Ready meals show the lowest level of responsible purchasing and are driven primarily by value, health decisions and convenience (within the Circumstance umbrella).

Meat purchasing shows the greatest level of responsible reasons for purchase overall and is almost as much of a consideration as price/value. So animal welfare campaigns have worked to raise awareness and supermarket moves to supply and prompt British meat have resulted in conscious decision making around responsible purchase reasons within this category. However sentiment still lags behind behaviour (see the Consumer Story for more details).

Fruit purchases are driven by healthiness and responsibility more than value, habit and visual appeal. While ethical production is a key responsibility driver this is largely as a result of the wide spread introduction of Fairtrade bananas.

Vegetable purchases, in contrast, are not perceived to be purchased for responsible reasons or for health reasons; they are selected by matching to main meal component or as part of a recipe more than they are a habitual purchase. Specific responsible purchase reasons show that buying locally and buying organic produce is more likely in veg purchasing than in fruit.

Seasonality and buying British is strong in both fruit and veg purchasing, with consumers being very conscious about the amount of packaging used on fruit and veg purchasing.