According to a research by the Web monitoring specialists M-Brain Oy, Finnish consumers are increasingly concerned with the rise in the prices of food items. The main object of concern in blogs and chats was the increase in the prices of everyday groceries, which affected a number of consumers. The quality of food and the ecological food were a frequent subject of discussion. More ecological products were desired on the shelves.
Food becoming too expensive
The prime food-related topic in blogs and chats was the rise of costs of consumer products. The increse in the price of groceries in particular was addressed as directly affecting the consumers’ shopping behaviour. The minimum amount the discussion participants spent on food weekly was under 10 euros, which meant that under 2 euros were spent on daily grocery shopping. Politics were mainly blamed for the price increase. The criticism was directed particularly at EU’s agricultural policy and the decision-making related to increase in VAT. The participants were also concerned about the weakening of Finnish self-sufficiency.
Ecological products of good quality, but expensive
In the online discussion, quality food was described in terms of ecological and ethical production, health, origin, taste and purity. High quality, healthy food was however considered expensive, which was seen as contributing to unequality between people. Online criticism was also directed against Finnnish food, generally considered high quality.
People form opinions on Internet
Food issues make people talk on daily basis, and dissatisfaction is more easy to expess on the Internet than through traditional media. It’s important to follow online discussions, as they often forecast the future consumption trends. The research highlighted the great popularity of ecological products, commented M-Brain CEO Marjukka Nyberg.
M-Brain’s research examined around 7000 Finnish chat and blog entries, which referred to the quality of pricing of food. The entries examined in the research were published between November 2007 and April 2008. 50,4 % of the entries concerned the pricing, and 52,3% concerned the quality of food. Parts of the discussion were overlapping. M-Brain’s food research is a part of a wider opinion research in social media, the next parts of which will be completed in autumn 2008.
Additional information on results of the research:
M-Brain Oy / service manager Kaisa Eskola
phone. 040-595 5592,
kaisa.eskola@m-brain.fi
www.m-brain.fi