Consumer trends

Moms' food-buying habits shift

Ninety-six percent of American mothers plan to make changes to their food-buying habits in 2013. That’s according to the results of a national survey of more than 1,000 mothers conducted by Fleishman-Hillard and TheMotherhood.com.

The study, titled “Cart to Kitchen 2013: Slicing Into Moms’ Food Decisions,” identified key drivers behind moms’ consumer behaviors in meal planning, grocery shopping and meal preparation, as well as changes food marketers should anticipate in 2013. It also uncovered insights about the food influencers and media channels moms trust most when it comes to making food-buying decisions.

“Moms are turning to their peers online and off for information about food — from general to more specific information about genetically modified organisms, pesticides and other food safety topics,” says Kristie Sigler, senior vice president at Fleishman-Hillard. “This study showed that moms place higher priority on the opinions of bloggers and peers than that of experts like doctors and dietitians — an important takeaway for food marketers.”

Efforts at organizing
The results found that organization appears to be a pain point for moms, from shopping to meal preparation. Moms indicated that in 2013, they want to be more organized in how they shop (41 percent), and they want to make fewer trips to the grocery store (33 percent). Additionally, they would like to be more organized with weekly meal planning (67 percent) and make meals ahead and freeze them (51 percent). Moms are looking to food brands to help them become more organized.

Nutrition is another key focus for moms, whose list of desired 2013 food-purchase changes starts with a drive to buy healthier food. More than half of the moms surveyed said they started that behavior in 2012 by reducing purchases of snacks, sugar, processed foods, soda and carbohydrates. And 49 percent of moms want to buy less processed food in 2013, particularly moms younger than 30.

Additionally, 50 percent of moms said they are reading more food labels now than they have before. In fact, reading food labels is a behavior of the majority, with 78 percent saying they read labels. Another 15 percent does so “sometimes,” particularly those who cook dinner at home four or more times per week. They are looking for ingredients they want to consume less, including sugar, sugar substitutes, artificial dyes and gluten.
 

Source: Fleishman-Hilliard

Did you know? Moms are increasingly turning to their peers for information about food.
 

Selling skinny

Birds Eye vegetable sales mark progress in fight against obesity, report shows

Anti-obesity efforts by 48 companies have led to more fresh foods in poor neighborhoods, as well as reduced soda consumption and a jump in vegetable sales, according to a recent U.S. report.

Pinnacle Foods reportedly saw a two-month sales increase for its Birds Eye frozen vegetables last year during a $2 million marketing push on the Nickelodeon channel, part of an initiative related to U.S. first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign. The vegetable sales were among the actions highlighted in the Partnership for a Healthier America progress report, which focuses on government alliances started with the food industry in 2010 (http://ahealthieramerica.org/about/progress-report).

Pinnacle Foods said its two-month jump in Birds Eye frozen vegetable sales spurred another advertising push. Sally Genster Robling, president of the Birds Eye unit, said in an interview with Bloomberg.com that the business will spend $6 million on the campaign over three years, and it plans to introduce new products that were inspired by recipes children submitted through a Nickelodeon program.

The partnership “is very much focused on, ‘Let’s deliver business results while doing the right thing,’” Robling said.

Source: Bloomberg.com

NYC market offers kids’ meals to go

Westside Market NYC in Manhattan is offering grab-n-go meals for kids. The retailer introduced the meals to celebrate National Nutrition Month in March. The program is designed to help parents provide fresh, ready-to-go meals for their children. Each lunchbox, retailing for $7.99, contains a freshly prepared sandwich made with a choice of Applegate Farms deli meats (ham, turkey or chicken) and cheese (Swiss, cheddar or American) on white or whole wheat bread; fruit: apple, pear or orange; two homemade cookies freshly baked on premises using the family recipe: oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip or M&M’S; and a choice of juice: apple, orange or grape.

Source: Supermarket News

Pinterest users show big interest in food

In the social media world, Pinterest has become a favorite stop for food lovers. According to Compete’s Online Shopper Intelligence Survey, 57 percent of consumers report having interacted with food-related content while on Pinterest.

What’s more, 69 percent of online consumers who visit Pinterest found an item they’ve purchased or want to purchase, compared to just 40 percent who visit Facebook and found the same, according to a 2012 study in the Bizrate Insights Image Sharing and Shopping Series.

The study discovered that while Facebook may have a dramatically larger audience, Pinterest provides a better shopping experience for discovery, purchase consideration and deeper engagement with the content.

Source: specialtyfood.com