Health-conscious grocery shoppers in the U.S., which account for an estimated USD 285 billion (EUR 274 billion) in annual spending at grocery stores, frequently look to the fresh seafood department when making food purchases, according to a new report from customer data science firm dunnhumby.
“The role of food and other health categories is blurring, with food now playing a bigger role in customers’ health journeys,” dunnhumby Director of Competitive Strategy and Insights Erich Kahner told SeafoodSource.
The data firm recently released its “Better for You (Customer), You (Brand), and You (Retailer)” report, which highlighted that seafood consistently appears in the top three or four departments that shoppers most associate with positive health outcomes, according to Kahner.
“Seafood, ready-to-eat, and fresh produce have a higher rate of better-for-you [BFY] customers than non-BFY customers. These departments are key for winning over health-conscious customers,” he said.
According to the report, BFY shoppers make up 33 percent of the U.S. population, tend to have higher incomes of around USD 100,000 (EUR 96,000) annually and above, have more children than their counterparts, and are typically in the 18- to 44-year-old age range.
These shoppers are less worried about low prices on common goods than the average shopper and place much more importance on natural and organic varietals, a retailer that helps them make healthier choices and cares about waste, sustainable packaging, locally produced options, and products suited to their diets, according to dunnhumby.
The seafood department ranks first for BFY shoppers seeking a wide variety of natural and organic products, according to the report, and ranks third among BFY shoppers looking for companies that care about environmental sustainability.
The report found that retailers which heavily focus on this customer segment experience sales growth over five years of 7 percent on average.
“If you want to bring or keep these healthy shoppers in your store, you’ll need to make sure you speak to these key elements of the value proposition that matter most to them through the products and services you offer and how you communicate elements of your overall and ESG strategy,” the report said.
Natural Grocers, Amazon Fresh, and The Fresh Market are the leading retailers for health-conscious consumers, according to the report, as 60 percent of their customers focus on health, compared to 32 percent for the average U.S. retailer.
