The kosher food category is booming! It has been reported that 50% of food on U.S. supermarket shelves is now kosher certified. Kosherfest 2010, the world’s largest kosher food trade show, was said to be the best-attended show ever.
Who is the
kosher food buyer? Mintel, a leading market research company, reports that 3 out of 5 kosher food buyers (62%) purchase kosher for food quality not religion. This contrasts sharply to the just 14% of respondents who say they purchase kosher food because they follow kosher religious rules. Another 10% buy kosher because they follow some other religious rules with eating restrictions similar to kosher.
The kosher buyer is getting younger and broader, and includes vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free shoppers, and more. It has become “cool” and trendy to buy kosher, providing an expanding market for specialty gourmet, healthy, tasty products and ingredients that “happen” to be kosher certified. The “Kosher is better” buyers, those concerned with ingredient clarity, safety and health benefits purchase kosher products because they perceive an extra step of cleanliness, purity and transparency, enabling them to raise their “eating consciousness”. They believe that the kosher mark provides additional quality assurance, due to the presence of the rabbinical inspector.
Kosher eaters prepare more meals at home than the general consumer population. A knowledgeable rabbinical source explained, “In the observant Jewish kosher home, dollars spent weekly for Shabbos (Sabbath) food can be compared to the mainstream consumer’s once a year Thanksgiving shopping experience. The observant kosher food buyer buys like its Thanksgiving 52 times yearly!”
According to www.koshereye.com, the leading website showcasing new kosher products, the kosher option has expanded to nearly every category including vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, wines, spirits and kosher “copycat” products such as kosher sausage, imitation crab and non-dairy alternatives to cream, butter and cheese. The Canadian company Daiya has just announced kosher certification of its popular non-dairy cheeseless cheeses. Daiya looks melts and tastes like dairy cheese.
Social Networking has also added to the boom of kosher. Kosher news and product sites such as www.koshereye.com, savings portals such as www.jdeal.com, and recipe sites such as www.kosherinthekitch all have a presence and growing following on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter.
Supermarkets are now seeking kosher certified products and expanding their kosher offerings.. Several cruise ship lines provide kosher options – as have several leading hotel chains , airlines and sports arenas. Many wholesale food buyers understand that when two products are basically equal, the wise-choice is to select the product with the kosher symbol-- a magnet to the kosher shopper; attracting a customer who spends more on food, and shops more often. The kosher shopper, although price conscious, is often willing to spend a little extra, and seeks a one stop shopping destination – stocked with a wide array of kosher certified product, and gourmet items. Along with emphasis on organic, locally grown and other expanding food trends, retailers have become more savvy about kosher, and are focusing in on this growing specialty market.
For more information: Roberta Scher: contactus@koshereye.com
