A recent consumer survey conducted by CPS GfK, part of market research agency YouGov since January, has revealed notable trends in the Dutch FMCG sector. The bi-annual survey – in its 6th edition – now covers more than 21 markets and includes the key shopping strategies of more than 15,000 respondents. With this blog, Davy Van Raemdonck, director of Consumer Panel Netherlands & Belgium at CPS GfK |YouGov, wants to help companies to better respond to actual consumer preferences, based on three striking statistics, namely:
- Influence of price developments on the spending behavior of Dutch people
- Attitudes towards additives in the food industry
- Expected support from retailers and brands with changes in the lifestyle of Dutch people
Dutch consumers are concerned about rising prices, but are still financially best off in Europe
While the focus on FMCG home spending is fading, out-of-home spending is still seen as an important way to cut costs. This is evident from the fact that more than half of Dutch consumers say they will adjust their purchases away from home due to higher prices. 37% are concerned about FMCG prices for household products and are consistently changing their purchases, so 51% are concerned about prices away from home (e.g. restaurants) and plan to change what, how and where they spend money.
However, there is one major characteristic that is typical of Dutch consumers. Although almost 2 in 5 consumers say they are concerned about rising prices and are adjusting their purchasing behavior accordingly, only 1 in 5 Dutch people indicate that they really have problems making ends meet financially. That is the lowest number in the European Union. In general, we see that this financial pressure is decreasing, meaning that fewer households are in a pinch, leading to fewer concerns about high prices. 40% of Dutch consumers do not even choose to make purchases in another store because of the prices. That said, we do see more people making other adjustments due to inflation. The top 3 adjustments are:
- check prices
- keep the total amount of their basket low
- prevent food waste.
“We monitor FMCG purchasing behavior on a daily basis, which allows us to quickly spot trends,” says Davy Van Raemdonck. “Thanks to these additional studies, we also know what behavioral changes we will see in the near future.”
Dutch consumers and their attitudes towards additives in food
Surprisingly, Dutch consumers have the least negative attitude towards the health effects of added artificial sweeteners and additives, compared to the rest of Europe. For sweeteners, 43% of the Dutch population think they are good for health (compared to 35% in Europe) and 57% think they are harmful (compared to 65%). This is the lowest percentage on the European continent, only the United Kingdom has a comparable result.
Also interesting is the attitude of Dutch consumers towards meat substitutes. 49% of Dutch people think that meat substitutes are good for their health (compared to 41% in Europe) and 51% think it is harmful (compared to 59% in Europe). So half of the population considers it harmful, despite the Netherlands being one of the countries with the highest adoption of meat substitutes and the highest percentage of flexitarians. In the Netherlands, 17% say they would include lab meat in their diet and another 39% say they would at least try it. That is slightly higher than the average in Europe.
The fact that the Dutch have a relatively neutral attitude towards what is in their food is also evident from the fact that most Dutch people do not see themselves consuming foods with additional health benefits on a daily basis. These are bioactive substances that have a certain biological or physiological activity and are added to food or supplements. The better known are probiotics and prebiotics. These results raise questions about the perception and acceptance of such products on the Dutch market and offer opportunities for consumer education and awareness among producers.
Dutch consumers and willingness to change
The last interesting insight is about the perspective of Dutch consumers regarding the support they expect from retailers or brands in changes they want to bring about. For example, consumers want more action and support in the area of not consuming alcohol than in the area of not eating meat. However, at 34%, the number one priority for consumers where they expect support is enabling zero waste.
When we look at what Dutch consumers consider to be the most important lifestyle changes they want to embrace, 83% choose to exercise once a day, followed by tidying up the house (82%) and lastly producing zero waste (81%). These top 3 are interesting for companies to implement in their strategies and product development, simply because they will arouse the most interest among Dutch consumers.
Limited to no support is expected by consumers on topics such as: fasting (5%), eating completely vegan (3%), paying fair prices (11%) or no alcohol (13%). This insight emphasizes the importance of offering products and services that seamlessly match the habits and needs of the consumer, rather than trying to bring about drastic changes that the Dutch consumer apparently does not want.
This consumer research provides highly valuable insights that FMCG companies and manufacturers can use to refine their strategies. It makes it possible to better respond to customer needs and preferences. A unique opportunity to better serve customers in an ever-changing market landscape.
In conclusion, the data shows that Dutch consumers need companies that support them with certain lifestyle changes, but not all. What is perhaps most interesting is that it becomes very clear that Dutch consumers pay relatively close attention to the euros they spend, but the average Dutch consumer also indicates that things are not that bad.
Source: CPS GfK |YouGov
