Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Estimated total fruit vs. vegetable retail sales (including fresh and processed), IoI, 2014-18
- Forecast
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- Figure 2: Indexed estimated total fruit vs. vegetable retail sales (including fresh and processed), IoI, 2014-24
- Market factors
- NI consumers facing higher produce prices
- Five a day to improve mental health
- One in 10 a flexitarian
- Over half would support a plastic ban for produce
- Companies and innovations
- The consumer
- Fresh bagged and loose fruit used most
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- Figure 3: Types of fruit that consumers buy in a typical week, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Frozen finds more favour with vegetables
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- Figure 4: Types of vegetables that consumers buy in a typical week, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Potatoes most used type of produce
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- Figure 5: Types of potatoes that consumers buy in a typical week, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Supermarkets key outlets for produce
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- Figure 6: Where consumers buy their fruit and vegetables, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Irish fruit and vegetables highly desired
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- Figure 7: Agreement with statements related to fruit and vegetables, NI and RoI, January 2019
- What we think
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Fruit and vegetable sales increase on flexitarian trend
- Strong consumer price growth in NI
- Strong recognition of benefits of five per day
- Flexitarian/vegan trend benefits fruit and vegetable sales
- Need for more eco-friendly packaging
Market Size and Forecast
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- Continued flexitarianism and looming Brexit boost sales value
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- Figure 8: Estimated total fruit and vegetable retail sales (including fresh and processed), NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Vegetables continue to account for the largest segment
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- Figure 9: Estimated vegetable retail sales (including fresh and processed), NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Fruit expected to see strong value growth from 2019-24
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- Figure 10: Estimated fruit retail sales (including fresh and processed), NI and RoI, 2014-24
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- Figure 11: Selected types of snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, June 2018
Market Drivers
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- 2018 sees continued growth in produce prices for NI/UK
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- Figure 12: Consumer Price Indices of vegetables (including potatoes and tubers) and fruit, UK (including NI), 2015-19
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- Figure 13: Agreement with the statement ‘I am worried that I may not be able to get certain fruit and vegetables after the UK leaves the EU’, NI and RoI, January 2019
- RoI experiences vegetable price rise in late 2018
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- Figure 14: Consumer Price Indices of vegetables (including potatoes), RoI, 2015-19
- Consumers recognise benefits of getting their five a day in helping physical and mental health
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- Figure 15: Agreement with the statement ‘I don’t think it is necessary to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day’, NI and RoI, January 2019
- One in five Irish consumers on reduced meat or meat-free diet in 2018
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- Figure 16: Selective diets that consumers currently adhere to, NI and RoI, June 2018
- Packaged fruit and vegetables at risk from increasing environmental trend
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- Figure 17: Environmental and ethical issues most important to consumers, NI and RoI, November 2018
Companies and Innovations – What You Need to Know
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- Birds Eye and McCain seeking to move towards healthier potato snacks
- Disputes with third parties hamstring Irish fruit companies
- Environmental concerns starting to take centre stage for fruit and vegetable brands
Who’s Innovating?
