What is fresh?

What is fresh? Answering that question for the Asian consumer, Evelyn Lee, Beijing based manager for the consulting and research firm Accenture may have also shed light on why farmers markets in the U.S. are appealing to consumers.
Retailers in Asia are striving to capture more of the consumer dollar spend on fruits and vegetables, but wet markets continue to maintain a dominant edge. Many consumers in Asian consumers feel that wet markets offer a freshness advantage in addition to their typical price position.
Given the fact that these wet markets are not refrigerated, it is hard to understand why outdoor markets rate higher in freshness. In the same way, it may be hard for some to understand the appeal of U.S. farmers markets as opposed to a modern retailer.
In Asia, Lee said a consumer survey showed that “refrigerated displays” had a low correlation in the consumer’s mind to freshness, while “direct farm appearance,” a “tidy fresh food area” and the “presence of foot traffic” convey fresh appeal.
In fact, having a little grit on the vegetables may be a selling advantage for modern channel retailers in Asia, Lee said. To modern retailers, she also suggested replenishing of produce during store house and visibly promoting the supermarket’s hygiene advantage by having workers wear gloves. Yet she noted having produce available to touch and feel, rather than packaged in plastic, is appealing to the Asian consumer.
Supermarkets could also gain an advantage by providing advice to consumers from produce department staff and providing other point of sale information.
Her survey showed that 41% of Asian consumers are “authority seekers” who respond well to information provided to them about fresh produce. “Easy life seekers” account for 30% of the consumer base, with value seekers at 23% and quality seekers at 6%.
One deductive takeaway for the U.S. market is that the more interactive and vibrant a produce department can be, the higher the department will rate in freshness.

Here is the audio link to Lee's presentation, and here is the link to the Q and A session afterward.
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