More than seven in ten shoppers want to find out more about the grocery products they buy than they are currently able to get with traditional on-package labels, according to a new national survey. Those shoppers want to go beyond the ingredients listed on the label to get information on what the ingredients do and why they are in the product.Survey findings include:
- 8 in 10 shoppers are more likely to purchase a product if they could easily understand the ingredient list
- 3 our of 4 shoppers would change their grocery buying habits if they had more information on a product such as the environmental impact and safety, usage information.
- 59 percent of shoppers say it is important to have detailed information regarding allergens
- Nearly two thirds of shoppers are interested in learning about ethical or sustainable sourcing regarding the products they buy, such as whether or not there are drinking fair-trade coffee or eating free-range eggs
- Nearly 6 in 10 are interested in the environmental practices underlying product manufacturing, such as whether a product was produced entirely with solor or wind power
- 3 in 5 shoppers are using their smartphones for grocery shopping more in the past two years
- 56 percent of shoppers would use an app to learn more about the ingredients in an item they were considering buying.
According to manufacturers and retailers, these survey findings underscore the important of a new digital tool, known as Smart Label®. Smart Label allows consumers to get easy access to detailed information about the products they use and consume, providing more product information that could fit on a traditional package label.
With SmartLabel so widely available, manufacturers and retailers are launching an education campaign over the next several months to help consumers understand that detailed product information is right at their fingertips.
“SmartLabel participation has increased significantly from 4,000 products in early 2017 to nearly 28,000 food, beverage, personal care and household products today,” said Jim Flannery, senior executive vice president of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “More products are using SmartLabel every week and this is why manufacturers and retailers are kicking off a campaign to make sure consumers know about SmartLabel and how it helps them get the additional information they want about the products they use and consumer.
“This education campaign aims to show consumers how they can use QR codes and other digital disclosure methods to seek a closer connection to the foods they eat,” said Mark Baum, chief collaboration officer and senior vice president for industry relations at the Food Marketing Institute.
For more information, visit www.SmartLabel.org.
