Dole Launches Landmark Study to Unlock Europe’s Fresh Produce Potential

Dole’s landmark Consumer Compass 2026 research project was officially launched last week at Dole Koge in Copenhagen.

Designed to generate practical insights into the drivers of consumer behaviour in relation to fresh produce, the initiative will span 11 countries and survey approximately 10,000 European consumers — making it one of the most comprehensive and authoritative fresh produce research projects in the European market. Findings from Consumer Compass 2026 will be unveiled in parallel with Fruit Logistica 2026.

“It is not only the expansive reach of the research that sets Consumer Compass apart, but also the depth of analysis applied,” Dole said. “Extensive secondary research, alongside deep dive stakeholder and thought leader engagement, complements the primary data collated to elicit more insightful, authoritative and ultimately actionable data.”

Produced in partnership with Kairos Future, Consumer Compass 2026 will be the fifth edition of the research, building on the findings from three earlier reports.

The Koge launch also marked the inaugural meeting of the research working group — the body responsible for defining the ambitions, parameters and key deliverables of the project. Participants included commercial, marketing, sustainability, packaging and procurement specialists from Dole’s operations in Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, the UK, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, alongside representatives from Dole’s research partners.

Niels Klem Thomsen, CEO of Dole Nordic, commented: “Better serving the consumer begins with better understanding the consumer. In Dole, we are absolutely committed to meeting and exceeding consumers expectations and those of our customers.

“We believe wholeheartedly in the potential of our sector and we know that harnessing untapped opportunities across fresh produce requires ever greater alignment with consumers. So we are very much looking forward to constructively contributing to this pioneering research and sharing the results with our partners in produce across Europe in the months ahead.”

Find out more here.