Price isn’t only factor for consumers

Retailers should not be competing solely on price, if their customers are to be believed, according to the Meat and Livestock Commission’s head of marketing, Richard Lowe.

Speaking at the British Meat Processors’ Association annual conference, he said research showed 40% of shoppers did not even rate price in their top five reasons for choosing a particular supermarket.

Their main concern was familiarity with the store’s layout, suggesting that speed and convenience were more important than price. However, that fact was not reflected in many retailers’ advertising and merchandising strategies.

“If you arrived from Mars you’d think it was wholly about price,” Mr Lowe said.

There was very little link between price consciousness and a shopper’s economic standing, he added.

An equal number of those classified in the top and bottom economic tiers said they were interested in quality and freshness before price.

“The industry does not make enough of this,” he said.

Meanwhile, red meat sales continue to rise, increasing 3.5% over the past three years.

Cooked sliced meat product sales grew 9%, and sausages, burgers and grills had also seen healthy increases.