The most frequent health-focused, on-package claims for new products in the food and beverage industry last year was “kosher,” appearing on 27 percent of new products, more than twice as often as the second most popular claim, “all-natural,” according to Mintel Global New Products Database. In addition, the next three most frequent claims were “no additives-preservatives,” “low-or no-reduced-allergen,” and “gluten-free.”
In a related food market survey report, more than one-in-three fathers (35 percent) said they are having more influence on grocery store purchases over the last few years. More than one-half of fathers (52 percent) say they are the primary grocery shopper in the household, according to the “2012 Cone Communications Year of the Dad Trend Tracker” report. Also, the fathers who are primarily responsible for grocery shopping are more than twice as likely as mothers to receive significant input from other members in their household (34 percent vs. 12 percent).
Before heading to the supermarket, fathers said they:
- Create a detailed shopping list – 63 percent compared with 65 percent of mothers
- Collect coupons or read circulars – 56 percent compared with 62 percent of mothers
- Plan meals for the week ahead of time – 52 percent compared with 46 percent of mothers
- Perform background research on grocery products – 24 percent compared with 11 percent of mothers
When asked about their typical grocery shopping experience, nearly one-third of fathers (32 percent) say they get in and out as fast as possible buying only what they came for, compared to just 21 percent of mothers. Fathers are also less likely than mothers (26 percent vs. 30 percent) to say they get distracted by large in-store displays. Thirty-eight percent of fathers say they walk up and down each aisle to look at all their options or comparison shop. And while nearly one-in-five fathers (19 percent) say they can finish their shopping in fewer than 30 minutes, the majority (58 percent) spend up to an hour in the store.
Fathers’ top three channels for gathering product and other grocery related information are: in-store promotions (57 percent), advertising (50 percent), and traditional media like newspapers, magazines, and television (40 percent). Traditional channels such as these even outrank word of mouth from friends and family (38 percent). More than two-in-five fathers (44 percent) seek out online sources– on line media (18 percent), product websites (15 percent), social networks (11 percent)– for information.
When making purchasing decisions on the spot, in-store coupons play an important role in tipping the scales in favor of one product versus another. After price and quality, fathers say the number one purchase influence is a coupon (37 percent), stronger even than product benefits (20 percent) or brand name (14 percent). Mothers are no different when it comes to purchase influences and information sources. They too are heavily swayed by coupons (44 percent) and are especially attuned to in-store promotions (69 percent), and traditional media (49 percent), the report said.
