The purpose was to make use of these insights to outline key alternatives for dairy producers and retailers to drive development.
The analysis was carried out along side Kubi Kalloo and included a quantitative survey of greater than 2,000 buyers in addition to interviews with consultants and Bord Bia stakeholders.
The research recognized the primary drivers and roadblocks affecting buying choices throughout totally 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, buyers have been requested to rank statements associated to meals high quality, affordability, enjoyment, well being, environmental and social duty to find out the elements that affect buying choices.
Right here, statements linked to well being and wellbeing (e.g. ‘It is vital that children discover pleasure within the meals and drinks they devour so they do not develop meals anxieties’) and affordability (‘I usually purchase groceries which provide the very best worth/ are most inexpensive’) obtained the best degree of settlement from respondents.
Statements about constructive sensory experiences (‘Meals and beverage enjoyment is extra necessary to me than worrying about components or energy’, 53%) and environmental sustainability have been subsequent by way of significance, whereas statements concerning meals high quality claims and dietary advantages (‘I like to purchase the very best high quality merchandise on supply, even when they price much more’, 30%; ‘The dietary advantages of food and drinks I purchase is one thing I actively analysis and examine’, 35%) got here lowest within the rating.
“These way of life attitudes have been measured at a complete food and drinks degree and elements round affordability/worth unsurprisingly got here out excessive given the present surroundings, while style all the time ranks extremely,” Estelle Alley, UK Dairy Class Supervisor at Bord Bia, informed us.
“We now have seen sustainability decrease down on client’s priorities of late, however anticipate this to come back firmly again on the agenda long term.”
“Relating to dairy, we see that claims centred round animal welfare, sustainability and high quality associated all featured within the prime tier for customers, reinforcing their significance for dairy buyers,” Alley added.
Customers from totally different demographics additionally had totally different priorities dictating their meals decisions, the analysis revealed. For these aged 16 to 44, managing meals anxieties was the one most necessary 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 direction of supporting political and social values by means of product and model decisions, and this was additionally an necessary motivation for 25 to 44 year-olds, albeit no more so than affordability.
Indicators of fixing perceptions
“The overwhelming majority of UK buyers 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 customers agreed with statements that dairy is a key a part of a wholesome and balanced food plan (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 constructive sentiment outweigh the unfavorable. While low ranges of anti-dairy sentiment exist amongst customers, one space of concern was to do with the perceived lack of innovation in dairy and merchandise being ‘usually boring’ in keeping with these polled. Different ‘anti-dairy’ sentiments included the notion of dairy farmers being liable for the local weather disaster; the rising significance of plant-based options to some customers, and the notion that dairy merchandise are usually not very important in an grownup food plan.
Constructive sentiments – which have been linked with dairy’s familiarity, style and origin (e.g. grass-fed dairy tasting higher and customers preferring to purchase merchandise that come from household farms) – dominated and have been extra prevalent amongst older demographics.
The researchers then recognized six numerous client varieties – people who worth dairy however face totally different dietary, social and budgetary challenges (4 separate teams, comprising 69% of all respondents), and people extra more likely to search new classes and experiences, i.e. ‘Gen Now’ (11%) and ‘Prosperous Metropolis Dwelling’ (7%).
“The Gen Now cohort of customers usually tend to be embracing flexitarian diets, experimenting with dairy options and in search of extra pleasure inside the class,” Alley informed us.
“On the similar time, they’re nonetheless frequent consumers from most dairy sub-categories and see the pure advantages of conventional dairy. We additionally see important 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 normal/pure to the extra thrilling/progressive.”
In want of schooling
The analysis additionally recognized client data gaps, significantly across the significance of the intestine microbiome and farming practices reminiscent of micro-farming and regenerative agriculture, highlighting the necessity for extra schooling 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 development in client curiosity round areas reminiscent of 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 grasp and join with. Nonetheless, we see important alternative to maneuver between the 4 future worlds which we recognized and communicate to a variety of advantages and claims.”
Alternatives for innovation in dairy, but in addition 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 keeping with the analysis – lower than 1% of the customers polled stated they solely purchased plant-based options, highlighting the useful 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 development, whereas continental, camembert and goats’ cheese are stagnating. The overwhelming majority of customers (98%) in the meantime see cheese as a post-dinner/late night snack, which presents a possibility for entrepreneurs to ‘push cheese into the every-day with out breaching the barrier of indulgence’, the report says.
Not like cheese, yogurt is the class least outlined by event, with 1 in 5 customers stating there was no definitive events to get pleasure from 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 possibility for plant-based options too, as 30% of these polled acknowledged that plant-based options ‘have gotten more and more necessary’ of their lives.
Relating to branded merchandise, butter remains to be essentially the most brand-focused class, with 1 in 4 respondents stating they largely purchase branded. Whereas in milk, simply 12% of buyers select branded milk. The problem for milk producers is to leverage their product’s well being and sensory ‘goodness’ in a world that’s in search of pleasure and integrity, in keeping 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 constructive momentum, in contrast to buttermilk, single cream and milkshakes.
