Harris Poll: Appearance Matters to Produce Shoppers

According to a recent Harris Poll, about eight in ten Americans (81 percent) confirm that appearance (i.e., not blemished or misshapen in any way) is at least somewhat important to them when shopping for fresh produce (i.e., fruits and vegetables), with 43 percent saying it is very or extremely important. 

When listed alongside other fresh produce descriptors, appearance proved to be more important than provenance (i.e., locally grown or sourced), the retailer’s food waste practices and organic. However, the price and seasonality are more likely to be important to a purchaser than appearance.

“Whether ‘ugly’ or not, produce is on the rise, up five percent in U.S. dollar sales in the latest 52 weeks ending July 30, 2016,” says Jen Campuzano, director fresh perishables at Nielsen. “Choosing healthier and more natural products has become a priority for households across the country. For some, this means transparency in labeling, opting for foods with basic ingredient lists or embracing fruits and vegetables, blemishes and all.”

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,025 U.S. adults aged 18-plus and surveyed online between Aug. 10-12. 

Despite the weight Americans place on appearance, more than three in five adults (62 percent) say they would be at least somewhat comfortable eating “ugly produce,” that is, fruit or vegetables that may be misshapen but otherwise taste the same. Moreover, three quarters of adults (76 percent) would expect to pay less for “ugly produce,” while a fifth (20 percent) could see paying the same as usual.

Despite professed comfort with eating ugly produce, fewer than three in ten Americans (28 percent) recall buying “ugly produce” in the past year, compared to 51 percent who are sure they did not and 21 percent who are not sure either way. Of those who bought “ugly produce,” six in ten (61 percent) did so for the price discount.

While the primary reason Americans bought “ugly produce” was price, the runner up answer from more than a fifth (22 percent) of purchasers was that they wanted to reduce food waste. Americans estimate that, typically, 10 percent of the groceries they buy are wasted, that is, spoil or go bad before they can be eaten. Over eight in ten Americans (84 percent) are at least somewhat concerned about the issue of food waste, primarily because they would like to be less wasteful (62 percent).

Nearly half (46 percent) of adults believe better storage for fresh produce is the key to waste reduction, followed closely by more than two-infive (42 percent) who advocate buying less food, more frequently. Another 38 percent believe the solution is better meal planning, while 35 percent say it would help if smaller package sizes were available in the grocery store.