Consumers in Finland have increasingly been choosing domestic grocery products over imported ones during the coronavirus crisis, according to food retailers.
The supermarket sector has seen a clear increase in demand for home-grown products compared to last year, particularly among certain categories.
The overall sales levels of domestic foods has risen by six percent, according to Antti Oksa, sales director at retail cooperative S Group, the sector's market leader.
"Above all, [the increase is seen] in staple ingredients like fresh domestic meats, root vegetables, potatoes and onions. These items have seen major growth, even into the double digits," Oksa explained.
The popularity of domestic foods sold at the country's major supermarkets is traditionally high, about 80 percent. But S Group stores, including the Prisma and S-Market chains, have seen further demand for Finnish produce. S Group's main competitor Kesko, which runs the K-Supermarket and Citymarket chains, said demand for domestic foods has at least remained steady during the pandemic.
The country's third-biggest grocery retailer, German-based Lidl, also noted that domestic foods have been selling slightly more than normal since coronavirus hit Finland early last spring, according to Lidl's chief commercial officer Mikko Forsström.
"Domestic products sold about 15 percent more than the same time last year, but this of course is accounted in the overall growth in the retail sector," he explained.
"The share of all food sold has increased somewhat, precisely because [consumers' interests] have shifted to fresh produce. Well over half of our product range are domestic products, and now there's been a slight increase in preference for domestic products," Forsström said.
Shoppers eye country-of-origin labels
In a customer survey carried out last summer, Kesko found that the coronavirus period had increased consumer demand for domestic products. Respondents told the retailer that they preferred Finnish products because of their quality and also wanted to support domestic suppliers, according to Kesko's SVP of commerce and sustainability, Harri Hovi.
The two biggest retailers also noted that the coronavirus crisis had changed shopping habits, with more fruits and vegetables, as well as meat and dairy products, being sold than last year.
Kesko reported increased sales of domestic flour, baked goods, frozen berries and fruits, minced meat, onions, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, veggies and root vegetables.
Meanwhile, S Group's Oksa said that shoppers bought significantly more staples like meat, potatoes and pasta compared to a year ago, noting that sales of fish have increased by 20 percent.
"You could also say there was a baking boom. When people are less likely to go shopping, they bake at home. Sales of various baking products have grown by tens of percentage points," Oksa explained.
Lidl reported that, based on research and customer feedback, consumers in Finland value fresh domestic products like milk, meat and veggies but on the other hand also want variety and items from abroad when they head to the grocery store.