Industry overview
What is shaping food & beverage
Food and beverage brands compete on taste, price, health perceptions and shelf presence. Small changes in pack, recipe or price can shift share quickly.
- Health and natural claims influence choice
- Quick commerce and modern trade change shopping habits
- Taste remains the deciding factor at repeat
Client background
A food exporters’ council, working in Buyers in Germany, France, the UK & Italy. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A food exporters’ council
- Sector
- Food & beverage
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Qualitative research, Research consultancy
Client challenge
Indian exporters of spices, rice and processed foods were losing European orders to competitors, and some consignments had been rejected at borders over residue and labelling issues. The council needed to understand what European buyers expected and where Indian suppliers fell short.
Research objectives
- Answer the core question: what European importers want from Indian spice and food exporters.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 8 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 35 interviews, 140 survey responses.
Audiences we typically reach in food & beverage
Shoppers and consumersHouseholdsRetailers and kirana ownersQuick-commerce usersFood-service buyers
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Buyers in Germany, France, the UK & Italy. Markets: India, Germany, France, United Kingdom and Italy.
- India
- Germany
- France
- United Kingdom
- Italy
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Importer interviews
- 3Online buyer survey
- 4Insight
We interviewed importers, distributors and retail category buyers in Germany, France, the UK and Italy about supplier selection, quality testing, documentation, sustainability expectations and recent problems with Indian suppliers. A survey then measured how widespread each concern was, with interviews conducted in English, German, French and Italian.
Business panelQualitative researchResearch consultancy
Sampling strategy
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- interviews
- 35
- survey responses
- 140
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Buyers valued Indian product quality and variety but worried about pesticide residue testing and inconsistent documentation.
Buyers wanted predictability more than lower prices.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: buyers wanted predictability more than lower prices.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: buyers valued Indian product quality and variety but worried about pesticide residue testing and inconsistent documentation.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The council launched a pre-shipment testing programme and documentation training for members, and presented the findings at a buyer-seller meet.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how do people use the category?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.