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(May 14) Why do shoppers choose supermarket A over supermarket B?
It seems like a straightforward enough question. But as new research by the Food Marketing Institute, Washington, D.C., reveals, retailers have one set of answers, consumers another. When it comes to fresh produce, the former would do well to get on the same page as the latter.
According to retailers, price, service and cleanliness, in that order, are the most important qualities shoppers look for in a supermarket.
But consumers say something else, according to FMI’s “Trends in the United States: Consumer Attitudes & the Supermarket 2004,” unveiled May 2 at FMI/United 2004. Their top three are cleanliness, the quality of the produce department and the quality of the meat department.
About 88% of shoppers say it’s very important to have a clean store, 85% want high-quality produce and 80% want high-quality meats. Not too much further down the list, 79% want low prices and 74% want friendly employees.
MORE DEMANDING
With five qualities garnering 74% or more of consumers’ votes, one thing is clear — consumers are more demanding than ever, said Michael Sansolo, FMI’s senior vice president.
“The underlying trend is that fierce competition is driving the industry to meet virtually every consumer demand — safety, quality, variety and convenience,” Sansolo said. “Companies may emphasize different features, but shoppers overall appear to be satisfied. The proof lies in the performance.”
Aside from underestimating the importance of produce, supermarkets must be doing a good job of satisfying their customers, the report reveals. On a scale of one to 10, consumers gave their supermarkets an average grade of 8.3, the highest mark since FMI began asking the question in 1987. About 42% gave their supermarket a 9 or 10, up from 36% a year ago. And 73% said they would recommend their store to someone else, up from 66% in 2003.
The number of consumers who said price was very important may have dropped from 83% to 79% in the past year, but shoppers are still price-conscious, the study found. About 39% of shoppers check newspaper specials before they shop, 34% use frequent-shopper programs, 32% stock up on bargains and 28% buy store or lower-priced brands.
When it comes to another consumer favorite, convenience, supermarkets are doing a better job than in the past. About 27% of consumers get more takeout food from their supermarket than from any other source, up from 17% to 20% over the previous five years.
This closes supermarkets’ gap with fast-food outlets (35%) and widens their lead over traditional restaurants (18%). In the Western U.S. and among all U.S. shoppers aged 15-24, supermarkets have actually drawn even with fast food in this category.
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