Reveal Marketing Research study in partnership with Up Romania about the food behavior of Romanians: 7 out of 10 Romanians plan to throw less food in the garbage

Reveal Market Resources, Study No. 153

The latest study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research in partnership with Up Romania aimed to identify attitudes and behaviors of Romanians regarding the reduction of food waste.

• 85% of Romanians usually buy groceries several times a week or even daily/almost daily.
• 7 out of 10 Romanians consider strategies to reduce the amount of food thrown away.
• 59% of Romanians buy more groceries if they are hungry when they go shopping.
• Representatives of Generation Z (18-24 years old) waste the most food due to excessive purchasing of products (57% vs. 47% total sample).

In a typical week, Romanians choose to consume home-cooked meals in approximately 7.5 out of 10 meal occasions.

According to the results of the study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research for Up Romania, 47% of Romanians usually buy groceries several times a week, while 38% do so daily or almost daily.

Regarding eating habits, most Romanians consume home-cooked meals (7.5 out of 10 meals). However, young adults aged 25 to 34 adopt this practice to a significantly lesser extent, consuming an average of 6.5 home-cooked meals out of a total of 10. This discrepancy suggests an openness to consumption alternatives that are more time-efficient, with representatives of this generation being known for their active lifestyle.

Similarly, food delivery is most frequently used by respondents aged 18-24 (almost 1 out of 5 meals), while dining out has the highest incidence among those aged 25-34 (1.7 out of 10 meals).

Efforts to reduce food waste among Romanians are notable. 7 out of 10 Romanians consider strategies to reduce the amount of food thrown away

The main categories of products thrown away are cooked food (48%), vegetables (37%), bread or other bakery products (35%), and fruits (34%). Among those aged 25 to 34, wasting cooked meals is mentioned to a greater extent (65%), while men tend to waste more vegetables than women (42% men vs. 33% women).

Turning our attention to the causes of food waste, most Romanians indicate excessive purchasing of products and expiration before consumption (47%), as well as excessive cooking (38%). Young adults aged 25 to 34 are more inclined to over-purchase (56%) and cook more than they can consume (49%), reflecting a significantly higher tendency towards consumerism in the lifestyle of young people.

Romanians also demonstrate increased awareness of the importance of efficient food management. The main measures considered by them to reduce food waste include proper storage and freezing of food to extend its consumption period (73%), accurate assessment of the necessary food portions to cook only what is needed (71%), preparing a shopping list to be followed (71%), and purchasing groceries for short periods of time (65%).

Women are more open than men to adopt measures to reduce food waste, considering that they are more involved in food and household management. When analyzing age segments, it can be observed that mature individuals over 55 years old are more inclined to properly store and freeze food to extend its consumption period (84%).

“The results of the study highlight a growing awareness among Romanians about the need to reduce food waste, the motivations can be influenced by financial considerations, as well as issues related to the responsibility for protecting the environment. We note that most Romanians are open to adopting strategies to reduce the amount of food thrown away and adapt their behaviors in this regard. Thus, it is essential to educate and support consumers in adopting responsible behaviours in order to reduce food waste,” stated Marius Luican, CEO of Reveal Marketing Research.

6 out of 10 Romanians buy more groceries if they are hungry when they go shopping

71% of those interviewed believe they lose under 50 RON in a typical week due to food waste, especially those over 55 years old (89%), while 19% consider the loss to be between 51-100 RON, especially young people aged 18-34 (32%).

Regarding Easter meal planning, the majority of Romanians (79%) will maintain the tradition by having the meal at home and consuming food prepared in their own home. Additionally, 3 out of 4 respondents estimate that the proportion of food they will throw away, relative to the total quantity of food in the household during the Easter holidays, is approximately 10%.

