CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Maybe it has something to do with the perpetual struggle to get the kids to eat their meat.
Whatever the reason, parents are typically a bit more demanding and critical of the meat department than are other classes of consumers, according to a survey conducted for SN by America's Research Group here.
In a telephone survey of 1,000 consumers of varied household and marital status -- single, single parents, married, married with kids and empty nesters -- it was the folks with kids at home that said they want more help from the department, whether in the form of advice from meat clerks or by supplying more fresh prepared meat products.
As a group, the shoppers with kids in tow also complained the most about the meat case, about issues including out-of-stocks or a "negative experience" that prompted them to buy meat at a different store. They were also slightly more critical of the staff.
As reported in SN earlier, the survey results showed that 32% of the general population would like more guidance from meat department personnel about how to cook specific products than they are currently getting (SN, Aug. 19, Page 39). The consumer poll also showed that that desire for additional guidance is more prevalent among parents: 38% of singles with kids, and 35% of married folks with kids want more help from the department.
Fifty-four percent of all single parents said that some or most of the meat and seafood products they buy have been prepared to some degree. That percentage is even higher with the married-with-children set, with 57% of them buying value-added meats at least sometimes.
Married couples with kids said product shortages were a problem more often than any other consumer group in the survey.
The ARG consumer survey showed that consumers with children at home are most likely to purchase fresh meat or seafood items that have already been prepared to some degree. The chart below compares the responses of single parents and couples with kids against the general population.
