Consumers Less Likely to Trust Natural

COLLINGSWOOD, N.J.More consumers are reluctant to buy all natural" products, but are still committed to organic-certified products, according to a recent MamboTrack survey by Mambo Sprouts Marketing. Health and natural consumers were not confident that products labeled natural" held up to the word. One in three (34 percent) were either not very" or not at all" confident in current natural labeling. 

Consumers might be more willing to buy these products if there was a standard. Two in three (65 percent) were very interested in a uniform standard to certify natural productsincluding ingredients and processesthat are labeled as natural. Another one in four (25 percent) were somewhat interested.  Natural and organic consumers were most likely to prefer natural labeling certification by an independent, nonprofit organization (33 percent) and/or a government standard (27 percent).  Respondents were less interested in an industry/company-supported standard (23 percent) or retailer certification (18 percent). 

However, the outlook for organics remains strong.  Store brand/private label organics are now mainstream with virtually all (96 percent) consumers buying these products; 57 percent plan to maintain and four in 10 (39 percent) will increase spending in 2011.

Other key findings revealed a growing interest in mobile and digital coupon promotions. Consumer use of cell phone/mobile coupons is forecast to grow from 11 percent in 2010 to 31 percent in 2011.  Online printable coupons, already popular, also saw gains from 90 percent to 96 percent. Consumer interest in technology and store location-based coupons is expected to continue with half of consumers planning to use more online printable coupons (56 percent), cell phone/mobile coupons (46 percent) and in-store coupons (45 percent) in the coming year. 

Karen Herther, Director of MamboTrack Research, says savvy consumers will continue to use recession-era saving strategies to stretch their healthy organic food dollars.  Consumers remain cost conscious, and coupon use has become the new normal," she said. The growing acceptance of online and digital mobile coupon promotions signals this savings trend is here to stay."

Mambo Sprouts surveyed the organic buying habits of 1,000 natural product consumers to get an outlook for the coming year.  The Mambo Sprouts Marketing 2011 Organic Consumer Survey Report will be available for purchase in January 2011.