Waitrose says lockdown increased customers’ taste for organic
Waitrose has noticed that more shoppers are seeking out organic food and drink after the Covid-19 lockdown led to a growing interest in provenance and animal welfare.
The supermarket said searches on Google for its Waitrose Duchy Organic range almost doubled during lockdown and that interest in organic food and drink has been reflected in its stores and online with sales up 13%.
Recent research conducted for Waitrose by OnePoll found that over half of shoppers surveyed said they wanted retailers to show more information about ethical practices on packaging. Furthermore, three quarters said they wanted to see more British sourcing.
Rob Hues, Waitrose agriculture manager, said: “For many the time at home has meant more time to prepare home-cooked meals and with that an increased awareness of where and how food comes to our kitchen tables. Provenance, animal welfare, taste and value have never mattered more to our shoppers and we see this increased interest only continuing.”
Organic categories seeing some of the biggest sales increases at Waitrose include chicken, vegetables and eggs. Meanwhile, 52 bags of Waitrose Duchy Organic carrots, 34 organic blueberry punnets and 39 bags of organic bananas are now sold every hour on the retailer’s website.
Waitrose is now launching a range of organic British grown blueberries which its says will be a first for a UK supermarket. The Waitrose Duchy Organic blueberries have been grown in Herefordshire by a supplier who has grown fruit for Waitrose for over 25 years.
