Kale has had a great year: the health blogger favourite has been a standout performer within the fresh produce category, increasing value sales by 15 per cent year on year.
Over one in five households now buy the leafy green vegetable, and they’re choosing it more often – kale is now added to shopping baskets 5.4 times each year on average, about as often as longstanding staple asparagus.
Despite this rapid growth, there is still plenty of room for expansion. In a typical week, kale will still only be eaten by a tiny one per cent of the UK population. Although women eat just over half of all kale, it’s men driving growth.
Male shoppers are nibbling on the green vegetable a whopping 70 per cent more often year on year, while female consumption has only seen a nine per cent boost during the same time period.
While it makes sense to target this growing market, it’s important that retailers don’t neglect the early adopters. Women aged between 16-24 and 35-54 are actually decreasing their kale consumption year on year, in part reflective of them viewing it as a less practical option.
If kale is to reach its full potential, retailers and suppliers need to take steps to change this. That could mean increasing the variety of pre-prepared options available, placing more imaginative serving suggestions on packs or championing quick and simple recipe ideas for shoppers to try at home.
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