1st October 2020
War on Sugar to Intensify
Introduction
COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the way consumers are now approaching their daily lives. As the second wave of the corona-virus is set to hit many countries, high levels of confusion, uncertainty, and fear still remain. Consumers are still unaware about how vulnerable they are to the illness, resulting in many believing it will influence their daily lives for at least the next twelve months. As many consumers have now changed their consumption habits, there is a growing concern around consumer weight gain, along with their sugar intake, and overall health.
Sugar Attitudes
The rapid spread of COVID-19 along with the high levels of uncertainty has had a great impact on consumers and their attitudes towards health. This is highlighted as FMCG Gurus research shows that 62% of global consumers state they have become more conscious about their overall health. Consumers are also concerned about their immune health, physical health, and cognitive health. This is highlighted as 60% state that they have become more aware of their immune health. This has led to a number of consumers adopting a holistic approach to health, as they believe all aspects of health are interlinked and will impact each other. This can be shown as 84% of global consumers in July said that that they will make attempts to stay healthier in the future as a result of COVID-19, in comparison to the 77% back in April.
With a high number of consumers around the world wanting to improve their overall health, 40% of global consumers say that they are planning to lose weight once the corona-virus pandemic is over. As consumers are taking personal steps to achieve this, the war on sugar will intensify greatly over the next twelve months. This can be shown as 79% of global consumers plan to eat and drink healthier, and 56% of these consumers are planning to do so by reducing their sugar intake. Consumers are doing this as they believe that the ingredient is the number one dietary evil, and is highly associated with the rising levels of obesity and diabetes.
Attitude and Behavior Gap
Although consumers are wanting to reduce their sugar intake, FMCG Gurus research shows a clear attitude and behavior gap exists. This can be seen as 38% of global consumers state that they have purchased more chocolate compared to what they did within the previous months. FMCG Gurus consumer insights show that consumers are turning to chocolate and other sugary confectionery as a result of looking satisfy their mental wellbeing. This is highlighted as 52% of global consumers within the month of July, purchased more comfort food such as ice cream and other confectionery products as a result of COVID-19.
Recommendations
Many consumers around the global are increasing their snacking consumption for wellbeing reasons, this is having a direct link to consumer attitudes towards weight gain. The idea of catching COVID-19 as well as other long-term illnesses is causing consumers to become more cautious towards their diet, with the majority planning to reduce their sugar intake and intensifying the war on sugar. Therefore, it is important that brands position conveniently nutritious products as better-for-you as they will be associated without any compromise or sacrifice.