Consumer Trends
Consumer trends, insights and preferences
Consumer Trends
Customers confused about sustainability claims
Shoppers are continuing to buy products that are sustainable and eco-conscious, but few are familiar with the meanings of the terms on the packaging. Though words like “recycled” or “eco-friendly” are common to consumers, newer terms like “fair trade” or “wind powered” are more difficult for them to define.
Consumer Trends
“Grown in the USA” a good selling point
When 1,013 Americans were asked by The Shelton Group, an advertising and researching firm, “Which is the best description to read on a food label?” 25% said “100 percent natural” and another 24% selected “USDA Certified Organic” or “100% organic.” Encouragingly, 17%, the next greatest voting category, selected “Grown in the USA.”
The government's new dietary guidelines are graphically illustrated in the MyPlate icon—a round plate divided into four quadrants, representing fruits, vegetables, protein and grains. The nutritionally-balanced quadrants guide eaters toward a healthy daily diet. But according to the NPD Group's National Eating Trends research, most Americans don't meet the guidelines.
Scarborough Research revealed that 74% of health-conscious consumers (defined by adults who belong to a gym and buy local or organic food) caved into temptation and visited a fast food restaurant in the 30 days prior to their survey. And although these respondents went for the quick fix, the results of the survey showed some interesting results.
C-store operators have a valuable demographic to target, according to “Making the Grade: Student Consumer Impact on the Retail Fuels and Convenience Marketplace,” by the NPD Group. The report, which collected 12 months of data ending in June 2012, found that the 19 million college student population accounts for billions of dollars spent each year on C-store products.