The playing field in the grocery space has gotten even more competitive - retailers in the dollar, drug and mass channels are flooding shoppers with offers to draw shoppers away from traditional grocers for key food events, weekly stock-up trips, as well as fill-in trips. Increasingly price conscious and promotionally aware shoppers are driving this change, as the era of the “Always On Shopper” creates both opportunities and challenges for retailers and manufacturers.
In order to find out what really motivates shoppers to choose one retailer or brand versus another, Market Track conducted a primary research study of over 1,000 shoppers to identify the factors influencing their decisions. In the latest issue of their Shopper Insight Series, they regressed their syndicated promotional data against data gathered directly from shoppers to help retailers see how well their promotional strategy lines up to attract their target shoppers.
Mass merchants winning stock-up shoppers from Grocery channel
Shoppers are increasingly visiting Mass merchants and Club stores to do their grocery shopping. When it comes to larger trips where shoppers are stocking up, only 54 per cent claimed to shop grocery stores most frequently, while 42 selected either Mass or Club stores to stock up on grocery items.
Shoppers turning to both print and digital media to find deals
Out of the factors that influence grocery shoppers’ decision on where they choose to shop, over 55 per cent ranked promotions and pricing as the top influencer (ahead of factors such as proximity to store and product assortment), and just under 90 per cent ranked promotions and pricing in their top three influencers.
Among the promotional media being used by shoppers, just under 90 per cent claimed they use print promotions to find deals prior to grocery shopping trips, about 80 per cent use printed coupons, and roughly 55 per cent claimed to use retailer websites, emails from retailers, and/or e-circulars.
Shopper preferences vary by profile
Beyond competition and the difficult economy, Market Track found that the varying preferences among shoppers from different age groups, living locations, family situations, and income levels add additional layers of complexity to creating an impactful promotional plan.
The survey also found that grocery shoppers who either live alone or live with friends tend to build smaller baskets than those living with a significant other or with their family. While nearly 60 per cent of grocery shoppers living alone claimed to build baskets of 20 items or less on a single grocery trip, about 50 per cent of those living with their family claimed to purchase over 31 items per trip. Additionally, shoppers living with family claimed to shop more frequently than those living alone. Among respondents living with family, 87 per cent claimed to shop for groceries at least once per week, while only 77 per cent of those living alone claimed the same.
From a retailer’s perspective, shoppers living with family may be better targets for promotional offers as well. Market Track’s survey found that, in addition to building bigger baskets and shopping more frequently than the segment of shoppers that live alone, grocery shoppers living with family claimed to use promotions more than those living alone. Comparing the segment of shoppers living with family to those living alone, a larger percentage of the segment living with family claimed they “Definitely Will” use print circulars (64 per cent), retailer websites (25 per cent to 22 per cent), emails from retailers (24 per cent to 20 per cent), and/or mobile offers from retailers (16 per cent to 9 per cent) to find deals on grocery items than those shoppers living alone.
Source: Market Track
