A change in ethical food buying - consumers now "want value for their values"

Joanne Denney Finch of the Institute of Grocery Distribution in her keynote speech to the Consumer Goods Forum stated that consumers now "want value for their values". The conclusion is based on research they carried out in Britain, France ,Spain and Germany, and its interesting because it indicates that consumers are once again raising the bar on what they expect when they buy food.

Cynics would say that consumers have always wanted more than they are prepared to pay for, but I think there is a subtle shift of emphasis here. Yes, in the past a sizeable minority have been prepared to pay for what they believe in, but what seems to be happening now is that people expect higher standards but don't expect to have to pay for them. As Mary Vizosa of Waitrose said in the Times, consumers expect their retailers and suppliers to act ethically and sustainably, and not present ethics as an extra which commands a premium.

We can therefore expect a change in consumer behaviour, as they shop around to find the outlets that offer both value and values for a given product. Those who fail to deliver will lose custom.

This could be why Sainsbury took full page advertisements in today's papers to say that they have been named as "Best large supermarket 2010" by Compassion in World Farming, and put a value offer in the advert too ( 2 packs of sausages for £4, and 20% off Freedom Food chicken). Waitrose stopped short of adding a value twist to their communications but the front page of this weekend's newsletter features a very handsome beast with the caption "Farming with Compassion - Waitrose wins award for putting animal welfare first".

It would seem that ethical foods are just another example of what was niche gradually becoming the norm.

With the move to mainstream comes the loss of any price premium. The best example is Fair Trade, where volumes have rocketed but price stayed the same as the standard version, witness Sainsbury's Fair Trade bananas, and Cadbury's Dairy Milk.

Ms. Denney Finch argued that ethical products now offer competitive advantage, and that British business, which generally has a good ethical reputation, can use them as a springboard for growth internationally.

The notion that British business should raise the ethical bar is very welcome. The challenge of course to raise the bar without raising the price, and ensure in the process that all players in the food chain are treated ethically and sustainably.