Decline in quantities purchased since 2020
In recent years, household demand for fresh fruit and vegetables has been characterised by a non-linear trend in purchases [1]. Between 2018 and 2020, volumes purchased, and associated expenditure increased significantly. The year 2020 is marked by a peak in purchases due to the shift of out-of-home consumption to purchases for home consumption - restaurant closures, lockdowns and homeworking. Since then, both volumes purchased and expenditure have decreased: quantities purchased by households in 2023 are well below the five-year average, although expenditure remains above average, due to the rise in the average purchase price in a context of food inflation, particularly in 2023 (Figure 1).
