Supermarket shoppers want more fresh options in deli, dairy and bakery

A new nationwide study of buying behavior and consumer preferences in the deli, dairy and fresh bakery departments shows that shoppers want more fresh food options and less work in the kitchen. Commissioned by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), New York, the study was conducted by Surveylab, which interviewed 800 primary grocery shoppers in the United States.

One big beneficiary of the trend, according to the study, could be store brands. More than half of respondents said they buy more private label products now than they did five years ago, and 44 percent of survey respondents said they currently buy store brands either “always” or “frequently.” Frequency of buying is even higher the in deli, dairy and bakery departments — 47 percent, PLMA said.

“Consumers are making it clear they want convenience and speed in meal preparation,” said Brian Sharoff, president, PLMA, “and this is creating highly profitable opportunities for retailers to respond with their own brands.”

In the PLMA study, shoppers of deli, dairy and bakery items were asked: “Which products would you like to see more of?”

• In deli, convenience was the No. 1 demand, with four in 10 respondents opting for “more items that can save me time at home.” Following closely, were “more restaurant-quality items” and “heart-healthy items such as low sodium.”
• In the dairy department, a better assortment topped shoppers’ desires, with 35 percent of survey respondents wanting to see more variety in general, and 38 percent saying they would like greater variety of cheeses, in particular.
• When it came to the bakery, shoppers have an eye on freshness and health issues foremost, with 31 percent saying they would like more items baked on-site and the same percentage opting for products containing “less fructose, sugar, corn syrup and bad fats.” And one in four shoppers said they wanted more nutritional and freshness information, greater variety of portions, and more emphasis on healthy ingredients.

Among improvements shoppers would most like to see in the supermarket perimeter, product sampling and demonstrations ranked high across all three departments. In the deli, faster service and more nutritional information about deli products also were in demand, PLMA said.

The study is part of PLMA’s plan to spotlight store brands in the deli, dairy and bakery departments at this year’s Private Label Trade Show, to be held Nov. 15-17 in Rosemont, Ill.

“Deli, dairy and bakery are among the fastest-growing sections at the annual show,” Sharoff said.