A webinar hosted by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development (AHDB) will invite the UK food sector to access “key industry insight” on consumer confidence and purchasing decisions.

The webinar will be hosted on Thursday 27th June by AHDB’s lead consumer insight manager Steve Evans and will explore consumer confidence, evolving sensitivity to price, understanding the thoughts and decisions of meat reducers and future growth opportunities.

Evans will be joined by lead retail insight manager Grace Randall and retail and consumer insight analyst Tom Price.

How do events impact sector sales?

The team will also share a new event focused research project for the first time, covering opportunities around holiday events like Easter and Christmas, and royal occasions such as the King’s Coronation.

AHDB said that the research looked into which events are the most important for dairy, beef, lamb and pork sectors and “explored the needs of consumers” at different types of events, looking at how messaging can be tailored to meet those expectations and boost sales.

Despite rising prices, AHDB found that shoppers were less likely to stick to a strict budget when it comes to food for special occasions. It said during the webinar, it would cover how the weather impacts Easter shopping, and how events differ in importance for different products.

“By assessing future considerations, we can ensure we are doing all we can to support farmers, growers, retailers and processors to be as well informed as possible.”

Grace Randall said: “The cost-of-living ‘crisis’ is still front of mind for many people, and consumers are having to make decisions about their food choices. Our webinar will delve into the reasons behind consumers’ changing dietary preferences and decisions, and will explore why now is a great time for farmers and producers to communicate their value to consumers.

“The webinar will not only inform attendees on current consumer food trends and behaviours around key seasonal events, but more importantly explore how this affects future demand and what opportunities these trends present.

“By assessing future considerations, we can ensure we are doing all we can to support farmers, growers, retailers and processors to be as well informed as possible, helping them to adapt to evolving consumer needs and back the reputation of British farming year-round.”