GMA Survey Reveals Consumers Confident in Food Industry
WASHINGTON - When it comes to value, American consumers believe food offers the biggest bang for their buck, according to a new survey conducted by the polling company for the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA).
Nearly one-half of those surveyed (48%) say food "offers the best value," outranking clothing (15%), home electronics (10%), home furnishings (9%), automobiles (8%) and non-prescription drugs (7%) for offering the best price, convenience, quality, customer service and choice.
Despite Americans' overwhelming support of its political leadership since Sept. 11, the food industry outranks even the federal government in terms of favorability. American adults rated the food industry most favorably against six other peer industries, including gas and oil, automobiles, electronic, pharmaceuticals, the stock market and the federal government.
With the exception of the federal government, food outranks each of the other industries by double digits, with 24% of respondents rating it as the industry about which they have the most favorable opinion. Despite the steady decrease in fuel prices and vehicles over the past few months and the Wall Street boom of the late 90s, the food industry surpassed oil and gas, autos and the stock market.
Consumers' trust and confidence in the food industry was also clear from the survey results. Less than one-half of a percent of respondents mentioned food safety when asked to identify the most important issue to them personally. In contrast, family, employment, morality and health dominated the list of respondents' concerns.
"In today's uncertain times, food continues to bring satisfaction and value," said GMA president and CEO C. Manly Molpus, who released the results at the Food Marketing Institute's Mid-Winter Executive Conference in Phoenix, Ariz. "Consumers overwhelmingly trust the food industry to deliver safe, quality and innovative products they can rely on."
The polling company telephone survey, conducted from Dec. 16-18, 2001, polled a randomly selected national cross-section of 1,001 male and female adults.
Nearly one-half of those surveyed (48%) say food "offers the best value," outranking clothing (15%), home electronics (10%), home furnishings (9%), automobiles (8%) and non-prescription drugs (7%) for offering the best price, convenience, quality, customer service and choice.
Despite Americans' overwhelming support of its political leadership since Sept. 11, the food industry outranks even the federal government in terms of favorability. American adults rated the food industry most favorably against six other peer industries, including gas and oil, automobiles, electronic, pharmaceuticals, the stock market and the federal government.
With the exception of the federal government, food outranks each of the other industries by double digits, with 24% of respondents rating it as the industry about which they have the most favorable opinion. Despite the steady decrease in fuel prices and vehicles over the past few months and the Wall Street boom of the late 90s, the food industry surpassed oil and gas, autos and the stock market.
Consumers' trust and confidence in the food industry was also clear from the survey results. Less than one-half of a percent of respondents mentioned food safety when asked to identify the most important issue to them personally. In contrast, family, employment, morality and health dominated the list of respondents' concerns.
"In today's uncertain times, food continues to bring satisfaction and value," said GMA president and CEO C. Manly Molpus, who released the results at the Food Marketing Institute's Mid-Winter Executive Conference in Phoenix, Ariz. "Consumers overwhelmingly trust the food industry to deliver safe, quality and innovative products they can rely on."
The polling company telephone survey, conducted from Dec. 16-18, 2001, polled a randomly selected national cross-section of 1,001 male and female adults.