On the plus side, the demand has never been higher: 80% of respondents to Deloitte’s fresh food consumer survey said that high-quality fruits and vegetables are one of the most important attributes they look for when choosing a store. Additionally, the 20-30% bump in online grocery shopping due to the pandemic has continued with nearly 50% of consumers now indicating they buy groceries online at least once a week.
And omnichannel opportunities for the fresh food industry are increasing. For farmers, retailers and business owners, that represents rich, fertile soil for growth. On the flip side of that coin, the industry has a waste problem with almost 30% of high-quality fruits and vegetables falling through the grid of trade chains and large supermarket chains due to lack of supply chain visibility. And disruption is a constant challenge with social, economic, environment and political disruption happening far more regularly.
