Monday, August 22, 2011 by Lee Mannering
New PMA study finds price deters sales of packaged produce; Impact Awards deadline 8/26
A few months ago here on Field to Fork, I mentioned that PMA had undertaken a consumer research study (conducted by The Perishables Group) to examine shoppers’ preferences on fresh produce packaging and purchasing packaged fruits and vegetables. Last week, Steve Lutz and Cara Ammon from The Perishables Group stopped by the PMA office to give us an overview of what they found. I sat-in on their presentation, and here’s a sneak peek at some of the study’s findings:
- Half of the consumers surveyed said 15 percent or less of the produce they buy is packaged.
- Cleanliness and price are by far the most important factors in consumers’ decisions to buy packaged produce.
- The most important attribute of produce packaging is that it preserves freshness and taste. Following closely behind in importance are that packaging protect against damage and that the package store easily in their refrigerator.
- The most important attribute of the label is the size, indicating that consumers want to be able to inspect their produce before purchase, much as they would with bulk items.
- Price is the biggest deterrent to consumers when deciding between packaged and bulk produce.
This study will be available soon via the Consumer Research Center on the PMA website. Note: PMA members will need to be logged in to the site in order to access this report.
Also, if you have innovative packaging for your products – or if you’re a packaging provider – you might want to enter the 2011 PMA Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging contest. We’re looking for submissions that illustrate excellence in marketing, food safety, supply chain efficiency, sustainability, and consumer convenience.
The deadline to enter this contest is this Friday, August 26. Winners will be announced at Fresh Summit, October 14 to 17 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tags: Consumption, Packaging
October 17th, 2011 at 8:35 am
[...] might think they do. In fact, one self-reported survey found that most consumers stated that less than 15% of the produce they bought was packaged. And if the price is right, shoppers will almost always go [...]