Consumers love locally grown produce, The Packer's Fresh Trends 2025 survey finds, with 2 in 3 saying they feel strongly about buying local fruits and vegetables.
The annual survey examining shopper purchasing behavior in fresh produce also revealed that households with kids are especially keen on purchasing local, with 79% of households with kids at home saying they feel strongly about buying local produce, compared to 60% of households without kids.
Regionally speaking, consumers in the Northeast (74%) and South (68%) are most likely to feel strongly about buying local, compared to 65% of both Midwesterners and shoppers in the West.
But the Fresh Trends 2025 survey — fielded to more than 1,050 consumers from across the U.S., representing five generations and multiple income levels — also shows that consumers are feeling the effects of inflation and higher grocery prices, which for some may present a barrier to purchase.
The survey asked: “If price was not an issue, which of the following items would you purchase more of? Please select all that apply.” Respondents selected from a list that included locally grown and organic, among other produce items. Fifty-eight percent of consumers indicated they'd buy more locally grown produce if price were not an issue, and 55% indicated they'd purchase more organic fruits and vegetables.
Baby boomers and Gen X seemed to indicate the greatest sensitivity to price when it comes to purchasing local produce, with a whopping 74% of boomers and 65% of Gen X indicating they'd buy more locally grown fruits and veggies if price were not an issue. Forty-three percent of Gen Z, 53% of millennials and 47% of traditionalists indicated they'd buy more locally grown produce if price were not an issue.
Interestingly, fewer baby boomers and Gen Xers indicated they'd purchase more organic produce if price were not an issue, with 48% of baby boomers and 54% of Gen Xers saying so.
Younger Consumers, Men Buying More Local
Fresh Trends 2025 found that millennials and Gen Z led the way with local this year, with 47% of millennials and 45% of Gen Z saying they're buying more locally grown produce than a year ago, compared to 26% of Gen X, 18% of baby boomers and just 12% of traditionalists.
Having children in the household also proved a powerful driver of locally grown produce purchase, with more than twice the number of households with kids (51%) than households without kids (24%) reporting they'd purchased more local produce than a year ago.
The highest rate of consumers who reported buying more locally grown produce than a year ago was in the Northeast (41%), compared with 36% of those in the South, 32% in the Midwest and 30% in the West.
And while throughout the survey men and women responded similarly, the gender divide was most dramatic on the question of whether consumers are purchasing more local than a year ago. Forty-two percent of men indicated they are buying more locally grown produce, compared to just 29% of women.
Who's Showing Local the Most Love?
Fresh Trends 2025 separately surveyed more than 50 consumers taking GLP-1 medication on their produce purchasing habits. Eighty-four percent of consumers taking GLP-1 medication indicated they have increased their produce consumption, with apples, bananas, tomatoes, avocados and grapes topping their produce purchase list.
GLP-1 patients also indicated a strong preference for local, with 85% saying they feel strongly about buying it and 62% of whom say they are purchasing more local produce than a year ago.