ARLINGTON, VA. — According to a new comprehensive report from FMI — The Food Industry Association and NielsenIQ, Transparency in an Evolving Omnichannel World, 64% of consumers would switch from a brand they usually buy to one that provides more in-depth product information beyond just nutrition facts.
89% say general nutrition facts about a product are at least somewhat important in deciding which products to buy when grocery shopping. 66% find this important or extremely important.
Beyond nutrition facts, the majority (80%) of shoppers cited other transparency indicators of importance to include allergen information, certifications and claims, and values-based information such as animal welfare, fair trade and labor practices.
Almost 69% of shoppers would like to know more information about the products they purchase to understand how they can contribute to a better planet.
Close to 20% of shoppers said providing information on sustainability practices is an indicator of transparency.
Almost half (45%) say that providing in-depth nutrition information is important for them in determining if a brand or manufacturer is being transparent.
42% say providing allergen information that is required by regulations (30%) or that goes beyond requirements (24%) are indicators of transparency.
In 2018, 26% of consumers purchased groceries online in the past 30 days. In 2022, 55% have.
Most online shoppers (69%) say that being able to compare product details — such as nutrition content and ingredients — is important or extremely important. However, only about one-third of online shoppers (36%) say making these comparisons is very easy.
Strategies for Boosting Online Experience
What are the best ways to enhance online shopping experiences? Consider the guidance from shoppers on this question. They want faster delivery (42%), easier to use websites (37%), more and better product information (30%), retention of order history (29%), more accurate search functionality (28%) and product recommendations based on preferences (23%).
Transparency indicators
The survey explored what kinds of information shoppers require to determine if a brand or manufacturer is being transparent. The leading responses focused on ingredients and nutrition information, but for many shoppers it goes further.
Most respondents (80%) cited at least one indicator that goes beyond ingredients and nutrition information. These include factors such as allergen information, certifications and claims, and values-based information such as animal welfare, fair trade and labor practices.
Most shoppers (85%) focus on availability of ingredients information as a sign of transparency — a finding that also emerged from the research three years ago.
Along these lines, providing a complete list of ingredients is the leading indicator of transparency (59%), followed by a plain-English description of ingredients (49%). Some shoppers are looking for more about the ingredients, such as an explanation of what ingredients are used for (28%).
