Attitudes to Ethical Food and Drink - Ireland

Published by: Mintel International Group Ltd.

Published: Apr. 1, 2009 - 89 Pages

Table of Contents

ISSUES IN THE MARKET

Key themes of the report

Definition

Organic

Fair trade

Farmers’ markets

Farmers and growers in RoI

Geographical definitions

Abbreviations

MARKET IN BRIEF

Today’s ethical consumer

Growth in Ireland’s organic sector

Tapping into the fair trade cause

Retailers’ commitment to fair trade helps sustain growth

Farmers’ markets continue to gain ground

Continual product innovation helping market to evolve

INTERNAL MARKET ENVIRONMENT

Key points

Acting on routine

An ethical future?

Media focus on ethical issues boosts awareness

Figure 1: Consumer awareness of food labels, RoI, 2008

Under the spotlight

Examples of ethical food and drink promotions in the media spotlight

End result of high media coverage on ethical issues in the UK

Examples of ethical food and drink promotions endorsed by government associations

Provenance takes centre stage

Improving the competitiveness of local cuisine

Ireland’s pork scare ordeal

Food contamination scare spreads from pork to beef

Remaining optimistic despite food scare

The organic sector - an overview

Organic availability - is it still a hindrance?

Organic activity on the rise

Does the future look bright for organic produce?

Boosting demand for organic

The free-range market - an overview

Free range products benefit from shrinking channels to market

Has fair trade lost its appeal?

Supporting fair trade’s growth

Challenging times ahead for fair trade?

Not just for the green welly brigade - farmers markets and box schemes

Consumer rationale behind popularity of farmers’ markets

Caring for the environment

Figure 2: Number of environmentally friendly products launched, food and drink (including alcohol), 2005-08. 20

BROADER MARKET ENVIRONMENT

Key points

The global economic meltdown

Weathering the economic storm in Ireland

Figure 3: Economic outlook for NI and RoI, 2008-10

Every cloud has a silver lining

Reluctance to spend

Going north to avail of cheaper goods

Impact of the ‘euro factor’

Older consumer base by 2020

Figure 4: Population estimate and projection, by age, RoI and NI, 2000 and 2020

MARKET VALUE AND FORECAST

Key points

Higher demand for organic produce in RoI

Figure 5: Estimated value and forecast of the organic market, IoI, NI & RoI, 2003-13

Increase in price consciousness by consumers adds stress for organic suppliers

Tough times ahead for organic sector

Growing popularity of fair trade

Healthy growth experienced in fair trade market

Figure 6: Fair trade retail sales market value and forecast, RoI and UK, 2003-13

Retailers expand their fair trade stock

Is the future bright for fair trade?

Driving Ireland’s fair trade growth forward

Cutting out the middle man

Weekends are big business for farmers’ markets

Recession proof?

COMPANIES AND BRANDS

Key points

SUPERMARKETS

Aldi (RoI only)

Figure 7: Aldi’s local strategy

Figure 8: Aldi’s ethical strategies, 2008

Asda

Figure 9: Ethical products sold at Asda, 2009

Figure 10: Asda’s ethical commitments and policies, 2009

Marks & Spencer

Figure 11: Ethical items sold in M&S outlets

Figure 12: M&S ethical targets and update, 2009

Sainsbury’s

Figure 13: Ethical items sold in Sainsbury’s outlets

Figure 14: Sainsbury’s’ ethical strategy, 2009

Tesco

Figure 15: Ethical products sold at Tesco, 2009

Figure 16: Tesco’s ethical strategies and committeemen’s, 2009

ETHICAL SUPPLIERS

Dale Farm

Figure 17: Dale farm’s product portfolio, 2009

Figure 18: Dale Farm’s ethical strategies and developments, 2009

Glenisk

Figure 19: Glenisk product portfolio, 2009

Mash Direct

CONSUMERS’ ETHICAL SHOPPING BEHAVIOUR

Key points

Majority of Irish consumers shop at Tesco

Does age and social grade matter when shopping?

Expanding channels to market

Supplying hard discounters

Buy local and help overcome economic downturn

Value for money overshadows ethical priorities

Figure 20: Most important factors when grocery shopping, RoI and NI, January 2009

Regional differences

Who buys ethical produce?

Figure 21: Most important factors when shopping for food and drink, according to above average results and

demographics, NI, January 2009

Figure 22: Most important factors when shopping for food and drink, according to above average results and

demographics, RoI, January 2009

Where do consumers pick up their ethical alternatives?

Figure 23: Consumers’ choice of retailers, by ethical preferences, RoI, January 2009

Figure 24: Consumers choice of retailers, by ethical preferences, NI, January 2009

Figure 25: Percentage of consumers who regularly shop at the local greengrocer, butcher, fishmonger or

bakery to avail of ethical alternatives, RoI and NI, January 2009

APPENDIX

Internal market environment

Figure 26: Number of environmentally friendly products launched, food and drink (including alcohol), UK and

RoI, January 2005 to January 2009

Who’s innovating

Figure 27: Number of ethical new product launches, by top ten claims, food and drink (including alcohol),

UK and RoI, January 2003 to March 2009

M&S Plan A

TGI

Figure 28: Consumer agreement with range of ethical statements, by gender, RoI and NI, 2008

Figure 29: Consumer agreement with range of ethical statements, by age, RoI and NI, 2008

Figure 30: Consumer agreement with ‘I buy goods produced by my own country whenever I can’, by

demographic breakdown, NI and RoI, 2008

Figure 31: Consumer agreement with ‘I buy free range products whenever I can’, by demographic

breakdown, NI and RoI, 2008

Figure 32: Consumer agreement with ‘ It's worth paying more for organic food’, by demographic breakdown,

NI and RoI, 2008

Figure 33: Consumer agreement with ‘ I buy fair trade products when available’, by demographic

breakdown, NI and RoI, 2008

Figure 34: Consumer agreement with ‘ I pay attention to where the products I purchase are made/grown’, by

demographic breakdown, NI and RoI, 2008

Figure 35: Consumer agreement with ‘There is too much concern with the environment’, by demographic

breakdown, NI and RoI, 2008

Figure 36: Consumer agreement with ‘I would be prepared to pay more for environmentally friendly

products’, by demographic breakdown, NI and RoI, 2008

Consumer typologies

NI cluster tables

Figure 37: Consumer typologies based on which retailer consumers chose to regularly shop at, and most

important factors when grocery shopping, NI, 2009

Figure 38: Consumer typologies based on which retailer consumers chose to regularly shop at, and most

important factors when grocery shopping, by demographics, NI, 2009

RoI clusters tables

Figure 39: Consumer typologies based on which retailer consumers chose to regularly shop at, and most

important factors when grocery shopping, by demographics, RoI, 2009

Figure 40: Consumer typologies based on which retailer consumers chose to regularly shop at, and most

important factors when grocery shopping, by statements, RoI, 2009

APPENDIX: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Abstract

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