Study: Austrian Households Buying More Food

Study: Austrian Households Buying More Food

APA/THEMENBILD/GEORG HOCHMUTH

 

Austrian households have increased their purchases of fresh food from retailers, with shopping quantities rising by just over 3% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to a recent study.

Findings from AMA Marketing show that sales of organic products have also seen a modest increase of 1.8% from the previous year, while discount promotions remain popular due to inflation, with one in every three euros spent on promotional products.

The data for the rolling agricultural market analysis (RollAMA) comes from 2,800 households across Austria and covers “fresh goods” such as meat, poultry, fruit, and vegetables. Products consumed outside the household are not included.

According to the data, food purchases in the retail sector increased by 2.7% in the first half of the year, surpassing pre-Covid levels for the first time, as Christina Mutenthaler-Sipek, head of AMA Marketing, explained.

Demand has risen for both animal-based (up 2.2%) and plant-based products (up 3.2%), with a noticeable trend towards chicken, turkey and minced meat, while beef and veal are less in demand. This shift is largely attributed to factors of time and ease of preparation, as well as the impact of higher beef prices due to inflation, according to Mutenthaler-Sipek.

Overall, consumption has shifted back to home cooking following the restaurant boom during the Covid pandemic, Schantl added. This shift is also reflected in data from the gastronomy wholesale sector, which AMA Marketing obtained from Gastro-Data. Sales in this sector have grown below the inflation rate in the first half of the year.

The data also highlight the effects of climate change, particularly concerning apples and potatoes. For example, potato harvests have significantly decreased due to heat and other extreme weather conditions, which has also impacted prices.

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