USA: The West is best when it comes to organic food

The Media Rating Council Scarborough Research found that 35 % of San Francisco adults bought organic foods during September 2007, making it the top U.S. city for consumers of organic products. During the same month, 32 % of Seattle adults consumed organic foods, followed by Portland (27 %), Washington D.C. and Denver (26 % each) and San Diego (24 %). In the whole USA, 17 % of all adults are considered to be consumers of organics.

Picture: Whole Foods Market

Out of the 79 local markets measured by Scarborough, 23 were identified as “organics markets”. Scarborough Research defines “organics markets” as cities that are more likely than the national average to have organic food consumers, or markets that have an above-average percentage of organics consumers. Of these 23 organics markets, 13 cities are in the Western census region, six cities are in the Southern census region, three cities are in the North-east, and one is in the Midwest (Minneapolis, MN).

“The top five markets for organic consumers have youth, higher than average annual household incomes and a fitness mentality in common,” said Alisa Joseph, vice president, Advertiser Agency Services, Scarborough Research. “Cities such as San Francisco and Seattle have long been known for active, healthful lifestyles, and therefore it makes sense that these are the top markets for organic users. However, the industry should keep an eye on the Southern region of the U.S., as many markets there have a significant presence of organic consumers as well.”

Nationally, people shopping for organics spend an average of $ 127 on their weekly household grocery bill – that is 10 % higher than the national norm of $ 115. This is not surprising, given that people purchasing organic products tend to be in high-income brackets. Their annual household income of $ 86,000 a year is 22 % higher than the national average. Consumers of organics tend to be young and have families – they are 19 % more likely than the national average to be aged between 18 and 34, and 13 percent more likely to have two or more children at home.

Wal-Mart Supercenter, the leading grocery store in the country, is the top grocery store for customers looking for organic products. 29% of organics consumers shopped at Wal-Mart Supercenter during the week surveyed. However, when it comes to having a special appeal for customers buying organic products, Whole Foods leads the pack. Consumers of organics are 272 % more likely than the average consumer to have shopped at Whole Foods during the past week. By contrast, they are 21 % less likely to have shopped at Wal-Mart Supercenter during this time-frame.

Other grocery stores that have a higher than average concentration of organic shoppers include Trader Joe’s; purchasers of  organics are 180 % more likely than the average consumer to have shopped at Trader Joe’s during the past week; Safeway (72 % more likely); Costco (70 % more likely); and SuperTarget (50 % more likely).

“Organics users’ local grocery store availability will dictate where they shop. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s established themselves in the organics market, and are more popular among people buying organic products. However, a high percentage of organics users shop at prominent U.S. stores such as Wal-Mart due to its significant local market penetration,” said Ms. Joseph.

One in four purchasers of organics aged 21+ bought wine at a grocery store during the past month, and they are more likely than the total 21+ market to have bought all types of wine – from sparkling and white wines to reds and rosés. Beer, particularly imported beer, is also a popular beverage item. Almost one-third (31 %) of shoppers buying organics drank an imported beer during the past month, compared with 20 % of the total 21+ adult population. Organics consumers are 24 % more likely to have bought beer at a grocery store during the past month.

Scarborough Research, a Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited media and marketing service, measures lifestyle and shopping patterns, media behaviour, and the demographics of American consumers. Surveying more than 220,000 adults annually, Scarborough is a joint venture between Arbitron Inc. and The Nielsen Company.

http://www.scarborough.com