Research shows shoppers like British food but at reasonable price
Staff Writer |
Shoppers in the UK say they want to buy British food, but not at any cost with research showing even a small rise in price could see a switch to buying imported alternatives.
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In fact, the latest data suggests that even a relatively small increase of just ten per cent could result in 30 per cent of shoppers opting for a lower-priced import.
That’s according to the latest Consumer Focus report from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) which shows that maintaining price competitiveness will be key for the UK agricultural sector in a post-Brexit world.
The new findings also show that to-date there is little to suggest a wave of patriotism has helped bolster sales of all things British since the EU referendum and relying on ‘Britishness’ alone is not the answer.
In this latest report, AHDB looks at consumer sentiment at home towards buying British and questions if there are any generational differences before exploring the role of price and quality in determining shopper decisions.
It follows the latest edition of Horizon work which looked at the buying behaviour of international consumers and their attitude towards ‘Brand Britain’.
Among the key findings in the Consumer Focus report is that older shoppers say they try to buy British whenever they can. However, some 74 per cent of people over the age of 55 say increasing food prices are their biggest concern when it comes to financial circumstances.
Therefore, any positive sentiment towards buying British will only count for so much as shoppers try to manage ever-tighter household budgets. ■
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