Stress on natural foods
Changing consumer trends over the last few years suggest that an inclination for natural foods, which appeal to traditional values, is expected to be the new dominant feature of the market. «There are many products with rising sales that will show us how the market will shape up in the future,» said Aristotelis Panteliadis, managing consultant of the Metro supermarket chain. «Fresh or UHT milk show rising sales compared to tinned milk. In addition, organic products are slowly but surely growing in popularity, both fruit and vegetables and packaged foodstuffs, such as pulses and pasta. Also, products produced by traditional methods, such as virgin olive oil, quality wine and unprocessed foods are also showing rising sales.» There are two exceptions. «Fast food is a growing category to the detriment of more traditional dishes… obviously because workers have less and less time for cooking, while ready-to-eat meals are getting to be of higher quality. What’s more, though this sounds paradoxical, sales of tinned foods are also on the rise. This trend first appeared last year and is chiefly due to the buying habits of economic migrants, who continue to prefer them for various reasons. We estimate that this trend will continue for the next 10 years at least.»
