Sales of green vegetables and soft fruits soared in the UK during 2015, as consumers became increasingly interested in blending their own smoothies and juices.
According to IRI, sales of avocados rose by 31% last year, worth an extra £34m to UK supermarkets than the year before, while demand for spinach rose by 21% and greens by 12%. As the craze for blending and juicing continues to grip the country, soft fruit sales also increased by 12%, topping £1bn in sales last year and adding an extra £115m to the economy compared with the year before.
The rise of fresh produce coincided with an increase of 49% in supermarket sales of in-home blenders and juicers, IRI added. Growing consumer health-consciousness contributed to a decline in the sale of fizzy drinks, fruit juices and dilutables, while value sales of bottled water increased with the category seeing close to 10% growth.
Martin Wood, head of strategic insight – retail solutions and innovation for IRI, said: “It’s clear that certain categories are receiving a boost from shoppers’ changing attitudes towards ‘free-from’, natural products and food authenticity, and an increased awareness of the health benefits of certain foods and ingredients. Typically we expect these figures at the start of the year when people adopt more healthy eating habits, but it’s interesting that our data shows growth trends across the whole year.
“At a time when obesity rates are at their highest in the UK, it’s encouraging to see this, possibly as a result of pressure on the government to levy a sugar tax on food and drink and the influence of celebrities like Ella Woodward.
“Based on our data, it’s clear that retailers are already supporting this healthy agenda, but they do need to ensure they maintain it with the right price and promotion and marketing strategies.”
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