Wednesday, May 20, 2015

David Lazarus at Los Angeles Times: "Is organic food worth the higher price? Many experts say no"

When you go to Publix or Winn-Dixie, two local supermarkets in Lake Worth, and see two heads of lettuce that look exactly the same but one is twice the price because it's 'organic' it makes you go "hmmmm". Apparently the "Gen X and millennial crowds" have exactly the same concerns. Here's an excerpt from the article by David Lazarus:
     Kristin DiMarco was heading into a Trader Joe's in West Los Angeles the other day and knew for sure what she wouldn't be buying: anything organic.
     "I just feel like I've already built up an immunity to anything that might be in my food," the 26-year-old told me.
     Besides, she said, why would she want to pay a markup that can run double or triple the cost of conventional food? [emphasis added]
     "I don't think there's a big-enough difference in quality to justify those prices," DiMarco said.
     Only about 40% of Gen Xers believe that organic is organic, Mintel found. And about half of all consumers think labeling something organic is just an excuse to charge more. She's not alone. The market research firm Mintel released a study last week showing that younger consumers — the fickle Gen X and millennial crowds — are decidedly cynical about the high prices charged for organic goods.
On sort of the same topic there is recent news about Trader Joe's and them tweaking their business model to accommodate the more price conscious consumer; some are angry about this and began referring to Trader Joe's as "Traitor Joe's".