Demand for own-label products in Europe is strong, with sustainable packaging an important influence in shopper purchasing decisions, a consumer survey has found.
Driven by the rising cost of living, own-label products have become a firm staple in European homes, with 70 per cent of consumers regularly buying own-label products when grocery shopping, according to the survey by Amcor.
In the survey, 85 per cent of grocery shoppers ranked ‘price’ as the top reason for purchasing an own-label item, while 48 per cent stated ‘promotions’ were one of the main drivers to buy more own-label products.
Additionally, 28 per cent of respondents stated that ‘more sustainable packaging’ influenced their decision to buy more own-label products. This makes sustainable packaging one of the top three concerns for consumers and one of the key influence levers available to retailers, the Amcor research suggested.
‘Recyclable packaging’, ‘less plastic’, ‘less packaging’ and ‘paper packaging’ were found to be the top claims retailers could make to positively influence a purchase decision for own-label products.
“We see a growing shift towards eco-conscious grocery shopping for both own-label and branded products,” said Madalina Mitru, strategic marketing and value chain manager at Amcor.
“Consumers increasingly expect their preferred products to demonstrate how they are improving sustainability. Retailers and brand owners can adopt more sustainable packaging to help retain customers and demonstrate their continued commitment to driving circularity and reducing their carbon footprint.”
The research also highlighted consumer attitudes towards retailer and brand-owner sustainability commitments, revealing a mixed picture when it comes to packaging.
One-third of consumers (34 per cent) said they had seen progress in ‘food waste reduction’, ‘less excessive packaging’, and ‘more sustainable packaging’.
However, despite retailers making progress when it comes to sustainability for own-labels, 35 per cent of grocery shoppers believed more efforts are needed to use less excessive packaging, while 33 per cent wanted to see them incorporate more sustainable packaging.
The quality of own-label products was also recognised as a key factor when making buying decisions.
Of those who actively purchase own-label products, half (50 per cent) said they will continue to do so, based on their satisfaction with the high quality of the products.
When defining quality, consumers’ top three factors were ‘better taste’, ‘local production’ and ‘cleaner ingredients’.
“While the research confirms that the price of own-label items impacts grocery shoppers’ purchasing decisions in the current economic climate, quality is still a crucial factor influencing consumers’ buying journey,” explained Mitru.
“Taste, quality, and origin are all still important when consumers are making purchasing decisions. Furthermore, 51 per cent of European consumers said they perceived no difference in the quality of own-label products versus branded ones, putting own-label brands in a strong position for the future.”
Amcor’s research was based on responses from more than 3,000 grocery shoppers in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the Netherlands.
