Shopper trends 2013

Source: IGD Shoppervista, 14th May 2013

 

 

Long before a shopper has reached a store shelf, they will have already made a whole range of decisions that will go on to influence their purchase. These range from the retail channel they are using to their attitude to private label or ethical shopping. These are three of the big trends:
- Mini main missions

- Longer lasting

- Flexible meal planning

1. Mini-main missions

The trend for shopping around more frequently appears unabated in 2013. However, shoppers are starting to alter the structure of their weekly shops. Data shows the frequency of total grocery shopping trips is at a relatively high level, but rather than just buying a few items, more shoppers claim to be doing their main shop more often. This is evidence of a new phenomenon – the ‘mini-main mission’. The desire to find the best deals and offers from different stores could be encouraging shoppers to do their main grocery shopping more often. Morrisons launched a promotional campaign to grasp this opportunity. In February 2013, it launched a Payday Bonus saving scheme to help shoppers build rewards over the month to receive a £10 coupon in the week before pay day. It also extended this campaign to help shoppers save for Easter. Not just a one-off initiative, this promotion encourages shoppers to spend a minimum of £35 once a week for a three week period in order to collect a money-off coupon for their fourth shop. The campaign builds on the retailer’s credentials as shoppers’ ‘money-saving ally’ and plays an important role in driving loyalty and repeat purchases.

It’s really important for food and grocery companies to analyse different shopping frequencies within their categories - it could help you improve the way you meet shopper needs with product range, packaging size and format.

2. Longer lasting

 

Our second trend reveals that shoppers are showing greater interest in products that last longer in a bid to reduce their food waste, and ultimately save money. For the industry, providing products that prevent waste and deliver better value for money could be a good way to attract shoppers and keep them coming back. Helping shoppers to save money while satisfying their ethical concerns, hits something of a sweet spot for many people.

 

Ocado is doing just this with its Life guarantee which promises to deliver its fresh products with a certain number of days’ life remaining. On its website it displays the specified number of days until expiry including the delivery day. In addition to this, the online retailer lists items on each of its customers’ receipts in order of expiry date. This guarantee gives its shoppers confidence that their groceries have a minimum life when delivered.

 

Shoppers are looking for simple, practical ways to reduce food waste. This provides further opportunities for grocery companies to find solutions to food waste such as appropriate portion sizes, longer shelf-life and more advice on storage.

3. Flexible meal planning

Nearly all shoppers put some plans in place for their main grocery shopping trip, including checking their cupboards and writing a list. While many shoppers now plan their main items, they are doing so with inbuilt flexibility – they might adapt what they buy based on in-store activity like promotions.

One shopper told us recently:

“I usually write down what we’re having for dinners and get a list from that. I stick with it a bit, but then if there’s something on half price, I’ll change a bit too”.

Despite a much more disciplined approach to their grocery shopping, many shoppers are open to adjusting their shopping habits, particularly in light of the squeeze on incomes. Tesco has an online ‘commuter zone’ on its grocery website to help shoppers plan their grocery shopping and food preparation by pulling together products and categorising them to reflect the working week. This section on the site shows the latest offers on tailored meal deals for different meal occasions. This not only helps shoppers with their planning efforts but also allows Tesco suggest promotions.