The British Potato Council has issued a caveat that retailers and suppliers must be more industrious in the effort to combat falling potato sales. Their report, "A Fresh Challenge: Addressing the Volume Decline", states that the industry faces a "fight for relevance", as the consumer scales back on the number of potatoes he purchases. Head of marketing and and corporate affairs at the Potato Council, Caroline Evans, said the industry is shrinking because the sizes of packets have reduced, and because people have switched from main crop to salad potatoes. The volume of fresh potatoes sold had gone down by 8 per cent in the last year. Evans stated "It's good that people are not actively rejecting the category. People still like potatoes, but the challenge is that we need different approaches for the whole supply chain. "Shoppers need distractions and better signposting. A lot of shoppers make an emotional connection when they see a potato in its prepared form, rather than as a raw vegetable." She said the growing popularity of curry and fajitas – as well as the national drive to reduce food waste – were also factors in the declining sales of fresh potatoes. Total annual potato sales are worth £2.3 billion a year, excluding crisps and snacks, with fresh potatoes accounting for £1.4 billion. The UK retail potato market is dominated by the supermarkets, with the top five accounting for more than 77 per cent of sales. © 2014 European Supermarket Magazine by Peter Donnelly
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