UK: Organic demand reaches new high as supermarkets increase in-store range

An IGD report on "Food Consumption 2000" has revealed that the consumer demand for organic produce is rising annually by around 40%, and supermarkets are rushing to secure a piece of the market now worth around GB£546m The report revealed that weekly expenditure on organic goods per household has increased by 7% since 1996/7. Numerous UK supermarkets are augmenting their organic ranges is response to the increase in consumer demand.

October 6, 2000

An IGD report on “Food Consumption 2000” has revealed that the consumer demand for organic produce is rising annually by around 40%, and supermarkets are rushing to secure a piece of the market now worth around GB£546m The report revealed that weekly expenditure on organic goods per household has increased by 7% since 1996/7.

Numerous UK supermarkets are augmenting their organic ranges is response to the increase in consumer demand. Sainsbury controls a 30.6% share of the organic market, but hot on its heels are a number of other chains. Waitrose are planning to make 1000 organic lines available by the end of 2000, and now controls a 9% share. Market leader Tesco introduced an extensive range two weeks ago, and aims to make organic sales worth 10% of its total revenue by 2005.

News arrived today (6 October) that co-operative food retailer CWS is also introducing 200 own-label and branded organic lines, spurred on by the findings of the Co-op Food Crimes report. A spokeswoman from CWS commented: “There is a demand out there for organics and it is no longer the niche market it used to be.”