Although their budgets may be tighter, consumers are still prepared to buy organic foods and produce, despite the often-higher price tags.
That’s the finding of a recent Mintel survey showing that most consumers of organic and natural foods and beverages haven’t switched their buying habits in the past year. Almost 40 per cent say they’ve made no change in their purchasing patterns because of the recession, while only three per cent have stopped buying organic altogether.
Meanwhile, heavy users of organic food and beverages have simply switched to less-expensive organic and natural choices. Mintel notes that this may mean an increase in purchasing once fears over the recession have subsided.
Although there was a 0.3-per-cent decline in grocery sales of natural and organic products in 2008, Mintel, together with natural products industry expert SPINS, expects the sector to grow gradually throughout the next year, although not at pre-recession rates.
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