Industry overview
What is shaping meat & poultry
Meat, poultry and egg businesses are moving from wet markets to packaged and online formats, where hygiene, freshness and trust decide whether consumers switch.
- Packaged and online meat is growing
- Hygiene perceptions drive outlet choice
- Farm practices affect supply and quality
Client background
An animal welfare certification body, working in United Kingdom, Germany & Switzerland. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- An animal welfare certification body
- Sector
- Meat & poultry
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Consumer panel, Quantitative research, Qualitative research
Client challenge
The certification body wanted more shoppers to choose higher-welfare meat, but did not know whether shoppers understood existing labels or whether labels influenced their decisions. Several competing labels existed, and retailers reported that shoppers were confused about what each one meant.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: consumer attitudes to animal welfare labelling.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of meat buyers.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 7 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 3,000 meat buyers.
- meat buyers3,000
Audiences we typically reach in meat & poultry
Meat and egg consumersRetailers and butchersOnline buyersPoultry farmersRestaurant buyers
Geographic coverage
Coverage: United Kingdom, Germany & Switzerland. Markets: United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland.
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Switzerland
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Online survey
- 3Label testing
- 4Insight
We surveyed meat buyers in the UK, Germany and Switzerland about label awareness, trust and willingness to pay, and tested alternative label designs, in English, German and French. Label designs were shown in realistic shelf images, and respondents were asked to rank products and explain their choices.
Consumer panelQuantitative researchQualitative research
Sampling strategy
- meat buyers
- 3,000
- 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
- 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
- Simple tiered labels showing welfare levels were understood best and increased willingness to pay.
- Retail partners adopted the new labels, and the body planned a follow-up survey after a year.
Clarity determined whether labels influenced choices.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: clarity determined whether labels influenced choices.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: simple tiered labels showing welfare levels were understood best and increased willingness to pay.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The body redesigned its label system.
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 is hygiene perceived?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.