THE VALUE of the grocery trade in the State has fallen by 2 per cent in the past year, according to new figures from An Bord Bia.
The trade was valued at €9.13 billion to the year ending November 2009, and the decline accelerated in the September-November period when a value decline of more than 5 per cent was recorded.
A report in Bord Bia’s weekly market bulletin said the volume in the market was more stable with consumers seeking to reduce spend without reducing the amount of groceries purchased.
Dealing with the various sectors in the grocery trade, the report said the fresh produce retail market, which makes up 13 per cent of the total grocery market, was now valued at €1.2 billion.
This, said the report, represented a 2.9 per cent decrease on the previous year to September 2008. It said over the last year the average spend per buyer on fruits and vegetables fell 6.2 per cent to €744. “However, the average buying frequency increased by 6.3 per cent from 156 to 166 trips.”
The prepared fruit and vegetable retail market maintained its value to the year ending September 2009 with a value of €84 million, which represented a small increase on the previous year.
“However, the last quarter has seen a decline in this market. The key category areas include the leafy- and chilled-salads products, which make up two-thirds of the market,” the report concluded.