Less packaging, animal welfare, shared cooking experiences
The seventh annual report is based on comprehensive new OnePoll consumer research of people across Britain – not just Waitrose & Partners shoppers. Managing Director Rob Collins said: “Our findings this year point to a move away from materialism, and towards a rise in compassion and simplicity in British lifestyles.”
Here are some of the findings of the Waitrose & Partners Food and Drink Report:
Two thirds of people have cleared out or decluttered in recent months and a third have focused on organizing our kitchen cupboards. Drivers for this include a desire to scale back packaging, with 9% of us now taking our own refillable containers to the supermarket for loose produce or deli items.
Mindful spending is on the up, with 50% of us now buying fewer than one hot drink out per week, as we become more conscious of little bleeps on the contactless pad. Nearly half of us are buying fewer lunches out and 36% say we’re considering more carefully in general whether we need to buy something before spending the money.
Online and physical shopping are closer than ever, with a third of us (and half of under-35s) ‘dual shopping’ – looking up prices, recipes or product information while in a supermarket.
17% of us say we cook for others more now than we did five years ago – whether baking for a charity event or fete, making food to help friends or family, or taking cake to work for colleagues.
With a third of Brits eating less meat than two years ago, more than a quarter of us say we plan to look for better quality meat or fish when we do buy it. Views of the farming pages on Waitrose.com are also up by 37% – pointing to a continued and long-term rise in interest in animal welfare.
Source: Waitrose & Partners
