What you need to know

Consumer eating habits are changing; a significant number are cutting their meat consumption, and people are increasingly seeking out products with a healthier proposition. However, the link between taste and purchase intent in the food sector means that brands with a particularly premium or delicious image can leverage the superior experience that their product can offer on those occasions when consumers do allow themselves to indulge.

Growing consumer interest levels in health and wellness and ethicality are creating new NPD (New Product Development) opportunities for brands within the food sector. However, as more and more brands create products that cater for a wider spectrum of consumer wants and needs than ever before, the importance of brand reputation will continue to shine through; consumers tend to trust big-name brands and are reassured by the brand names that they are used to.

Products covered in this Report

Since the beginning of 2016, Mintel has conducted brand research on over 100 brands operating in food markets. As well as consumers’ attitudes towards brands, we investigate how many people have used those brands, how positive their experience of the brand was and whether they would recommend that brand.

Research is run at a brand level, rather than based on a particular product. So rather than asking specifically about people’s perception of Hovis’ bread loaves or of Cathedral City’s extra mature cheddar cheese, for example, we ask about their overall perception of the Hovis and Cathedral City brands.

Data in this Report is drawn from fieldwork conducted between January 2016 and March 2019. Many brands have been covered on multiple occasions and, unless otherwise stated, Mintel’s data refers to the most recent wave of research in which a given brand featured. Please refer to the Report Appendix for details of the Reports from which the brand data has been taken.

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