BALTIMORE, Md. -- A newly released consumer survey of 3,000 grocery shoppers indicates that advertising inserts draw a large majority of shopper readership and usage, whereas consumer loyalty card usage was no guarantee for loyalty.
BR> Survey statistics revealed that advertising inserts appear to be an effective marketing vehicle in reaching shoppers. Of the shoppers surveyed, 86% say they read ad inserts, up from 81% in the 2000 survey. Grocery ad inserts were read by 50% of total adults surveyed, and 92% of females who claim to be the chief grocery shoppers in the household said they read ad inserts.
Of those who read ad inserts, 85% compare grocery circulars for price; 56% read multiple circulars before deciding where to shop; and 44% only read the circulars for the stores they shop. Ad inserts generated shopping lists for 63% of the shoppers surveyed. According to the study, two out of three adults (66%) have grocery store loyalty cards, yet only one in six is loyal to one store. Of those who have signed up for a loyalty card, 72% are women in the Gen X (age 25 to 36) and baby boomer (age 37 to 55) segments. The percentage of loyalty card holders drops to 60% for women who earn less than $30,000 a year. Moreover, Gen Y women (age 18 to 24) are most likely to own a department store loyalty card (20%), and they tend to shop at one store more regularly than the average adult.
In addition to loyalty card and ad insert usage, the survey polled shoppers on their regular purchases of vitamins, herbs/supplements and organic foods. Of the shoppers, 48% said they purchase vitamins regularly; 21% purchase herbs/supplements frequently; and just 12% said they purchase organic foods on a regular basis. Forty-one percent said they don't purchase any of the specified categories regularly.
Of these categories, the study examined purchases across regions of the country. Here the findings were somewhat contrary to popular perception. The study found New Englanders are more likely to purchase organic foods regularly than residents of the Pacific Northwest (22% vs.18%).
Additionally, half of the shoppers reported that they had not purchased ready-to-eat meals in the last month because they would rather cook than eat a prepared meal. Other reasons given for not purchasing ready-to-eat meals were: they do not taste good (10%); they are too expensive (8%); and they are not healthy (7%). Ten percent of shoppers said they simply do not buy prepared, ready-to-eat meals.