WINDSOR, Conn. -- Supermarket operators need to differentiate their stores and advertising according to local demographic information if they are to successfully recruit new shoppers, a survey commissioned by Advo here has found.
"More and more grocers are saying they need to differentiate their advertising for various markets and demographic groups. The consumers are saying they want different things and, yet, there is not as much going on out there as there should be," Joe Durrett, Advo's president and chief operating officer, told SN.
"Many grocers are missing opportunities to customize their advertising messages to best meet their local customers' needs. Their advertising should reflect consumer preferences tailored to their store strengths and should be targeted to retailers' major customer groups," he said.
Durrett suggests retailers experiment with their circulars in an effort to attract more consumers.
"For example, suppose you're a client doing a one size fits all approach. What you need to do is to start experimenting with a different version of your circular. You might experiment on just a single page of an eight-page circular, even if it is just to have a map or a picture of the store manager."
According to the survey, to be released today, 89% of consumers nationwide said they look for good prices, 88.7% look for cleanliness, 85% for fresh produce, 84.5% want a wide selection and well-stocked store and 84% want good quality meats when picking a supermarket. Specials and sales are of importance to 84% of shoppers, while private label is of importance to 71%.
However, the survey also found differences between sex and ethnic groups.
For example, prices and convenience are more important to men while security precautions are more important to women. White consumers are more concerned with good prices and fresh products than other consumers, while African-American consumers place less emphasis on good prices but are more concerned about security precautions and quality seafood.
The survey of 8,000 consumers in 20 top markets was conducted for Advo by NFO Research, Toledo, Ohio, and Pert Survey Research, Bloomfield, Mich., from November 1995 through February 1996.
