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Five Types of Sustainable Shoppers

At the Fresh Foods Leadership Council meeting in Denver, NielsenIQ shared research relating to consumer behavior and sustainability. In a blog post from The Food Industry Association, Steve Markenson, VP of research & insights, detailed pertinent information relating to sustainable shopping archetypes.

The five sustainable shopper segments are as follows:

• Evangelists (19% of shoppers) are those who look at sustainability across all its aspects; they consider all relevant claims with a focus on social responsibility, ESG, and a plant-based diet.

• Healthy Me & Planet (11%) embrace the importance of sustainability, but to a lesser degree than Evangelists, as this segment focuses more on generic or broad claims, like eco-friendly, green, and biodegradable, etc.

• Minimalists (22%) have a basic awareness but little motivation to buy sustainable products other than their desire to reduce pollution.

• Idealists (14%) are mostly in sustainable sourcing and transportation; although they show interest in sustainability, they often fail to make sustainable choices.

• Skeptics (34%) have low awareness of and place little priority on purchasing sustainable products.

The research found that each segment shops differently, prioritizing different categories. For example, skeptics and minimalists tend to spend most of their food dollars on meat, while evangelists spend the least. Full Story

Related: Sprouts, Whole Foods Ace ASPCA Scorecard; Report: Consumers Celebrate Labor Day With Food, Drink

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