With the internet and our constantly connected devices, we can investigate the food we eat at any time. This includes the product itself as well as the company it comes from and indeed how it impacts the earth, in a positive way or a negative way. Perusing business social media, reading about food origins and checking sustainability reports has become part of the everyday experience for many consumers. This is part of the reason organic products are growing at such a high rate. According to data from the Organic Trade Association, organic product sales have reached an all time record high. The 2016 Organic Industry Survey reports that consumer demand for organic items has grown by double digits nearly every year since the 1990s with an impressive $43.3 billion in sales for 2015.
Nearly three quarters of the U.S. population is interested in foods labeled organic and more than 50 percent of families are buying more organic products than a year ago, indicates the association's 2015 Organic Attitudes & Beliefs research. However it can be difficult for consumers to find organic snacks while away from home.
Challenges To Convenient Organic
If you look at shelves and coolers in away-from-home snacking destinations, organic options are simply not as readily available. One reason is that they carry a higher price on average, according to a study by Consumer Reports in 2015. Many vending and micro market operators have hesitated offering organic products for this very reason. However, they also bring in a higher margin thanks to the preferences of customers and represent a social consciousness in the consumer's mind.
One example to consider about how much a consumer is willing to pay for organic is to consider cheese sticks. According to Nielsen AOD US Food, Drug, C-Store numbers from April 2016, consumers are willing to pay 142 percent more for organic cheese sticks. Using the average unit price of conventional and organic cheese sticks, that provides the operator selling an organic cheese stick option with 14 cents more per unit.
Consumers want organic
Nielsen's Global Health and Wellness Report indicated 33 percent of global consumers say organics are very important and the same percentage is also very willing to pay a premium for these products. The same can not be said for other sustainable attributes, making organic a clear winner consumers are glad to support monetarily. In the end, real, organic whole food commands a higher price and can give your entire operation a positive feeling of health and wellness.
Contact your WhiteWave Away From Home representative to learn more about our organic cheese snacking options. 888.620.9910 | whitewaveawayfromhome.com
