Article

Survey: Grocery shoppers maintain or increase spending, look for more value, service

Consumer spending on groceries has increased in the past three months, but consumers are expecting more from their stores.

November 13, 2011

A majority (81 percent) of consumers are spending the same amount or more money on groceries in the last three months (August – October) than they did in the three months before, according to The Coinstar Grocery Snapshot Survey. However, consumers are looking for more from retailers, citing added value and service as a primary driver of their purchasing decisions.

Coinstar's survey explored consumer grocery spending trends of 1,052 primary household grocery shoppers ages 18 and older over the past three months and found that they are seeking and taking advantage of opportunities to save through a back-to-basics approach:

• 56 percent of consumers have used more coupons within the past six months than they have in the past.
• 57 percent of consumers say they are most encouraged to use loyalty or value cards when instant rewards are credited to their current purchase.
• Consumers are relying more on the money they have in their pockets, using debit cards (42 percent) or cash (27 percent) as their primary form of payment for groceries.

"Today's cost conscious consumers are willing to spend money at the supermarket as long as they view their experience as streamlined and value-oriented," said Engle Saez, vice president of category management and consumer experience, Coinstar Inc.'s coin business.

These trends are likely to continue through the holiday season, evidenced by National Retail Federation data showing that the 2011 holiday season will be "average," with only a 2.8 percent increase in sales compared to the 5.2 percent increase that retailers experienced last year. Consumers are spending carefully by purchasing more grocery brands rather than private label brands (48 percent) and fewer discretionary, or non-necessity items, such as magazines or candy (42 percent).

Saez continued, "Grocers clearly have a tremendous opportunity to attract and build loyalty among shoppers this holiday season, by focusing on ways to increase the level of service, value and simplicity they can offer to customers. Retailers catering to the savvy shopper, through more options and flexibility, will position themselves for an advantage in today's competitive market."

When asked what constitutes great customer service in supermarkets, shoppers cite:

• Knowledgeable and friendly employees (63 percent)
• Varied, extensive, and well-organized inventory (62 percent)
• Ease and speed of the experience made possible by efficient staff (61 percent)

One-third of shoppers value additional supermarket services that make running errands easier, such as self-service coin counting kiosks, banking, or DVD rentals. Recipe ideas, sampling or nutritional guidelines, and other above and beyond services, are also valued (27 percent).

Fifty-six percent of customers have used supermarket loyalty or value cards for their purchases in the last six months. Only 23 percent of consumers don't have a supermarket loyalty or value card, evidence that grocers understand the importance of this growing trend and attracting loyal customers using incentives.

The Coinstar Grocery Snapshot Survey was conducted by Kelton Research between Oct. 13 and Oct. 20, 2011 via email invitation and online. Coinstar surveyed consumer grocery spending trends of 1,052 primary household shoppers over the age of 18 for the past three months (August - October).

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.0 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.(Photo by Anthony Albright.)