AU: New study shows ways to market veggies to boost sales

A chop and a wash could lead to greater profits for the vegetable industry, says AusVeg spokesman Ku…

A chop and a wash could lead to greater profits for the vegetable industry, says AusVeg spokesman Kurt ­Hermann. New research suggested consumers were looking for more convenient vegies — such as precut and pre-washed products, he said.

And they were prepared to pay for the convenience.

Mr Hermann’s comments come after the release of new reports by Nielsen Homescan which identify “multi-million dollar opportunities” that point to ways to boost vegetable consumption.

Nielsen profiled demographic buying habits in Australian households and exposed chances to gain, or ­regain, sales for various vegetables, often depending on how they were presented, and which age-group the marketing was aimed at.

The work was co-funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia, using the National Vegetable Levy, and the Federal Government.

Mr Hermann said one finding was that there was room to boost cucumber sales by $4.8 million.

The study also narrowed down marketing opportunities for specific vegetables.

“In some instances, the ­industry could capitalise on ­already-increasing sales value,” Mr Hermann said. “For example, we’ve seen an increase in the value of cauliflower sales on last year, and Nielsen has found an opportunity to gain a further $1.3 million in the senior couples demographic.”

Mr Hermann said the study found that for some vegetable classes, it was important that marketing emphasised their suitability as raw healthy snacks that could be eaten on the go.

The Nielsen study also showed that greengrocers had an opportunity to boost their profits by including more prepacked and washed vegetables in their offerings.