Reino Unido: UK: Pre-packed potatoes gain during pandemic year

This mirrors a trend seen across fresh produce, with data from Kantar showing that over 20,000 tonnes of loose produce switched into pre-packed produce in the 12 w/e 21 Feb 2021.

This growth in pre-packed produce contrasts with British shoppers’ overriding concerns about the environment. 84% of British shoppers say they are concerned about plastic usage in product packaging.When asked what actions they already do to help the environment, 44% said they already buy loose food and a further 22% said they would be willing to (AHDB research conducted by Blue Marble, Sep 2020). And in a Mintel survey conducted prior to the pandemic in Feb 2020, 78% agreed that more fruit and vegetables should be available to purchase loose at supermarkets (Mintel Food Packaging Trends - UK, April 2020).

Temporary shift of focus to hygieneConcerns around plastics had been growing prior to the pandemic, however once COVID-19 hit that understandably became the biggest area of concern for consumers in 2020. In a Harris Interactive survey conducted in autumn 2020, almost three-in-ten shoppers admitted to feeling less comfortable buying loose groceries compared with before the pandemic (11% felt more comfortable). Safety concerns also led to more online shopping and online volume sales of potatoes rose 85% in the 52 w/e 21 Feb 2021. This will have benefitted pre-packed potatoes, which are more likely to be chosen when shopping online than in-store.