‘Consumomics’ shows retailers how they can raise consumption 

SAN ANTONIO, TX – The challenge of raising fresh produce consumption is less a consumer demand issue than it is a retail merchandising and execution issue. 

That’s according to futurist economist Richard Kottmeyer of FutureBridge, who led a session on April 17 at Viva Fresh on the “Consumomics of Fresh Produce.”  

“40 to 60 percent of latent consumer demand is unexpressed,” Kottmeyer said. 

Sabrina DeLay, also with FutureBridge, said there are three key trends for retailers to focus on right now: 

• The rise of GLP-1 users. By next year, 10 to 15 percent of Americans will be using them, and they spend 10 percent more on fruits and vegetables than typical consumers.  
• Convenience. Average meal prep has gone from 60 minutes in the 1980s to 20 minutes now. Consumers want more value-added and are willing to pay for it, as value-added has 40-60 percent higher margins. 
• Trust. Transparent sourcing leads to higher sales, even if consumers don’t even look it up. They like to know it’s there. 

Kottmeyer said most retailers devote 10-15 percent of shelf space to value-added, but it should be more like 25-30 percent. 

He said consumers operate in a model that goes from exposure to conditioning to adoption. 

“It has to be in that order, but many retailers don’t do it,” Kottmeyer said. “Many promotions and discounts skip exposure. We assume price leads to adoption, but it does not. Retailers do things too quickly and change for the sake of change.” 

Retailers need to be more patient with consumers and build trust, he said. 

He also said retailers need to be more specific when it comes to promoting health. They should be more specific and use benefits that are measurable so consumers know how to get benefits from certain fruits and vegetables. 

“Gramma says eat your vegetables,” Kottmeyer said. “We all know this and it doesn’t work.” 

FutureBridge offers a white paper on its market analysis here. The Future of Fresh Merchandising – Viva Fresh 2026 (Consumomics™)