News

Study examines purchasing decisions of c-store customers

January 30, 2012

Mars Chocolate North America recently conducted a study in partnership with a national c-store retailer, hoping to understand the way consumers make purchase decisions.

The "C-Store Discovery Project: Path to Purchase Study" (P2P Study) examines shopper behavior from the gas pump to the checkout and how merchandising influences buying decisions, according to csnews.com.

"While this study's primary focus is confectionery, the results span well beyond our category, so retailers can apply learning throughout the store," Larry Lupo, vice president of Sales Convenience & Retail, Mars Chocolate North America, said in the story. "This research is just one example of how we're developing insights to help our retail partners grow their total business and maximize trips."

The survey included about 1,800 consumers across the country to match c-store demographics. Consumers visited a virtual reality store that simulated the shopping experience with 3-D computer renderings.

In the study, each consumer shopped a virtual retail store with one of 12 different merchandising situations. This simulation measured the effectiveness of: gasoline pump-toppers; exterior signage such as on windows; interior signage such as shelf signs and blades; and front-end and checkout area configurations.

Important Findings

Based on the findings, the P2P Study focused on the following recommendations:

• Use outside signage at the pump to encourage shoppers to visit the store/candy section.
• Avoid cluttered windows and doors with excess signage and allow for a store view.
• Employ in-aisle signage to draw shoppers to the candy section
• Communicate brand and product imagery on in-aisle signage
• Placement of singles and sharing-size bars drives optimal checkout conversion.

The study also found that coupons were the top promotional elements influencer of in-store purchases. Nearly half of the shoppers believe coupons would inspire purchases. Other influencing drivers include in-store displays (30 percent), frequent buyer/loyalty programs (30 percent), gas pump signage (24 percent), store window signage (20 percent) and in-store promotional signage (20 percent).

Read more about consumer behavior.