How buying local factors into consumer purchasing decisions

Buying local matters for many consumers.

The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2024 survey asked 1,100 consumers several questions about their purchases of locally grown food. Asked whether they make a “conscious effort” to buy locally or regionally grown produce, 55% of respondents said they did.

According to the survey results, the consumers most likely to make an effort to buy local include those with higher household incomes, families with dependent children, and shoppers in their 30s and 40s.

The Fresh Trends survey results found that households with dependent children (66%) are much more likely than those without kids (48%) to make an effort to buy local produce.

The level of income is a big factor, with 60% of those households earning more than $100,000 annually indicating they try to buy local, compared with 41% of consumers making less than $25,000 a year who said the same.

Younger consumers are much more likely to say they make an effort to buy local. Sixty-three percent of those aged 30-39 say they make a conscious effort to buy local, compared with 49% for consumers over 60, according to the survey.

Fresh Trends 2024 also asked consumers to respond to the prompt: “Knowing the stories and background of the produce growers who supply my grocery store is …”

Thirty-four percent of all consumers said knowing the stories and background of produce growers was “very important,” with 43% rating the issue as “somewhat important” and 23% indicating the topic was “not important at all.”

Forty-six percent of households with dependent children said knowing the stories of growers was “very important,” much higher than those households without kids (26%) who had the same response.

Younger consumers also expressed greater interest in knowing the stories of growers, as evidenced by each age group rating the issue “very important.” Forty-five percent of 18-29-year-old consumers said knowing the stories of growers was very important, compared with just 18% who said that among consumers aged 60 or older.

The percentage of each age demographic who indicated knowing the stories and background of produce growers is “very important” is:

• 18-29: 45%.
• 30-39: 44%.
• 40-49: 41%.
• 50-59: 24%.
• 60 and over: 18%.

At 41%, consumers in the South indicated they placed greater importance on the issue than any other region, followed by consumers in the Northeast (35%), Midwest (34%) and West (24%).

Generally, survey respondents who indicated greater importance of knowing grower stories aligned with the groups most likely to make an effort to buy local produce.

The Fresh Trends survey also asked consumers whether they were buying more local produce compared with a year ago. Overall responses showed that 34% of consumers said they were buying more, 11% said they were buying less and 54% said they were buying the same amount.

The survey results showed higher-income groups are more likely to be buying more local produce, with 37% of those making $100,000 or more annually indicating they are buying more local produce. Lower-income groups are more likely to be decreasing their local produce purchases, the survey indicated.

The survey found that families with dependent children are much more likely to be buying more local produce, with 50% of households with two children saying they are buying more compared with a year ago, compared with 27% of households with no kids who said they are buying more.

Younger age groups are more likely to be buying more local produce, with 45% of consumers aged 30-39 and 43% of those aged said they are buying more. Only 21% of consumers aged 60 or older said they were buying more local produce, while 73% of that group said they were buying the same amount.

The Fresh Trends 2024 survey also asked, “If price were not an issue, which of the following items would you purchase?” The options and overall results were:

• Fresh fruits: 76%.
• Fresh vegetables: 75%.
• Organic Produce: 52%.
• Locally grown produce: 52%.
• Frozen Fruits: 32%.
• Frozen vegetables: 36%.
• Canned Fruit: 24%.
• Canned vegetables: 26%.

According to the survey, higher income groups (earning $100,000 or more annually) show a stronger preference for increased purchases of both organic (59%) and locally grown (59%) produce if price were not an obstacle.

Fifty-four percent of consumers with dependent children said they would buy more organic produce if money were no obstacle, and 54% of that group said they would buy more locally grown produce if price were no issue.

Consumers in the Fresh Trends 2024 survey indicated support for local growers and businesses. When survey participants were asked, “When you buy groceries, do you feel strongly about keeping your food dollars in your city or community?” Fresh Trends 2024 found that 63% said “yes.” The survey found that 71% of households with dependent children feel strongly about the issue, compared to 57% of households without kids who said the same.