Food preferences: What makes a supermarket local?

In July 2024, 314 Austrians were surveyed on behalf of the Im-Fokus report for m.core/WU Vienna. The survey focused on the participants’ food preferences and what constitutes a local supermarket.

What criteria must a supermarket meet to be considered “local”?

The results show that respondents gave different weightings to different criteria when rating a supermarket as “local”. The criteria “locally produced products” (5.97) and “based in Austria” (6.00) received the highest approval ratings. Other important factors were “origin in the country” (5.71) and “owners from near my place of residence” (4.29). A “small” supermarket (4.29) and “few locations” (3.49) were also relevant criteria.

The survey also assessed which supermarkets in Austria are considered local by respondents. Supermarkets such as Nah & Frisch (5.04), ADEG (4.86) and Spar (4.59) scored particularly well here. Other chains such as Billa (3.83), Hofer (3.59) and Lidl (3.03) received lower scores.

Interestingly, the supermarkets rated as local are often those that have a strong presence in Austria and are connected to regional production and the local community.

The survey was answered by 314 participants (49.7% female, 50.3% male), with an average age of 43.12 years (standard deviation 13.90).

You can find the full study in German here!

published:23.08.24