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First printed in Checkout Magazine
Oliver is fruit and veg king
In the quest to persuade consumers to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables it seems one person is more likely than the Government or campaigning groups to get people to ditch a packet of crisps for an apple Jamie Oliver.
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| Oliver: fuelling fresh sales (photo: jamieoliver.com) |
According to a new industry survey, conducted by Grant Thornton and the Re:Fresh partnership, which comprises the Fresh Produce Consortium, Fresh Produce Journal and Checkouts publishing company, Nexus Media Communications, the Jamie Oliver effect had more impact on consumption of fresh produce in the last 12 months than any other factor.
The celebrity chefs campaigning to improve the nutritional content in school dinners was recognised as a key driver behind rising consumption figures.
The Jamie Oliver effect, greater focus on healthy living and the continuation of government campaigns such as 5 a day are all factors fuelling fresh produce consumption, said Duncan Swift, head of Grant Thorntons Food & Agribusiness team.
Swift said the majority of consumers wanted ready-washed, peeled, cut and vacuum packed produce rather than whole products.Citing the above factors, 60% of respondents forecast higher volumes of fresh produce to be sold over the next 12 months. Another 26% predicted a similar amount would be sold.
Thornton said opportunities for the fresh produce industry at the moment were enormous, as sales of fresh fruit and vegetables reached £8.5bn in 2005, up 12% on 2000.
However, on a cautionary note, the industry needs to do more to drive sales and stop relying on either the government or celebrities to drum up business for it.
Despite the huge advertising budgets of its confectionery competitors, the industry needs to engage more in influencing a consumer-driven industry and make long-term investments in order to capitalise on prepared and semi-prepared opportunities, he added.
The report found supermarkets were expected to be the biggest winners in sales volume growth in the next five years with supermarket policy the most likely factor to affect the industrys future.
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Trends in retailing: health
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