Canned fruit is a popular destination for more mature shoppers who buy regularly and are looking for value for money. There are a relatively high number of elderly male shoppers among this group.
The category also benefits specifically at this time of year from the Christmas period, with many shoppers keen to have a couple of cans of fruit stored at the back of their food cupboards at home as a back up in case they run short of fresh fruit or to serve with ice cream and/or meringues as an additional dessert.
These Christmas shoppers were generally from a younger age group - which raises the question of how they can be converted to buying this category more often during the rest of the year.
Canned fruit is a frequently shopped category, with more than two thirds (72%) of shoppers quizzed buying it at least once a week. It is an important part of these shoppers’ diet and they tend to have a can or two in their store cupboards as a standby.
It is a planned purchase for most, with 90% of those quizzed saying they had intended to buy from the display prior to entering the store. The few unplanned shoppers tended to be consumers who usually bought the product for the Christmas season.
Own label plays a key role in canned fruit as the majority of consumers are looking for value and are price sensitive. Some 68% bought own label rather than branded product. Loyalty was also high, with 70% saying they always bought the same brand.
However, they said they would consider buying another brand if it offered them better value for money. When it came to specific choice of product, after having a look around the display and checking out any offers, the older shoppers were generally planning to buy from their usual repertoire.
Asked why they bought their particular favourite, answers varied from ‘I like the flavour’ (62%) to ‘I only like the ones in fruit juice’ (12%) and ‘I’ve had them before’ (12%).
Some 76% of shoppers said they did consider other types before buying their usual favourite couple of cans.
If their desired choice was out of stock, the majority of shoppers (70%) would look to buy another variety.
These shoppers have a repertoire of two or three cans of different fruit and therefore it is not a major issue if one is out of stock on one particular occasion. As this product tends to be a store cupboard item, some shoppers (20%) said they had one in their cupboard at home and would delay purchase and get one next time they were in store.
Christmas shoppers tended to be the ones who said they would leave it until next time if their choice was out of stock - they had a particular variety of fruit in mind and were not prepared to look for or think about an alternative.
Shoppers tend to approach the canned fruit display with a variety of fruit in mind and then begin the process of looking for it. Some said they found it difficult sometimes to find the particular product they wanted - they said there appeared to be little consistency as to how the products were laid out.
Offers at canned fruit displays in most retailers tend generally to be at a minimum.