Butter is better for rich and poor alike

While the debate over whether margarine or butter is better for you rages, consumers have been quietly voting with their dollar. Recent sales trends show that Australian shoppers are purchasing butter more often than they did five years ago. The steady growth has mostly been driven by lower-income households.

In the 12 months to September 2013, 47% of grocery buyers purchased butter in an average four-week period, up from 44% in September 2009, research from Roy Morgan shows.

As butter has increased in popularity, margarine sales have declined since 2009, decreasing from 59% to 54% over the same period.

Butter purchased by household income. Source: Roy Morgan Research.

Affluent households (those earning $110,000 and above per year) are more likely to purchase butter, Roy Morgan says, and this has changed very little since 2009, declining just one percentage point. However, the largest growth was seen in households with incomes of less than $35,000. The percentage of low-income households purchasing butter increased from 38 to 43% between 2009 and 2013.

“The shift towards quality food and ingredients - not to mention the discovery that it’s not as bad for our health as previously believed - has no doubt contributed to butter’s return to favour in recent years,” said Geoffrey Smith, general manager - consumer products, Roy Morgan Research.