Nine in ten Spanish shoppers recognise the importance of local and seasonal products to enable them to maintain a healthy, varied diet, a new study by supermarket chain Dia has found.
The retailer‘s I Radar SaluDiable study sought to analyse the consumption habits of Spanish households, and builds on a recent AECOC study that found that seven in ten consumers in Spain are concerned about the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Dia’s study confirms the importance of the origin of food and its seasonality for households, the retailer noted, with three in four respondents also noting that the proximity of the group’s supermarkets assisted them in purchasing local, seasonal food products.
Local, seasonal produce
“Fresh, local, seasonal produce is cheaper and, as it is at its peak of ripeness, tastier,” commented Jaume Giménez, nutritional advisor at Dia. “Planning menus, preparing a shopping list, and prioritising fresh, nutritionally dense foods helps us maintain a varied and balanced diet and also make the most of our household budget.”
The Spanish supermarket’s Eat Better Every Day programme offers educational content and guidance through platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Some 96% of the retailer’s annual purchases are locally sourced.
Increased focus on well-being
“Consumer developments are clearly pointing towards well-being,” added Pilar Hermida, director of communications and sustainability at Grupo Dia. “Food is a key element in achieving this. At Dia, we want to make it easy to adopt healthy habits, which is why we offer customers a varied and complete range with a strong emphasis on fresh, local and seasonal produce.”
Hermida also paid tribute to the retailer’s more than 1,100 national suppliers with whom it works closely “to ensure that our range offers the highest quality at affordable prices”.
Dia boasts a network of 2,300 local stores across Spain and an online channel serving 85% of the Spanish population. Read more here.
