Fifty-nine percent of all shoppers think it’s important that their groceries or household products are natural or organic, according to a new research study from Acosta Group. The study noted that 75% of all shoppers purchased at least one natural or organic product in the six months prior to the survey.

Younger consumers are even more likely to want natural and organic products, with 89% of Gen Z and 85% of Millennials reporting they have shopped for natural and organic products in the prior six months. Sales for these products are projected to grow 5% across all channels to $348 billion by 2028, according to the report.

Acosta Group reported that organic shoppers shop at a broader range of channels than conventional shoppers, primarily mass merchandisers, traditional grocery and warehouse or club. These shoppers are also “five times more likely to shop at farmers markets, three times more likely to shop online and two-and-a-half times more likely to shop at convenience stores.”

“Our natural and organic shopper study reflects opportunities for brands and retailers to build increased shopper trust, loyalty and sales,” said SVP, Thought Leadership and Shopper Insights for Acosta Group Kathy Risch. “Three key learnings include the growing role of natural and organic products for consumers, especially related to health, the value of product placement in the natural channel and the need for education on the definition and benefits of natural and organic products.”

Consumers discover new items “most frequently via social media, friends or family (52%) and search engines (43%). After discovering a new item, most shoppers (57%) look for more information and availability via search engines,” Acosta reported.

Interested in c-store specific data from 2024? Join your peers and Andrew Baill, senior manager of customer insights and strategy at Wawa, at the 2025 NACS State of the Industry Summit (April 8-10 in Dallas) for the In-Store Performance Lessons From 2024 session on April 9.