The intention was to make use of these insights to outline key alternatives for dairy producers and retailers to drive progress.
The analysis was performed along with Kubi Kalloo and included a quantitative survey of greater than 2,000 consumers in addition to interviews with consultants and Bord Bia stakeholders.
The research recognized the principle drivers and roadblocks affecting buying selections throughout completely different client demographics and highlighted alternatives throughout the core classes of milk, butter, yogurt and cheese, amongst different insights.
Affordability stays a serious concern
Within the quantitative survey a part of the analysis, consumers had been requested to rank statements associated to meals high quality, affordability, enjoyment, well being, environmental and social duty to find out the components that affect buying selections.
Right here, statements linked to well being and wellbeing (e.g. ‘It can be crucial that youngsters discover pleasure within the meals and drinks they devour so they do not develop meals anxieties’) and affordability (‘I typically purchase groceries which provide the perfect value/ are most reasonably priced’) acquired the best degree of settlement from respondents.
Statements about optimistic sensory experiences (‘Meals and beverage enjoyment is extra vital to me than worrying about components or energy’, 53%) and environmental sustainability had been subsequent when it comes to significance, whereas statements concerning meals high quality claims and dietary advantages (‘I like to purchase the very best high quality merchandise on provide, even when they price much more’, 30%; ‘The dietary advantages of foods and drinks I purchase is one thing I actively analysis and examine’, 35%) got here lowest within the rating.
“These way of life attitudes had been measured at a complete foods and drinks degree and components round affordability/value unsurprisingly got here out excessive given the present setting, while style at all times ranks extremely,” Estelle Alley, UK Dairy Class Supervisor at Bord Bia, instructed us.
“We have now seen sustainability decrease down on client’s priorities of late, however count on this to come back firmly again on the agenda long run.”
“In the case of dairy, we see that claims centred round animal welfare, sustainability and high quality associated all featured within the high tier for shoppers, reinforcing their significance for dairy consumers,” Alley added.
Customers from completely different demographics additionally had completely different priorities dictating their meals decisions, the analysis revealed. For these aged 16 to 44, managing meals anxieties was the only most vital issue, whereas ‘affordability’ and ‘meals security’ was what mattered most to 45-64 year-olds and people aged 65 and over, respectively.
The youngest cohort (16-24yo) had the strongest attitudes in the direction of supporting political and social values by product and model decisions, and this was additionally an vital motivation for 25 to 44 year-olds, albeit no more so than affordability.
Indicators of fixing perceptions
“The overwhelming majority of UK consumers stay robust advocates of dairy,” the researchers reported. “They see it as an entrenched, welcome and rising a part of their on a regular basis life.”
Most shoppers agreed with statements that dairy is a key a part of a wholesome and balanced eating regimen (76%) and that it’s a scrumptious a part of on a regular basis life (75%) – however there have been additionally indicators that this ‘notion of goodness’ might be altering.
Within the research optimistic sentiment outweigh the unfavourable. While low ranges of anti-dairy sentiment exist amongst shoppers, one space of concern was to do with the perceived lack of innovation in dairy and merchandise being ‘typically boring’ in accordance with these polled. Different ‘anti-dairy’ sentiments included the notion of dairy farmers being chargeable for the local weather disaster; the rising significance of plant-based options to some shoppers, and the notion that dairy merchandise are usually not very important in an grownup eating regimen.
Optimistic sentiments – which had been linked with dairy’s familiarity, style and origin (e.g. grass-fed dairy tasting higher and shoppers preferring to purchase merchandise that come from household farms) – dominated and had been extra prevalent amongst older demographics.
The researchers then recognized six numerous client varieties – people who worth dairy however face completely different dietary, social and budgetary challenges (4 separate teams, comprising 69% of all respondents), and people extra prone to search new classes and experiences, i.e. ‘Gen Now’ (11%) and ‘Prosperous Metropolis Dwelling’ (7%).
“The Gen Now cohort of shoppers usually tend to be embracing flexitarian diets, experimenting with dairy options and on the lookout for extra pleasure inside the class,” Alley instructed us.
“On the identical time, they’re nonetheless frequent consumers from most dairy sub-categories and see the pure advantages of conventional dairy. We additionally see vital curiosity amongst this cohort inside every of the 4 future worlds of dairy the analysis recognized, indicating alternative throughout many areas dairy can function inside, from the standard/pure to the extra thrilling/progressive.”
In want of training
The analysis additionally recognized client data gaps, notably across the significance of the intestine microbiome and farming practices corresponding to micro-farming and regenerative agriculture, highlighting the necessity for extra training in some extra technical fields the place formal definitions (within the case of regenerative ag) are usually not but out there.
“While now we have seen progress in client curiosity round areas corresponding to regenerative practices, the intestine biome, and micro farming, there may be nonetheless low degree of understanding on these matters,” Alley defined.
“Claims centred round animal welfare, sustainability and nature are simpler to know and join with. Nonetheless, we see vital alternative to maneuver between the 4 future worlds which we recognized and converse to a variety of advantages and claims.”
Alternatives for innovation in dairy, but additionally in options
Breaking client perceptions down throughout the 4 classes of milk, cheese, butter and yogurt, the researchers highlights alternatives for each dairy producers and people within the enterprise of dairy options.
In cheese – a product related to pleasure and indulgence in accordance with the analysis – lower than 1% of the shoppers polled mentioned they completely purchased plant-based options, highlighting the purposeful and sensory gaps in plant-based cheese. Turning to sub-categories, claimed product buy behaviors reveal that grated cheese, alongside low-fat or low-calorie cheese and block parmesan are experiencing progress, whereas continental, camembert and goats’ cheese are stagnating. The overwhelming majority of shoppers (98%) in the meantime see cheese as a post-dinner/late night snack, which presents a chance for entrepreneurs to ‘push cheese into the every-day with out breaching the barrier of indulgence’, the report says.
In contrast to cheese, yogurt is the class least outlined by event, with 1 in 5 shoppers stating there was no definitive events to take pleasure in it. Right here, Greek; low-sugar, and flavored youngsters’ yogurt are all experiencing a resurgence, whereas fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt, cereal yogurt pots and natural yogurt are on the reverse finish of the spectrum. There’s a chance for plant-based options too, as 30% of these polled said that plant-based options ‘have gotten more and more vital’ of their lives.
In the case of branded merchandise, butter continues to be probably the most brand-focused class, with 1 in 4 respondents stating they largely purchase branded. Whereas in milk, simply 12% of consumers select branded milk. The problem for milk producers is to leverage their product’s well being and sensory ‘goodness’ in a world that’s on the lookout for pleasure and integrity, in accordance with the analysis.
When it comes to product classes, plant-based creamers, lactose-free milk and contemporary semi-skimmed milk are having fun with a optimistic momentum, not like buttermilk, single cream and milkshakes.
