods are a good example of
local food?
Base: All who buy local food
Very good
46%
Good
45%
Neither
Poor
Very Poor
5%
1%
And things like ‘fresh’ eggs…
24
It‟s about people…
•The people who produce the food, their expertise and their commitment
•Consumers enjoy the social interaction between themselves and those people
•They can best experience this at a farmers market
•But also in local shops and direct from the farm gate, people like to talk to other people
25
It‟s about small scale and „homemade‟…
• Local food shouldn‟t feel mass produced, in fact ideally it is „small scale‟
• This is an important element of the definition for consumers
• If one defines local as „down the road‟, then potentially mass producers are included
• But consumers know this category is about more than just proximity – true local = small
26
It‟s about DIY & getting your hands dirty…
• Local food isn‟t perfect, real local food celebrates the imperfections
• Central to this is the idea of the DIY ethic and local food
• Consumers talk about their friends who are now „growing their own‟; this is a real trend
27
It‟s about educating your children…
• Schools are playing an important role in the drive to „buy local‟
• Parents are now beginning to be influenced by kids interested in growing food
• Many parents lament their childrens‟ distance from the land and sources of food
• Children, their parents and schools will be a key driver of interest in this category
28
It‟s about bargaining & saving money…
• Local vegetables, in particular, should be about cutting out the middle-man
• Consumers who buy veg straight from the farm gate/shop are seeking value
• Markets allow some bartering and sellers often „throw in‟ the extra few bits of produce..
29
It‟s about treating yourself well…
• Some foods require expertise and skill that not all of us have
• Buy a small producers‟ jam or bread is often about buy an „art‟
• The idea of secret recipes (or unique recipes) is central to this category
• Often this is local food as a treat...(or local food to treat the body well – organic)
30
SO WHAT MOTIVATES US TO BUY LOCAL?
31
Image of Local Food
Q6. Which of the following statements do you agree/disagree
are why you buy local food?
Base: All who buy local food
Disagree
I buy local food because it is kinder
to the environment as it has
travelled less to get to the shop
1 9
I buy local food because I want the
most natural kind of food I can get
8
Local food tends to taste better
Local food brands are what I grew
upon, I try to keep those traditions
alive
Food from local names are just
better than brand names from
further afield
Agree
Neither
1
1 8
1 9
16
12
4
13
15
15
46
51
50
49
51
Net Agree Mean
26
27
29
25
22
Note: Figures in red refer to 2007 study – source Lansdowne Market Research
72%
3.87
78%
3.90
78%
3.99
76%
4
79%
3.87
76%
3.80
74%
3.90
71%
3.99
73%
3.87
61%
3.99
In image terms ‘naturalness’ and food that is just ‘better’ have increased
32
their strength of association with the category.
Image of Local Food
Q6. Which of the following statements do you agree/disagree
are why you buy local food?
Disagree
Base: All who buy local food
Agree
Neither
Net Agree Mean
I prefer to shop in a supermarket that I
know will stock local food
1 7
18
46
26
I prefer to buy food from local
producers rather than the large mass
producers
1 7
17
48
26
I buy local food because I want to
support the local economy
I buy local food because I know the
producer myself and trust them
6
4
14
13
19
50
40
29
21
72%
3.92
86%
4.12
74%
3.90
89%
4.17
79%
93%
4.03
4.20
61%
65%
3.61
3.60
Note: Figures in red refer to 2007 study – source Lansdowne Market Research
Something has happened attitudes to the retailer and, ironically, there is
33
less strength of association with ‘supporting the local economy’.
Motivations have shifted…
From
To
2007
2010
Farmers Markets
Local shops
Image
Quality
Lifestyle
Value
Status
Family
• We have begun to see the concept of „keeping things local‟ move more mainstream
• Boom time local food was a status symbol
• Now austerity and consumer pragmatism has shifted mainstream shopper motivations
• Back to basics means coming „back to what you know‟ and who you know..
