Study Examines Attitudes Toward Supermarkets

Baltimore A Vertis Communications study released on Tuesday examined consumer attitudes toward supermarket offerings and non-traditional grocery outlets, finding grocery prices and sales are most important to female shoppers, and convenience and service is most attractive to men.

The “Customer Focus 2008: Grocery” study revealed that almost half of chief female shoppers said price-related offerings such as lowest everyday prices, best advertised specials and store coupons were most important in deciding where to spend their grocery dollars. Forty-eight percent of women age 35-49 who do more than 60% of the grocery shopping value these offerings, as do 47% of chief female shoppers age 50 and older, and 46% of chief women shoppers age 18-34.

The study also showed price-related offerings are important to approximately 30% of chief male shoppers, but that 41% of male shoppers age 18-34 value convenience, such as proximity to home and work, more than any other supermarket factor.

Vertis’ 2008 study additionally found that super-sized grocery stores are most popular among Hispanic Americans when shopping for perishable products such as meat, produce, dairy and baked goods at a non-traditional supermarket. Twenty-two percent of Hispanic household decision-makers prefer super-sized grocery outlets over any other super discount, wholesale or regular discount store, compared to just 15% of non-Hispanic household decision-makers.

For more details on the Vertis “Customer Focus 2008: Grocery” study, visit www.vertisinc.com.