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Get your free copy20 April 2009, 17:32 PM
- In its latest research, Discover the Origin has found that 80% of independent food and wine stores in the UK are flourishing. And, while Brits may be penny pinching on most luxuries, quality food and wine are indulgences that consumers can’t get through the week without.
The food industry is currently the only retail sector sailing through the recession. In fact, Britons are choosing to spend money on quality food and drinks over eating out or taking a holiday. Moreover, according to a recent survey by YouGov for Discover The Origin, more than two thirds of people in the UK are now choosing to stay in and entertain at home rather than eat out due to the economic downturn.
The research shows that 30% of us are willing to spend more money on food and drink products with a quality stamp of approval, such as PDO, AOC or DOC. While 87% of independent wine retailers approached claimed their increase in sales is due to the advice they offer customers; not only do they carry a varied and high quality wine selection, but they also give guidance, including food and wine matching ideas. Now that the UK is the biggest importer of wine in the world these pearls of wisdom have never been so important.
Liz Green, independent delicatessen owner of Delights in Leeds, said, “ We have a lot more customers being adventurous and sampling different types and ages of products since the onset of the credit crunch. I’ve noticed a huge rise in sales of delicacies such as Parma Ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese as people seem to want to treat themselves without dipping into the family jewels.”
Advice offered by knowledgeable delicatessen staff is also luring Brits to delicatessens, with 85% of UK delis surveyed claiming that consumers asked for information to inspire their purchasing decisions. Not only are customers given the opportunity to expand the knowledge of the products, but they can also sample the different ages of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and watch while their slices of Parma Ham are sliced freshly in front of them.
Discover the Origin carried out a survey on 100 delicatessens in different cities across the UK to investigate how sales were since the onset of the credit crunch. The YouGov survey of 1, 000 25-55 year olds, conducted in November 2008 for Discover the Origin.
