October 4th, 2023, Janice Fernandes
Earlier this year the FDA recalled around 400 ready-to-eat food products sold in nine states because of potential listeria contamination. Responding to these types of incidents, Amazon has introduced a new platform dedicated to sharing product recall and safety alerts. In light of these developments, we aim to understand consumer sentiments and behaviors regarding repurchasing from brands following a recall incident.
Survey data reveals that about half US adults are open to giving brands another chance after experiencing a product recall – dairy products (51%), packaged goods (51%), and meat and seafood (47%).
However, a significant portion of consumers, nearly two-fifths, express their reluctance to buy food products from the same brand again if they have encountered a recall incident.
Among those US consumers who are hesitant to repurchase from the same brand, approximately three-quarters cite concerns about safety or product quality as the primary reason (75% meat, 73% dairy products and 72% packaged goods and beverages).
Another prevalent factor contributing to this reluctance is the loss of trust in the brand, with roughly three-fifths of consumers expressing doubts about repurchasing products in each category (60%, 59% and 56% respectively).
Around two-fifths of respondents who are unlikely to purchase from the same brand again say it’s because of how a brand has handled the recall (43% all) and their personal experience with a faulty product (42% meat and seafood, 42% dairy products and 38% packaged goods).
Past experiences with the brand (34%, 33% and 33% respectively) and negative reviews or media coverage (33%, 33% and 31% respectively) are the other reasons why consumers would be less likely to purchase from the company.
Word of mouth appears to have the least impact with around one-fifth of consumers picking it as a reason why they wouldn’t purchase from a brand again after a recall (21%, 22% and 21% respectively).
While many consumers have reservations about buying from a brand post-recall, more than two in five of those who are unlikely to repurchase from the same company still believe brands generally handle product recalls responsibly and transparently (43% meat, 45% dairy products and 41% packaged goods and beverages).
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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on August 28-29, 2023, with a nationally representative sample of 1,178 adults in the United States (aged 18+ years), using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education and region to be representative of all adults. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.
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