34
Some purchase triggers have shifted too…
From
To
2007
2010
Premium Treats
Quality/Value
Freshness
Freshness
Preservative free
Preservative free
Handmade/Homemade
Handmade/Homemade
Not mass produced
Not mass produced
Healthy living
Basic living
Organic
Organic
Local people
Local people
Imperfect
Imperfect
Less Packaging
Less expensive packaging
Cosmopolitan Tastes
Irish tastes
Provenance/Heritage
Peoples‟ produce
35
The „new‟ triggers are very important…
• Quality/Value, basic living and less expensive packaging are important
• But the retrenchment to Irish tastes means peoples‟ produce is most important
• Supporting „your own‟ is genuinely now a purchase trigger
• And the best way to do this is to buy from people you know – or know about
• There is a huge element of „trust‟ in this type of purchase behaviour too
• Consumers are using local food producers to regain some of the trust they‟ve lost
• In many case trust has been lost in „big brands‟ that pretend to be Irish...
36
And the barriers to purchase of local food…
2010
• Price
• Availability/Access
• Ease of „finding‟ local food
• Lack of „trust‟
TRANSPARENCY
& AUTHENTICITY
• Big brand „tricks‟
• Simply finding local food (at the right price) can be difficult
• So lack of information can be a barrier to uptake of local food produce
• But more fundamental is the „behaviour‟ of big brands that „pretend‟ to be Irish
• Consumers complain about the confusing nature of „made‟ v „packed‟ in Ireland
• Local food, via less „packaing‟, cues to being genuninely Irish
• But any „big brand‟ behaviour could damage this image...
37
LOCAL FOOD AND THE RETAILER
38
Local Food Retailers
Q6. Where do you tend to buy local food?
Base: All who buy local food
Farm Shops
12% (5%)
Farmer's Markets
35% (29%)
Fine Food Shops
2% (1%)
Home Deliver/Box Scheme
3%
(-)
18% (23%)
Large Supermarket Chains
Local Supermarkets
35% (38%)
Other
Internet Shops
4% (5%)
0
Note: Figures in red refer to 2007 study – source Lansdowne Market Research
There is a shift from ‘supermarkets’ as a source of Local Food to Farm
Shops and Farmers markets.
39
Image of Local Food Retailers
Q8. Thinking about where local food is for sale, please indicate
if you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
Base: All who buy local food
Disagree
Supermarkets are supporting local
producers nowadays
Supermarkets have a great range of
local food on-sale nowadays
Local Food is easy to find in shops and
supermarkets nowadays
2
3
15
25
2
21
Agree
Neither
13
16
15
Net Agree Mean
50
41
48
14
11
11
58%
3.45
52%
3.33
64%
3.61
Supermarkets are not achieving particularly high scores with respect to
‘support’ for local producers or ‘range’ of local produce.
40
Image of Local Food Retailers
Q8. Thinking about where local food is for sale, please indicate
if you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
Base: All who buy local food
Disagree
The only way to be sure you are
getting Local Food is to go straight to
the source
You have to go to small local shops to
buy local food, the supermarkets don‟t
stock enough locally produced food
More people are growing their own
food nowadays, it would be great not
to have to buy food from supermarkets
all the time
3
4
18
23
3
12
16
13
Agree
Neither
13
37
37
49
Net Agree Mean
26
63%
3.65
16
52%
3.39
65%
3.68
16
There is a greater emphasis placed on ‘going straight to the source’.
41
Local Food Retailers x Region
Q9. Which of the following retailers do you think of when you
think of local food?
Rest of
Base: All who buy local food
Independent Retailers
38%
Independent Butchers/Bakers
Aldi
53%
4%
Dublin
leinster Munster
Conn/Ul
ster
15%
47%
48%
43%
35%
48%
69%
63%
3%
7%
2%
4%
Lidl
7%
10%
9%
5%
3%
Spar
7%
4%
11%
3%
11%
2%
12%
1%
7%
4%
13%
9%
11%
18%
46%
38%
21%
32%
8%
5%
1%
30%
27%
17%
17%
43%
32%
19%
23%
Londis
Centra
5%
9%
SuperValu
SuperQuinn
Tesco
Dunnes Stores
31%
12%
23%
30%
42
Implications for the retailer
• The rise of the Farmers‟ market and Farm shop has important implications
• “Mainstream” retailers cannot „invent‟ a local food image for their stores
• But they can use some of the cues that consumers value
• Particularly in how local food is displayed in-store:
The challenge for mainstream retailers is to ‘think small’.
