Quality, Display Top Drivers of Produce Purchases

With health and wellness trends on the rise, retailers are experimenting with a number of tactics to tap into this growing consumer segment and draw shoppers to the produce department. But some strategies work better than others.

According to a new survey from Category Partners, good quality, promotions and low prices, enticing displays and targeted assortments are the top factors driving produce purchases. Meanwhile, retailers’ apps featuring sales and usage information, and signage describing an item’s flavor profile, usage or recipe ideas fall short in drawing shoppers’ attention.

The survey, which is the latest in Category Partners’ Consumer Perspectives series, polled 1,000 U.S. consumers of various demographics, including geography, age, race, gender and household income. As such, results varied by demographics but found that age and generation brackets were the most all-encompassing in terms of what in-store variables elicit a positive impact on shoppers selecting produce.

Results by age include:

Related:Breaking Down the Barriers to Produce Purchases

"Across all regions and most demographic groups, consumers noted good quality and low price as ways retailers encourage them to buy produce, but there are interesting differences among the age groups,” Cara Ammon, director of research for Category Partners, said in a statement. “Shoppers ages 55 and older more often noticed quality produce, attractive displays, low prices and a good selection of products, while shoppers ages 44 and younger more often noticed sampling events, store apps and informative signage.”

Ammon also underscored the value behind retailers and suppliers collaboratively modeling their shoppers’ behaviors to increase conversion and impulse and repeat purchases. To achieve this requires deeper quantitative and qualitative data to target specific ages and generations to drive sales.