Sales of natural/organic products continue to climb, especially with Gen Z and Millennial shoppers. These consumers also tend to be more affluent, placing a higher emphasis on leading a healthy life, being ecofriendly and concerned for animal welfare and trying new products.
Those findings were part of a new Acosta Group Shopper Insights study which looked at the state of the natural/organic shopper, providing brands and retailers with information to drive growth of such products in-store and online.
“When we ask natural and organic shoppers of all ages the most important influence in their product choices, the top response is their focus on being healthier, including the avoidance of chemicals, pesticides and processed foods,” said Kathy Risch, SVP, Consumer Insights and Trends at the Acosta Group. “These shoppers place nearly equal importance on ingredients as they do on price, while conventional shoppers place more importance on price alone.”
However, the study also found that when natural/organic shoppers are asked to explain the difference between natural and organic, many find it challenging, often responding that the two are “similar” or that they are “unsure.”
“This creates an exciting opportunity for brands and retailers to further educate both natural/organic and conventional shoppers,” said Risch.
Acosta Group’s Natural and Organic online survey was conducted with 816 primary household shoppers, ages 18-76, from Acosta’s proprietary Shopper Community.
Click here for more findings from the survey.