One in two fast the Great Week and two in eight in the Great Lent, according to the research of the Institute of Retail Consumer Goods Research ( ). In particular, the research completed by IELKA (Institute of Retail Consumer Goods Research), as part of the recording of food and consumer trends in Greece, took place from 2 to 8 March 2024, with a sample of 800 consumers from all over Greece. The majority of respondents say they fast the Great Week (a percentage that may be higher if we include 22% who says it fasts only sometimes). According to the investigation, this percentage is lower than in previous years. In 2018, in a corresponding IELKA survey, 69% of the audience stated that it always fasts the Great Week and 20% sometimes, a total of 89%. Overall, all of Great Lent states that it fasts 12%, while in all fasts throughout the year it states that it fasts 12% of respondents. Based on the combined IELKA research data, it is estimated that 3% of retail food sales, i.e. around 550m euros, are related or affected by food and consumer trends in the fasting period. At the same time, in the context of the study, a number of topics relating to consumer habits and health/flexibility issues related to nutrition during the fasting period are recorded. Specifically, 33% states that he likes to fast. 55% considers fasting to be good for health, although 18% considers that it contributes to weight gain, while 14% to weight reduction. 34% of the public considers that their diet at this time of fasting costs more, spending more money than usual. 27% find it difficult to find what to eat, 14% in supplementary meals, while 22% are nervous about its diet. 20% adopts herbal food substitutes, while 14% chooses more prepared solutions and cans, with, finally, a 7% increase food from delivery. In particular with regard to foods that consumers tend to fast, the biggest difficulty seems to be in oil at 76%, dairy at 62% and sweets at 52%. On the contrary, in fasting fish and meat they face smaller difficulties at 34% and 45% respectively, with only 10% and 16% respectively stating great difficulty. Foods with the highest frequency of consumption during the fasting season are fruit and vegetables, salads with almost daily consumption and follow, nuts, pasta and oily about twice a week. With regard to the evaluation of specific sales points, the best results are achieved by the supermarket channel in the variety of fasting items with 75% and in saving money with 58% and following the popular market with 15% and 29% respectively and the bakery-artist with 8% and 11% respectively. With regard to the point of sale which the consumer most closely identifies with his diet during the fasting season, the supermarket is selected by 62% of the public, the popular from 15% and the oven from 7%. The supermarket is also recorded as the fastest and easiest medium from 76% and 66% of the public respectively, followed by the popular market with 15% and 19% respectively.
One out of eight consumers fast throughout the Great Lent
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