The value-action gap is alive and well when it comes to shopping locally – despite most people saying they’re willing to spend more on local produce, very few actually look at point-of-origin in the aisles. We explore the science behind the behaviour, breaking down how creative labeling and small visual nudges could help people resolve this shopping tension.
A study from Dalhousie University shows that while nearly 80% of people say they're open to paying more for locally grown produce, only one in four actively seek it out in the aisles. Researchers call this discrepancy between attitude and behaviour the ‘local food paradox’, describing how people’s ‘willingness’ to shop for local food doesn’t necessarily translate into ‘looking’ at point-of-origin in supermarkets.
The study shows that the value-action gap is alive and well. “We talk a good talk, but what goes on in grocery stores is very different. People are willing, but aren’t looking,” says Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, scientific director of Dalhouse's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, which published the study. The research also found that, for many, price is still the deciding factor behind purchases, suggesting that campaigns to promote local produce would do well to consider wider dynamics around production and food autonomy.
Shopping locally is a self-stated priority for many people – for instance, over 40% of Britons say they are prepared to buy British products no matter the extra cost. Still, as the study proves, the value-action gap is alive and well – people might talk the talk around ethical consumption, but don’t always walk the walk. With COVID-19 increasing people’s desire to use their spending power for ethical means, there's room for brands to help people resolve this tension, minimizing the disjunct between values and behaviour and reducing emotional friction. Asda has attempted to simplify shopper choice by centralizing plant-based products in a separate aisle – and behavioural science also shows that more conspicuous labeling could help by serving as a visual nudge to guide decision-making.
Helen Jambunathan is an Associate Insight Director at Canvas8. An anthropologist and writer, she is a former Wyse Scholar at the University of Cambridge and leads strategic cultural research across both academia and industry. She is a Fellow of the Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth, and an affiliate of the Royal Anthropological Institute.