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- Vegetables leading new product development
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- Figure 18: New products launched in fruit and vegetables market, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Marks & Spencer has launched the most new fruit and vegetable products
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- Figure 19: Top 10 companies launching new fruit and vegetable products, UK and Ireland, 2014-18
- Environmental claims populate the top ten
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- Figure 20: Top 10 claims made by new fruit and vegetables products launched in UK and Irish markets, 2014-18
- Brands could consider switching to bio-plastic packaging
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- Figure 21: Top 10 packaging material used by brands in new fruit and vegetables product launches, UK and Ireland, 2014-18
Companies and Brands
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- Birds Eye
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Florette
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Fyffes
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Green Giant
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Keeling’s
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Kraft Heinz
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Mash Direct
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- McCain Foods
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Princes Group
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Total Produce Plc
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Valeo Foods
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- 2 Sisters Food Group
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Strong usage of bagged and loose fresh fruit
- Fresh vegetables continue to dominate
- Potatoes most-used type of produce
- Discounters more important channel to market in RoI
- Irish fruit and vegetables highly desired
Usage of Fruit Products
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- Strong usage of bagged and loose fresh fruit
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- Figure 22: Types of fruit that consumers buy in a typical week, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Bagged fruit more prevalent with parents and married consumers
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- Figure 23: Consumers that buy bagged fruit in a typical week, by marital status and presence of children in household, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Loose fruit sees greater usage among mature age groups
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- Figure 24: Consumers that buy loose fruit in a typical week, by age group, NI and RoI, January 2019
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- Figure 25: Consumers that buy loose fruit in a typical week, by gender, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Frozen fruit sees strong use among women and parents
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- Figure 26: Consumers that buy frozen fruit in a typical week, by gender and presence of children in household, NI and RoI, January 2019
- NI consumers strong users of RTE fruit
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- Figure 27: Consumers that buy fresh ready-to-eat fruit portions (eg apple slices) in a typical week, by age group, NI and RoI, January 2019
Usage of Vegetable Products
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- Fresh vegetables continue to dominate
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- Figure 28: Types of vegetables that consumers buy in a typical week, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Affluent consumers show greater usage of fresh vegetables overall
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- Figure 29: Types of vegetables that consumers buy in a typical week, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Frozen vegetable usage higher compared to fruit
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- Figure 30: Consumers who buy frozen fruit vs. frozen vegetables in a typical week, NI and RoI, January 2019
- NI consumers more likely to buy tinned baked beans
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- Figure 31: Consumers that buy tinned baked beans in a typical week, by age group, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Figure 32: Consumers that buy baked beans in plastic pots/tubs (eg snap pots) in a typical week, by age group, NI and RoI, January 2019
Usage of Potato Products
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- Bagged potatoes most bought type of vegetable overall
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- Figure 33: Types of potatoes that consumers buy in a typical week, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Bagged potatoes see universal high usage
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- Figure 34: Consumers who buy fresh loose vs. fresh bagged potatoes in a typical week, by gender, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Figure 35: Consumers who are responsible for the main grocery shop in their household, by gender, NI and RoI, September 2018
Where Consumers Buy Fruit and Vegetables
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- Supermarkets key channel for produce
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- Figure 36: Where consumers buy their fruit and vegetables, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Supermarkets used most among those aged 55+ in RoI
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- Figure 37: Consumers who claim to buy most of their fruit and vegetables from a supermarket, by age group, NI and RoI, January 2019
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- Figure 38: Consumers who claim to buy most of their fruit and vegetables from a discounter, by age group, NI and RoI, January 2019
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- Figure 39: Usage of selected retailers for main weekly grocery shopping, NI, September 2018
- Discounters see greater usage with women and less affluent consumers
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- Figure 40: Consumers who claim to buy most of their fruit and vegetables from a discounters, by gender and social class, NI and RoI, January 2019
Attitudes Towards Fruit and Vegetables
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- Irish-sourced produce in high demand
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- Figure 41: Agreement with statements related to fruit and vegetables, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Mature consumers show strongest desire for local produce
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- Figure 42: Agreement with the statement ‘I think supermarkets should provide more Northern Irish/Irish sourced fruit and vegetables where possible’, by age group, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Figure 43: Top five factors that are important to consumers when shopping for food and drink in specialist/artisan food stores, NI and RoI, September 2018
- Four in five making greater effort to eat more produce
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- Figure 44: Agreement with the statement ‘I am currently trying to eat more fruit and vegetables’, by gender, NI and RoI, January 2019
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- Figure 45: Agreement with selected statements relating to ‘5 a day’, by gender, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Consumers want more information about growers
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- Figure 46: Agreement with the statement ‘I would like to see more information about the grower on fruit and vegetable packaging’, by age group, NI and RoI, January 2019
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Market size rationale
- Data sources
- Consumer data sources
- Abbreviations
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