Irish shopper survey delivers comprehensive market intelligence
Health Stores Ireland asked the questions, consumers gave their answers
Health Stores Ireland reached out with its first-ever consumer survey, partnering with its store network and Rude Health magazine to seek vital insights and emerging trends from shoppers.
Not only would the survey identify trends, it would also reveal habits and existing spending patterns and provide an estimate of where in-store shopping lies within the overall spend on multi-platform health product shopping.
It certainly achieved that with some eye-opening results.
The survey gathered critical data that helps independents and their supplier partners to better understand customer preferences, emerging trends and opportunities in a rapidly changing sector.
“Thanks to the help of HSI members and our partners, we’ve gathered some invaluable data here which should help us to identify future trends as well as recognising the current thinking of our customers,” said Health Stores Ireland Chair, Leroy Smith.
“Anecdotal evidence just isn’t accurate enough to inform decisions, so it’s great to have such good data to work with. Annual updating of these reports should really help us as independent retailers.”
Alan McGrath, HSI National Organiser, added: “As with most surveys of this type, there are gold nuggets in the comment-based replies.”
With the enthusiasm always shown by Irish independents, retailers rallied by displaying posters at their point-of-sale and shared the survey link (healthstores.ie/survey) on their social media platforms.
They’re all now benefiting from such valuable market data.
Survey Overview
• Survey Participation: Nearly three-quarters of participants chose to provide contact details, while just over a quarter preferred anonymity
• Response Rate: Strong engagement with comprehensive responses across all survey questions
Key Insights
- Strong preference for in-person shopping at dedicated health stores (94% preference)
- Significant monthly spending across multiple channels, totalling over €1,000 per household
- Health goals are diverse but digestive health and sleep quality are primary concerns
- Local sourcing and price are the most important purchase factors
- Staff expertise is the most trusted information source
- Technology adoption is moderate, with loyalty programs leading adoption
- Mediterranean and plant-based diets are most popular among health-conscious consumers
Read more details from the survey in our online magazine...
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