jgiuntoli October 5th, 2009
More evidence is emerging that this recession has changed everything.
First, a new and rather large survey by IBM shows that Americans at all income levels, despite the tough economic situation, are not sacrificing quality to save money on their food purchases, but — and a big but — they are more conscientious about the brands they buy, the packaging they buy and the supermarkets at which they shop to find new ways to save money.
Furthermore, they have confirmed that their new spending strategy “will stick beyond the recession,” IBM said.
In the survey of 4,000 American consumers – from those earning less than $20,000 per year to those earning more than $100,000 per year – 72% said they are more focused on quality than price in their grocery shopping trips, and 90-92% said health/nutrition and value will be of equal or greater importance when the recession ends, IBM said.
Consumers are becoming more flexible about brand and grocery store loyalty and are reluctant to go without coffee, meat and poultry in order to economize, IBM said.
According to the survey, 49% of consumers are shopping at more stores to get the best deals, 35% have changed stores to save money, 52% are decreasing the amount of food they buy to save money and 45% of those with the lowest incomes are buying foods that will keep them full longer.
According to the survey, coffee, meat and poultry top the list of items consumers don’t want to give up, but they are cutting spending on individual-sized beverages and prepared foods.
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The Office of Farmland Preservation is pleased to present this week’s ‘News and Views’ feature, a collection of news features, articles, and editorials on the subject of agriculture from media outlets around the state. The information and opinions contained in the articles are those of their respective authors, and are not necessarily those of the Office of Farmland Preservation or the Washington State Conservation Commission.