“We are committed to continuing to educate and support consumers in adopting responsible and sustainable behaviors. Furthermore, we aim to intensify efforts to reduce food waste and collaborate closely with partners and the community to promote much more responsible and sustainable food practices. We believe that only through initiatives and active collaboration, we are convinced that we can contribute to building a more sustainable future for all,” said Elena Pap, CEO of Up Romania.

According to the study data, there is a significant trend among Romanians to buy more if they are hungry when they go shopping. Specifically, 6 out of 10 respondents stated that in such situations, they purchase more products. This behavior translates into an increase in purchases by up to 10% for 51% of respondents, or between 10%-30% for 41% of them.

Regarding responsible shopping behavior, 57% of the interviewed individuals declare that they would like to have a zone with specially priced products that they can buy and consume immediately, especially those between 35 and 44 years old (65%). Additionally, 53% of respondents would like to have as many options as possible to buy bulk or by piece.

Additionally, it is noteworthy that 9 out of 10 Romanians have the habit of checking the expiration date of the products they buy, with young people aged 18 to 24 adopting this habit to a lesser extent (77%). Furthermore, 86% of those who check the expiration date of the products state that they do this most of the time or even always.

In the context of responsible behavior of Romanians when choosing to dine out, it is highlighted that they would be more inclined to act responsibly if they were informed and supported in taking the unconsumed food to go (61%) and if they had the option to choose between two portion sizes, medium and large (50%).

Generation Z (18-24 years old), leader in food waste

According to the study data, representatives of Generation Z (18-24 years old) are more prone to food waste. More than one-third of them declare that they lose between 51-100 lei in a typical week due to food waste (36% Generation Z vs. 19% total sample), while the majority of Romanians lose under 50 lei (71% total sample vs. 51% Generation Z).

Regarding the causes of food waste, young people aged 18-24 mention more often that they lack information about anti-waste measures (19% vs. 10% total sample) and that they tend to buy more products than necessary (57% vs. 47% total sample). Upon closer examination, we can observe that they most often discard dairy products (43% vs. 16% total sample) and meat products (23% vs. 10% total sample).

Furthermore, representatives of Generation Z are less open to adopting various measures to reduce food waste, such as purchasing groceries for short periods of time (51% Generation Z vs. 65% total sample).

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About Reveal Marketing Research

Reveal Marketing Research is a full-service market research company specializing in marketing research, sociological studies, customer insight, business strategy, market development. With expertise in over 20 industries, Reveal Marketing Research believes that market research is the basis for good decisions and brand positioning. The qualitative and quantitative solutions have been helping companies in Romania and other European countries for 15 years.

Reveal Market Resources, study no. 153: Reveal Market Resources is a data hub of free studies offered to audiences, with the aim of supporting the marketing and communication market in Romania.

Methodology: The Reveal Marketing Research study was conducted online during March 22nd -27th, 2024, on a representative sample of individuals aged 18 and above, internet users, from urban areas. The sample size was 1003 respondents, with a maximum sampling error of +/-3.1% at a 95% confidence level.

About Up România:

Up Romania is part of the Up Group, serving over 25,000 clients and over 800,000 beneficiaries. With a presence of over 20 years in Romania, the company offers various motivation tools and advantageous financial solutions for business performance, including products and services for employees, the Up MultiBeneficii flexible benefits platform, interactive digital incentive and reward solutions STIM Online, dedicated services for merchants, as well as personalized solutions for modernizing the social action sector.

Up MultiBeneficii is Up Romania’s solution dedicated to companies, offering efficient management of non-wage benefits provided to employees. The Up MultiBeneficii platform presents an attractive package of benefits and special offers that can be chosen by the employee according to their needs, generating a competitive advantage for the employer in the market, and for the employee, autonomy and flexibility.

Through the “Redefining Work” campaign, Up Romania aims to change the perspective on work, bringing significant changes in its approach.

Up Romania is certified as a Great Place to Work for the second consecutive year in 2023.

For more details, visit www.upromania.ro.

The Up Mobil app can be downloaded from the App Store, Google Play, or Huawei AppGallery.