Recently released figures from data analysts IRI, reveal that sales of green vegetables and soft fruit have increased by up to a third and this is being contributed to the juicing trend which is gripping the country.
Supermarket sales of blenders and juicers have risen by 49 per cent in the past year, whereas sales of fruit juices are down by eight per cent, fruit drinks have declined four per cent and dilute to taste products down seven per cent.
Shoppers are also spending less on fizzy drinks, but more on bottled water.
According to IRI, sales of avocados rose by 31% last year, worth an extra £34m to UK supermarkets over the year before, while demand for spinach rose by 21% and greens by 12%. Soft fruit sales also increased by 12%, topping £1bn in sales last year and adding an extra £115m to the economy over the year before.
Martin Wood, head of strategic insight – retail solutions & innovation at IRI, said: “It’s clear that certain categories are receiving a boost from shoppers’ changing attitudes towards ‘free-from’, natural products and food authenticity, and an increased awareness of the health benefits of certain foods and ingredients. Typically we expect these figures at the start of the year when people adopt more healthy eating habits, but it’s interesting that our data shows growth trends across the whole year.''
