Consumers Want Natural, Organic and U.S. Products

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.When it comes to shopping for consumer packaged goods, U.S. consumers increasingly are looking for products with natural," organic" or grown in the USA" on their labels, according to a new Eco Pulse survey conducted by the Shelton Group.

A survey of more than 1,000 U.S. shoppers revealed 25% said they look for 100% natural" or all natural" products, while 24% said USDA certified organic" or 100% organic" affected their purchases. Interestingly, 17% of those survey preferred grown in the USA."

But we believe the popularity of Grown in the USA reflects three important trends," said Suzanne Shelton, president of Shelton Group. First, Americans are increasingly worried about food contamination, and theyre concerned about water treatment and crop fertilization in other countries. Second, there is growing support for family farms and local sourcinga trend thats gone mainstream in the last several years, including at Walmart. And finally, people are concerned about the economy and job losses, so buying Grown in the USA is a way to help fellow Americans."

Sustainability also is becoming more important to consumers. The number of Americans searching for more energy-efficient, natural or sustainable products has increased almost 10 percentage points over the past two years. Nearly seven in 10 U.S. consumers say theyre searching for sustainable products, and green buying behavior seems to be crossing all socioeconomic classes. Only 23% of Americans consistently buy green across multiple product categories, and 71% of those surveyed said they almost always cost more, citing frustration with manufacturers for charging more.