Organic Revival in UK as Retail Sales Increase

20 Feb 2017 --- Sales of organic food is increasing across all sectors, according to retailers, as the UK’s appetite for organics rises with consumers willing to pay more for premium products.

Retailers are saying demand for organic food is at a ten-year high in Britain as the sector seems to have recovered from a dent in sales during the first years following the Recession. 

It’s not just fresh fruit and vegetable sales that are propelling the category, increasingly consumers are buying organic dairy produce, fish, pasta, cooking sauces and a range of other organic grocery items. 

“We are seeing that shoppers are increasingly looking to buy organic food but it needs to be affordable and consistently high quality all year round for it to be considered a viable option,” a Tesco spokesperson comments in The Guardian.

“The popularity of organic food began with fruit and vegetables, but we are now seeing customers exploring areas such as grocery, fish and dairy. So you can now use organic produce for the whole meal.”

The supermarket giant says that in store organic sales have risen 15% in the last year, while Ocado home delivery service, said sales increased 16%.

This comes ahead of the Soil Association releasing its annual report about the organic food market, expected to reveal growth for the fourth consecutive year. 

Organics are also selling very well at UK high-end grocers Waitrose which was the first to sell organic products back in the eighties. Shoppers are “as enthusiastic as ever”, and there is approximately a 5% year-on-year growth. 

Adam Wakeley, managing director of Organic Farm Foods, also comments in The Guardian: “The organic food revival is gathering pace thanks to retailers offering a wider range of quality foods at more affordable prices. They continue to support the organic sector and the result is continued growth, outstripping non-organic foods.”