Organic food sales will reach new heights at £2.2bn this year
The Soil Association, the UK's farming charity and organic certification body, held its annual trade briefing in London this week, at which it revealed sales of organic produce are set to top £2.2bn this year - a record high.
Print22 September 2017
At the Soil Association’s annual trade briefing in London this week, the group revealed that the organic market is growing, up 6.3% year-on-year to August 13, and set for record sales of £2.2bn in the UK by the end of the year.
The top three sales categories, fresh produce, dairy and grocery, have driven this growth, with grocery alone adding an enormous 39% increase in sales over the last four years*.
Kevin Hancock, senior trading manager at Ocado, which is the fastest growing retailer of organic, lauded the organic sector’s long-term potential at the event. “Organic at Ocado has grown by 16.2% in the last twelve months, and long may it continue,” he said. “We strive to help our suppliers to grow with us and continue to develop products, allowing our customer base to further enjoy their organic lifestyle.”
At the same event, Dan Rusga, marketing director at Yeo Valley, the UK’s largest organic brand, said, consumer attitudes are changing, with the importance of quality products and traceability now at the forefront of strategies. “Organic September is a key time to put our organic stories front and centre,” he said, “to share who we are with shoppers, bring awareness of organic to consumers and show retailers that they can count on sales as a result.
“But organic isn’t a badge,” he added. “Consumers easily see through inauthenticity. Delivering products that continue to meet consumer needs and values, which match our own, gives us a unique opportunity to keep the organic market growing.”
*(Source: Nielsen Scantrack, 52 weeks to 1 July, 2017)
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