Sales of organic eggs in the UK

Figures compiled by Kantar Worldpanel for the 52 week period up to the end of October 2012 have revealed that organic egg sales in the UK were down by over 35 % year on year, Farming UK reports. This was on top of previous falls in organic sales figures. Richard Jacobs, the chief executive of Organic Farmers & Growers stated there was some hope, however. There had been encouraging talk from the supermarkets, some of whom were getting very much aware to the fact that organic shoppers were their high-value customers. If they were going to serve the needs of those customers, then it started with the staples and, of course, that meant eggs and milk, he continued.

According to Finn Cottle of the Soil Association, sales of organic eggs were not helped by the way they were displayed in supermarkets. She said that the average consumer did not have enough information to make an informed choice in the supermarket and that organic eggs were extremely difficult to find on shelves and packaging of organic eggs did not differentiate sufficiently. Supply of organic eggs was also causing a major problem, with egg producers continuing to leave due to the market conditions.
 

The organic egg sector needed to embrace innovation and creativity, Mr. Jacobs explained, since smart marketing and brand development was very often the difference between success and failure in the food sector: "The signs that customers are coming back to organic have to be followed closely and the chance to capitalise on the opportunity of making them committed customers into the longer term future must not be missed. We know it can be done because it’s happening in the rest of the world." The full article is available here: http://www.farminguk.com