TORONTO - Nourish Food Marketing, Canada's only full-service marketing agency working exclusively with food, beverage, and agricultural clients, is now on year six of the annual halal shopper study. The study surveyed over 1,000 principal grocery shoppers across Canada to gain insights within the halal consumer market
This year's study shows a shift in where shoppers are heading to do their household shopping. Specifically in Ontario, where the majority of this segment resides, Costco tops the list and is up 3.4% from the previous year while No Frills is number two and is up by 5.5% from 2018.
"Each year we run this study and each year we can correlate the efforts being made in the community with the study results we see," says Salima Jivraj, head of Nourish Multicultural and the founder of Halal Foodie. "While we see the shift in which grocery stores consumers are shopping, we also continue to see consumer expectations rise."
Up from 57% in 2018, this year's study reported that 64% of respondents do not believe grocery food chains are doing a good job meeting their needs while 68% feel the same way about major food companies. These ratings have worsened over time, continuing to drop further each year.
The Canadian halal market is one of the fastest-growing populations in the country. Statistics Canada data estimates that Canada's Muslim population will reach 1.4 million and projects that it will exceed the size of the Chinese ethnic market by 2021. (As projected by Stats Canada via alternative religious mobility)
The study has been used as a trusted guide for a number of food and beverage clients that Nourish Food Marketing works for. It has aided in providing key insights into the segment's specific needs such as trust in certification bodies, brand recognition, and gaps in the marketplace.
"As the Canadian population grows more and more diverse, studies like this become increasingly important," Says Jo-Ann McArthur, President of Nourish Food Marketing. "They result in unique insights and guide both overall marketing strategies as well as multicultural spend."
Source : CISION