According to StoreBrands.com, research from the Specialty Food Association reveals that the majority of consumers are willing to visit additional retailers to find the products they desire.

A new report from the Specialty Food Association has unveiled insights into consumer behavior while shopping for unique items.

More than 4 in 10 shoppers make trips to a secondary store seeking specialty food products not carried by their main grocer, according to survey results conducted by the Specialty Food Association (SFA).

Speaking with 1,000 consumers, 44% of respondents said they make an extra trip to another store to find products their usual store doesn’t stock.

“If my favorite store had a wider selection of specialty food products,” said 41% of surveyed shoppers, “I would be less likely to shop elsewhere.”

SFA estimates that these additional trips, along with others made to specialty stores, represent $1,200 in sales per household annually, sales that retailers could capture.

The figures were revealed in the SFA report Understanding the Real Value of Specialty Foods, which polled consumers along with 100 retailers.

The report notes that specialty product sales grew from $88 billion in 2013 to approximately $207 billion in 2023, a 149% increase.

With specialty foods and beverages now accounting for 21.6% of total center-store food sales across the 63 categories measured by SFA, they are no longer considered niche products but a significant growth engine in the food sector.

“There is a general perception that specialty foods inherently carry more value, either in price or in the time spent by shoppers to procure them. This updated research proves that perception to be correct,” said Bill Lynch, president of SFA.

“This has significant implications for many SFA members and the industry as a whole. In a period of economic uncertainty and fluctuating prices, we hope this research helps food producers, buyers, brokers, and distributors understand the positive impact specialty products have on retailers.”

The report also found that specialty foods can help increase retailer profits. In addition to sales generated by retaining more trips, specialty foods are disproportionately more profitable on the shelf, according to the report.

Specialty food items generate a gross margin return on investment (GMROI) in dollars that is 3-4 times higher per unit than mainstream products, which, the report argues, helps balance the “somewhat slower turnover of specialty products.”

Given the higher average prices of specialty products and gross margin rates, these items offer more than twice the return on investment in stock (ROI) for retailers: 50.1%, compared to 19.8% for non-specialty items, according to this report's data.(Photo: Freepik)