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How premium atta is the current choice of consumers
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Thursday, 17 June, 2021, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Mandar Deshpande
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It is no secret that consumers today are spoilt for choice. With an open market that has literally over a thousand products to offer, it is a highly competitive industry where one has to understand the evolving marketing trends, consumer needs, buying patterns, psychographics, and curate a product or service that will tick all boxes.
Moreover, the job does not just end with creating a perfect product or service. You have to ensure that you continue maintaining your product quality and customer services to retain customers and brand loyalty, which is increasingly becoming a difficult task when more and more brands are taking persistent efforts to pursue consumers and position their products in the mind of the customers.
There has been a rising demand for premium products in the market thanks to the increase in buying power, status aspiration and the dire need to consume quality products. This is attributed to the busy and changing lifestyle of the consumer. It is clear that consumers are now ready to go the extra mile but not to compromise on quality. Whether it is an expensive gadget or your everyday food grocery item, consumers are willing to pay for premium products in exchange for premium quality.
As health takes the center stage in everyone’s lives, the need for quality products that promise you safety, hygiene, health, and taste has drastically increased. Consumers are now more conscious of what they are eating, the source of the products and how it is going to affect their health. They are consciously checking the ingredients and composition of the products before buying them. As consumers are slowly understanding that their small decisions may have a larger impact in the longer run.
One such market segment that is seeing a rise in premium products in India is the atta segment. Atta or whole wheat flour which is used to make rotis and other forms of bread is considered a staple in many regions across India. More people, especially in the urban areas, are gradually shifting towards premium atta offerings for better taste and quality.
Atta / wheat flour which is rich in fiber, is an integral part of our diets and is vital for many bodily functions such as regular bowel movements, maintaining blood sugar levels and also helps in lowering cholesterol levels by lowering the low-density lipoprotein.
It is essential that the quality of the atta you consume is not compromised with. Many times, using local store or a mill bought atta may not be the most hygienic as the local mills are located in open, busy neighborhoods. For consistently producing hygienic Atta, clean and pest free surrounding, and best maintained equipment are most important.
When it comes to the taste, the quality of the wheat sourced, the grinding process used play a key role. The quality of the wheat depends on many external factors such as the climatic conditions, the soil condition, harvest conditions, storage conditions, grain moisture, foreign matter percentage. All these factors together determine the quality of the grain and thereafter its taste.
The grinding processes used could either be the industrial machine grinding method or the traditional chakki grinding process which uses stones to grind the wheat grains into fine flour. It has been observed lately that people are more conscious of what type of atta they are consuming at home or even outside at restaurants. More people are now levitating towards whole wheat flour than white wheat flour / maida for its nutritional benefits that outweigh your regular maida.
Buying patterns and consumer mindset is ever evolving. The premium market segment of atta and other food products is gradually growing and is expected to continue doing so as consumers prioritise health, safety, and quality over money. Consumers are driven by the need for quality products and have multiple choices to choose from even in the premium market segment. It is essential that the brands continue quality maintenance and understand the changing market scenario in order to stay relevant and profitable.
(The author is co-founder & CEO at Taste for Life)
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