At the end of 2022 the report of the new research ‘Changes in food behaviour in times of crisis’ was published. The study was coordinated by Aarhus University Denmark University and included project partners University of Helsinki and KU Leuven. The project received funding from EIT Food, the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. EIT Food is supported by the European Institue of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
Consumer data was collected by an online survey carried out through Aistila Oy, a research company. Data collection was conducted in 10 European countries (Spain, Sweden, Germany, UK, Poland, Italy, France, Greece, Finland, Romania) in August 2022. A total of 5,000 adult consumers (18+) were surveyed, 500 per country, meeting the criteria of being responsible or co-responsible for grocery shopping.
Consumers feelings
The project is a follow-up study to research conducted in 2020, which demonstrated that COVID-19 lockdown measures may have caused lasting behaviour change in relation to food consumption.
The survey reveals that more than half of consumers surveyed (55%) think that the war in Ukraine and ensuing economic and supply chain effects have made food production more vulnerable, while 54% think that the war is the main reason for increased food prices in Europe. Since the last study, the effects of rising prices have been keenly felt by consumers, with shoppers observing price increases for most categories of food. The sharpest of these perceived price rises are in animal products, with 55% of consumers saying they have seen significant price increase in red meat, 52% in fish, and 51% in dairy. Nearly half, meanwhile, think that these costs are being unfairly distributed, with 48% of those surveyed believing that the war has enabled food retailers and manufacturers to make more profit.
Consumer reactions
Consumers are reacting to increased prices by cutting costs where they can, including buying less, buying cheaper brands, and shopping at cheaper stores. Nearly four in 10 consumers (37%) report that they are buying less red meat, while a third are buying less fish and poultry (33% for each). Shoppers are also cutting back entirely on certain categories to save money, with one in 10 consumers (12%) having stopped buying convenience foods altogether, and 10% having stopped buying alcoholic beverages. To cut costs on cereals and dairy products, a third of consumers say they have switched to buying a cheaper brand (35% and 33% respectively).
As well as cost-saving behaviours, consumers across Europe are also making more deliberate purchasing choices. Over half 52% say they are now checking prices more than they did before the pandemic, an increase from 31% in 2020. Four in 10, meanwhile (41%), say they are making fewer unplanned purchases than before, up from 26% in 2020. Four in 10 are also checking use-by dates (40%) or using labels to compare products more (39%).
New consumer categories
Looking at trends of consumer behaviours with regards to cooking and eating, the project used the findings to group European consumers into five categories. This grouping shows that a third (33%) of consumers report that they now pay more attention to food prices, but otherwise report no major changes, while a third (32%) say they are making more mindful food choices, such as paying greater attention to labels or seeking out new food innovations. Only 19% of consumers showed resilient food behaviours, meaning that their behaviour remained mostly unchanged.