43
Displays of local food…
Q.5 Which of these are displays of local food?
Base: All who buy local food
LOCAL FOOD? – 92% Agree
LOCAL FOOD CUES?
• Producers selling the food – 67%
• Unpackaged fresh food – 29%
• Hand written signage – 5%
44
Displays of local food…
Q.5 Which of these are displays of local food?
Base: All who buy local food
LOCAL FOOD? – 95% Agree
LOCAL FOOD CUES?
• Unpackaged fresh food – 45%
• Producers selling the food – 30%
• Hand written signage – 23%
45
Displays of local food…
Q.5 Which of these are displays of local food?
Base: All who buy local food
LOCAL FOOD? – 89% Agree
LOCAL FOOD CUES?
• Unpackaged fresh food – 74%
• Producers selling the food – 13%
• No signage – 6%
46
Displays of local food…
Q.5 Which of these are displays of local food?
Base: All who buy local food
LOCAL FOOD? – 71% Agree
LOCAL FOOD CUES?
• Unpackaged fresh food – 74%
• Producers selling the food – 13%
• No signage – 6%
47
Displays of local food…
Q.5 Which of these are displays of local food?
Base: All who buy local food
LOCAL FOOD? – 51% Agree
LOCAL FOOD CUES?
•No signage – 14%
48
Displays of local food…
Q.5 Which of these are displays of local food?
Base: All who buy local food
LOCAL FOOD? – 41% Agree
LOCAL FOOD CUES?
•All pre-packed - 34%
• Looks mass produced – 11%
49
IMPLICATIONS FOR LOCAL FOOD
50
SuperValu are a retailer that have
recognised the „essence‟ of local food…
• SuperValu‟s slogan is Real Food, Real People
• And their interpreation of Local Food is not a million miles away
• Local food comes from Local people...this is a really motivating territory for consumers
51
Why does the SuperValu approach work?
The 2010 Purchase Barriers
• Price
• Availability/Access
• Ease of „finding‟ local food
• Lack of „trust‟
• Big brand „tricks‟
Overcoming the barriers?
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
• By championing local producers SuperValu helps overcome many of the barriers
• The SuperValu „brand‟ has a halo effect on the price of local food
• Availability and access is made possible by a mainstream supermarket
• In-store signage (with photos of producers) makes local food easier to find
• Trust is generated by making the producer and food source the hero
• And big brand tricks are avoided by building the reputation of these trusted providers...
52
1.Its about Local People, Local Food…
• The category is all about ‘local heroes’ and they need to be
the focus
• Where those people are from is almost irrelevent
• The key point is that local food comes from small scale
production
• Jam made in Cork can be local in Galway...provided that its
not mass produced
• Because the Galway consumer will say it jam that is local to
Cork
53
2. Provide information …
• Consumers are looking for more than just ‘signals’ of
localness, they are genuinely looking for information about
what is available
• And where it is available
• The consumers we spoke to desribed how ‘hard’ it is find out
about local food
• They find this difficult on the internet and via the mainstream
media
• They find local food almost impossible to find in supermarkets
• So people rely on local people and local shops to tell them
about local food
54
3. Use local media
• It may sound obvious but if you want to find local food
you look in local media
• So local newspapers have a key role to play
• As does local radio
• But even more basic than that is community notice
boards
• And local leaflet drops
55
4. Feel a bit „rough around the edges‟…
• Finally, the look and feel of promotion of local food is critical
• Local food should never feel ‘big brand’
• Instead consumers are interested in the DIY aspect of the
category
• Signage needs to be ‘handmade’, chalkboards are a great
example
• Nothing should be ‘fixed’ or ‘mass produced’ – including
stickers/labels
• Local food is almost the punk rock of food – it is a free spirit,
that anyone can try
56
CONSUMER ATTITUDES TO
LOCAL FOOD
Qualitative Research
February 2010