Pulse Report: Consumer Understanding of Buying Local

Abstract

What does the term "buy local" mean to today' s consumers?

"Local" has become a quality distinction marker for food consumption as well as environmental causes. While "buy local" is a phrase that continues to grow in popularity, the specifics of what such a term means to consumers is hazy. Many mainstream consumers are just beginning to think about the idea in terms of everyday products and practices.

Pulse Report: Consumer Understanding of Buying Local is designed to provide a current view on where "buy local" is at with consumers and how this acquired knowledge translates into marketing opportunities.

Like organic products in the late 1990' s, the fervor for all things "local," ranging from farm stand goods to civic involvement, seems to be everywhere today. On the surface, the rising interest among consumers in local products might be misconstrued as a growing fascination with fresh produce culled from the explosive growth of farmers markets in the U.S. To be sure, fresh agricultural goods and romanticized notions of family farms are a key part of what make up local products in the minds of consumers, yet consumers are also avidly interested in supporting local businesses and producers that they believe reflect their community' s values.

What' s Inside

The issues surrounding consumer involvement with the concept of "buying local" will only continue to grow in complexity. This report is your guide to understanding consumer perceptions of what "buy local" means to consumers in the context of products, brands, retailers, restaurants and businesses. The report examines:

• Current consumer definitions for "local"
• Reasons why consumers buy products they perceive as local
• Where consumers buy local products
• Percentage of local products purchased believed to be organic
• Assumptions consumers make about locally grown products (fresh)
• Perceptions of local vs. organic
• Perceptions of locally produced products vs. imported products
• Marketing influences
• Awareness for local brands
• Consumer desire for greater variety and access to local products

Key Features

Consumers are influenced by a range of factors to purchase local products. These influences range from notions of freshness to curiosity about product narratives to beliefs that buying local benefits local economies and environments. This report examines a variety of potential methods that marketers, retailers and restaurateurs can utilize to better align themselves with communities in which they sell or operate.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

List of Figures

Introduction

• Key Findings

Chapter I. Consumer Understanding of Local

• What Buying Local Means to Consumers
• Language Map: Consumer Definitions of Local Products
• Definitions of "Buy Local"

Chapter II. Purchase of Local Products

• Local Products Channels of Purchase
• Influences on Local Shopping, Buying and Dining Out
• Local vs. Organic
• Local vs. Imported Products

Chapter III. Marketing Local

• Local Marketing Influences
• Desire for Greater Variety and Availability of Local Products
• Awareness for Local Brands

Chapter IV. Conclusions

Appendix I. The World Model

• The World of Wellness

Appendix II. Methodology

• Quantitative Methods
• Qualitative Methods

List of Figures

• Figure 1 Percentage of Consumers Who Buy "Locally Produced" Products
• Figure 2 Among Consumers Who Buy Local Products, Segment Percentages Within the World of Wellness
• Figure 3 Percentage of Consumers Who Purchase Locally Produced Products (by Wellness Segments)
• Figure 4 Consumer Definitions of the Term "Local Product"
• Figure 5 Consumer Definitions of the Term "Local Product" (By Wellness Consumers)
• Figure 6 Associations with Term "Local Product" Language Map
• Figure 7 Agreement with Definitions of the Term "Buy Local"
• Figure 8 Channels Most Frequently Shopped to Purchase Locally Produced Products
• Figure 9 Major Influences on Shopping, Buying and Dining Out Locally
• Figure 10 Percentage of Local Products Purchased Believed to be Organic
• Figure 11 Assumptions about Locally Grown Fresh Foods
• Figure 12 Assumptions Made When Buying Local Foods: Always Check to Verify as Organic (By Wellness Consumers)
• Figure 13 When Buying Local Foods: Assume that They are "Close to Organically Grown" (By Wellness Consumers)
• Figure 14 Perceptions of Differences Between Local and Imported Products
• Figure 15 Consumers Prefer Products That Travel Short Distances (By Wellness Consumers)
• Figure 16 Locally Produced Products vs. Imported Products: Preferences for Support of Town, City or Community (By Wellness Consumers)
• Figure 17 Importance of Different Elements of Marketing "Buy Local"
• Figure 18 Importance of the Story Behind a Local Product (By Wellness Consumers)
• Figure 19 Marketing Influences on Shopping, Buying and Dining Out Locally
• Figure 20 Categories Consumers Would Like to See More Variety For Local Products
• Figure 21 Categories Consumers Would Like to See More Variety For Local Products (By Wellness Consumers)