A recent report from the market research group focusing on organic food and beauty items found that consumer behavior did not reflect the hype surrounding the trend.
“There is a significant gap between the hype and reality of consumer purchase behavior with regards to organic products,” said TABS group president and founder Dr Kurt Jetta.
“Less than 40 per cent of adults claim to have purchased anything from the major organic categories in the last six months,” he added.
According to the study, which involved 1,000 representatives over the age of 18, organic beauty products were the least mainstream of all the organic categories.
Organic fresh fruit had the highest purchase rates with 27 percent of respondents claiming to have purchased such products in the last six months.
However, organic skin care products had a purchase rate of 5 percent and organic hair care purchase rates were even lower at 4 percent.
In addition, Jetta highlighted that the household penetration of the non-organic products for these categories was well over 70 percent.
Growing but not yet mainstream
Recent studies from other market research providers have attested to the mainstreaming of the organic personal care category as one of the reasons behind its impressive growth.
The TABS study suggests that, whilst undoubtedly growing faster than the personal care market as a whole, the organic sector may still have some way to go before it becomes truly mainstream.
He advises retailers who are interested in maximising the interest in organics to mix organic products in with their mainstream counterparts on the shelves.
“Get organic merchandised within the mainstream products rather than sequester it with other organic products. It should also receive mainstream-type promotional support through their frequent shopper programs and their circulars,” he said.