Consumer trends at growers’ fingertips

Hort IQ is an easy-to-use, self-serve platform that provides Australian horticulture growers with an unprecedented ability to observe consumer trends. 

Australian apple and pear growers can now gain a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics, purchasing trends and consumer perceptions through a new Hort Innovation platform – Hort IQ. 

Underpinning the platform is a portfolio of data projects that track what Australians think, feel and do in relation to fresh produce, through research partnerships with Fiftyfive5 and NielsenIQ. Discover powerful consumer insights designed to fuel industry growth, with information on:  

• the market landscape – gain a clear picture of the Australian retail landscape 

• consumer needs – understand what drives fruit and vegetable choices in Australia 

• buying trends – stay ahead of the curve with insights into purchasing habits 

• consumer perceptions – discover how Australians view your products. 

In building the Hort IQ platform, Hort Innovation has assembled all the key consumer insights, assets and learnings from the last couple of years and, from this foundation of information, will continue to expand the resource base. 

The Hort IQ platform provides information on the market landscape, consumer needs, buying trends and consumer perceptions.

Features of Hort IQ include a consumer usage and perception dashboard that is updated every month, the latest NielsenIQ Harvest to Home category insights and deep dives into macro consumer trends such as sustainability and cost of living. These insights encourage growers and industry to emphasise where their products come from (provenance) and build consumer trust, identify opportunities to promote produce for different meal and snacking occasions, and embrace sustainability. 

The Australian Consumer Needs component on Hort IQ offers growers and industry groundbreaking research revelations about how Australians make produce purchase choices. Via the Australian Consumer Needs page, growers can access Kantar reports for apples and pears that provide: 

• deeper consumer understanding – identify what truly motivates consumers across produce categories 

• targeted engagement strategies – discover opportunities to connect with consumers based on their core needs 

• data-driven demand building – make informed decisions to boost sales and build brand loyalty. 

This research informs growers and the wider sector in their decision-making on ‘where to play’ and ‘how to win’ when seeking to engage Australian consumers and provides foundational understanding of what influences consumer choice, providing a deep dive into the apple and pear categories. 

Some of the topline insights contained in the Kantar report on apples include: 

• The occasions when apples are eaten are similar to all fruit, with a skew towards snacks. Apples are more likely to be eaten fresh on their own than other fruit. 

• Although mostly eaten at home, people are more likely to eat an apple at work than other fruit. People eat apples when they’re working, studying or during downtime. 

• When consuming an apple, consumers are looking for refreshing taste, ease of preparation and freshness, more so than with other fruit. 

• The most significant barriers for apple purchase are bruising and unreliable quality. Consumers are also challenged by more exciting alternatives. 

Some of the topline insights contained in the Kantar report on pears include: 

• Pears are eaten on similar occasions to all fruit, with a skew towards snacks, and they are most likely to be eaten fresh on their own. 

• When choosing a pear, consumers are looking for refreshing taste, sweetness and convenience. 

• The most significant barriers for consumers when buying pears are bruising and shelf-life. Consumers are also challenged by quality issues and messiness, but not much more so than for other fruit. 

Apple and pear growers can search for information on Hort IQ that is specific to their industry, including the most recent NielsenIQ comprehensive reviews which explore key sales metrics and buying habits for the previous 52 weeks. 

Access to Hort IQ is available to eligible people engaged in growing, marketing, selling and development of Australian horticulture. Check your eligibility by registering at www.hortiq.com.au. 

A video recording of the launch of Hort IQ at this year’s Hort Connections can be viewed here: youtube.com/watch?v=g_nPUI-TAaI&t=62s.  

Hort Innovation Consumer Insights Manager Wendy Hubbard at the launch of Hort IQ at Hort Connections in June.

This article was first published in the Spring 2024 edition of AFG.