Prior to this research there was very little consumer research relating to the value-added, green leaf, category. This project provides important insights into consumer purchase behaviour when engaging with this category.

The project adopted a formal and structured qualitative and quantitative approach to consumer research of the green leaf category consisting of 9 separate Focus Groups in 3 States; a National Omnibus Report with 1,200 participants; an on-line survey with 900 participants; and an analysis of AC Nielsen Homescan data for the green leaf category over a 6 year period.

It is clear that the green leafy category has now reached the mature phase of its lifecycle. 65% of main grocery buyers are now purchasing pre-packaged salads at least once per month whilst 26% of them purchase less than every 3 months or never. In contrast, 81% of all main grocery buyers purchase a whole lettuce at least once a month or more frequently and 39% purchase loose leaf over a month.

The research revealed that Quality & Freshness are the single most important triggers to consumer purchase. Regular users are more forgiving about quality than occasional users – 60% of pre-packaged salad purchasers perceive that the quality of fresh-cuts is as good as whole lettuce and 65% believe that fresh-cuts are as fresh as whole lettuce. The consumer was also strongly interested in some different pack sizes and formats (family packs and single-serve packs).