Portuguese consumers purchase more premium products than their European counterparts, a Nielsen study has found.
Some 89% of Portuguese regularly purchase premium products when out shopping, Nielsen found, well above the European average of 60%.
Also, 21% of Portuguese consumers said they also premium products from Portuguese retailers' online platforms. This figure is up 3% compared to 2016.
For Portuguese consumers, the benefits attributed to premium products include higher quality (62%), superior function or performance (53%), additional service provided to the customer (50%), and offering something unique (43%).
In addition, around a third of Portuguese consumers say they would be 'strongly willing' to pay more for natural, organic and sustainable products.
Fresh Products
Compared to the rest of the world, Portuguese consumers attach significant importance to quality fresh products such as meat, fish and seafood, with 36% of respondents consider buying premium variants of these products.
Clothing, electronic goods and various personal care categories are also among the top products that the Portuguese are most available to buy at higher prices.
In terms of the push factors encouraging then to try a premium product, half of Portuguese consumers rely on the recommendation of friends or family, followed by research into a particular product (33%), impulse buying (23%), online advertising (22%), TV (21%) and in-store advertising (21%).
Nielsen identified three major factors that have helped drive consumers to premium products. These include changes in the living standard of consumers in Portugal, the proliferation of premium products in both physical and digital retail, consumers' concerns for health and well-being, and a willingness to adopt a more balanced and happy lifestyle.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
