NEW KENSINGTON, PA - The Power of Produce 2015, a recent research study sponsored by Yerecic Label and published by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), set out to answer the question that appears to be most prominent in sellers’ minds: how do you hook millennial buyers?

“Produce means business to the food retail community,” Rick Stein, FMI Vice President of Fresh Foods, said in a press release. “The Power of Produce explores behavior and demographic trends that are paramount for fresh executives, especially how Millennials are influencing the perimeter of the store.”

According to the release, millennials are the key targets for impulse buys at a 64 percent higher likelihood to do so than everyone else’s 57 percent and are prompting a lot of marketing attention.

“We are continuously looking for ways to interact with consumers to learn what our clients can do to engage the shopper,” Rich Thoma, VP of Sales and Marketing for Yerecic Label, said. “As Millennials will shortly become the largest buying power in North America, resonating with these shoppers is on the top of everyone’s mind.”

A large takeaway from The Power of Produce’s study is that the millennial generation sees produce differently than the buyers that have come before them. From pre-trip planning to in-store experiences and top decision making needs, these particular consumers are reportedly less concerned with the appearance and seasonality of produce and more interested in the required prep time, habit, and product information.

“Double digit differences in data by demographics always catch your eye,” Art Yerecic, Yerecic Label President, said. “While the Boomers are the solidifiers of the produce business, the Millennials are driving new growth through high interest in organic, value-added and smoothies amongst other things. This shows connecting with this generation is crucial to continued health and growth of the produce category.”

Another key difference, Yerecic Label notes, is the millennial craving for recipes and new items. According to the release, this generation of shoppers are more inclined to see suggestions by the produce staff as a part of the in-store experience, something quite different from the previous shopping generation.

The Power of Produce 2015 was conducted by 210 Analytics, LLC, and published by the FMI. Yerecic Label developed materials based on the findings from those that participated to shed light on the millennial generation's consumption habits and purchasing trends.

To access more of the Power of Produce 2015 information and findings, contact Yerecic label at [email protected].

To stay up to date on what continues to influence the industry, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.