Plant-based alternatives in top five for Christmas day meals in the UK
From planning to avoid buying products that have a lot of excess packaging to adding plant-based alternatives in their Christmas menus, 71% shoppers in the UK say they are going to take specific action to reduce their environmental impact over the season, reveals the latest IGD survey. According to data collected by IGD, UK food and grocery sales are set to reach £21.5bn this Christmas, with a 1.2% growth forecast. However, consumption habits are different from those recorded in the past.
The goal of having a friendly-environment Christmas will be carried out in various ways, with over half (55%) intending to buy more loose fruit and vegetables - highest among those aged 55-65 (63%) and in Scotland (63%) – while a third (34%) plan to avoid buying products that have a lot of excess packaging. Additionally, 32% intend to buy more products that are locally produced, and 31% plan to seek out products with easily recyclable packing.
Going for local food
Shopping local and the location of production are more important drivers of product choice at Christmas than at other times of the year. Indeed, when purchasing products at Christmas the majority of shoppers (80%) say that where it's been produced is important to them, compared with 71% normally. Shoppers are also conscious of the locality of their products this time of year, with 67% saying the distance traveled is important, up from 62% normally.
Ethical considerations are important, with 88% of shoppers claiming the welfare of animals involved in the production of food and groceries is important to them. Indeed, half of the shoppers (51%) plan to buy higher welfare, or more premium, meats at Christmas. Shoppers are intending to visit a specialist store (64%) and farmer's markets (40%) over the season, with usage up by 6% and 4% respectively compared to last Christmas.
Less meat on the plate
A notable number of households will be reducing the amount of meat they eat this year, with 13% planning to prepare a vegan or vegetarian meal (vs. 9% in 2018). Significantly, plant-based alternatives have entered the top five choices for main meal options for Christmas day for the first time this year, coming in above ham (12%), pork (8%), seafood (8%), lamb (8%) and salmon (6%). Among those households planning a vegan or vegetarian meal, nearly half of shoppers (47%) claim that more family members are vegan or vegetarian this year than last Christmas. With the growing interest in plant-based diets and lifestyle choices, there are opportunities for retailers to support shoppers with a wide range of choices and recipe inspiration. This will be particularly true for households that don't normally prepare a vegan or vegetarian meal day-to-day but are planning to do so for Christmas (33%).
Tactics for saving money
Despite the increased interest in upgrading meat choices and shopping at specialist stores, the estimated cost of the Christmas dinner this year is £80.93, down from £89.68 in 2018. Savvy shopping tactics will play a role here, with over half of shoppers (52%) shopping in advance of the event to spread the cost, and 74% of those with loyalty cards planning to use their points to save money, find offers or trade up on gifts.
Simon Wainwright, Director of Global Insights at IGD, said: "More shoppers intend to visit specialist stores, such as butchers or greengrocers, farmer's markets or premium supermarkets this year than last. This is despite the intent to spend less on Christmas dinner, perhaps implying a reduction in quantity purchased in favour of quality. Large stores, in particular, could face a challenge here - calling out quality, sustainability and welfare messaging year-round could encourage shoppers to visit these stores more frequently at Christmas.
While environmental concerns are clearly important at this time of year, we can see that there is an opportunity for retailers and manufacturers to engage with shoppers more in this area during the season to make it as much of a priority as at other times of the year. The focus here should be on taking action to reduce the environmental impact of products so shoppers can buy the gifts they want without compromising on their sustainable ambitions."
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