Research by the National Consumer A

1. National Consumer Agency
Market Research Findings:
Shopping and Pricing
March 2012
Research Conducted by

2. Table of Contents
2
 Key Findings
 Section 1: General Shopping and Pricing
Making Complaints
 Section 2: Grocery Shopping
 Research Background and Methodology
 Profile of Sample
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3. 3
Key Findings
Making Complaints
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4. Key Findings - I
4
Shopping and Pricing
• Over 4 in 5 (85%) compare/shop around for better prices.
• Price remains the leading influencing factor in determining where to shop
at 56% (↑3%) with convenience second at 21% (↓2%).
•
Making of the price of everyday goods has
Consumers citing an awareness
Complaints
increased from 71% to 78%.
• For those responsible for the main grocery shop, 93% state that they are
aware of the prices of everyday goods, an all-time high.
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5. Key Findings – II
5
Grocery Shopping
• Price is number one determining factor in deciding where to carry out the
main grocery shop, rising by 10% points to 73%, with convenience
considered the second most important factor, at 54%.
• Over 3 in 10 (31% Making Complaints
up 3%) now visit a particular store based on special offers
advertised, whereas almost 2 in 3 (65%) consumers visit their usual store
and pick up special offers while there.
• The overall average grocery basket consists of 65% branded and 35% own
brand goods.
• In recent years, 1 in 5 (22%) think the quality of own brand products has
improved or is better than they thought, and a further 17% now think that
own brand products are just as good as branded products.
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6. 6
Section 1: General Shopping and
Pricing
Making Complaints
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7. Shopping Around
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)
7
Comparison of prices
Nov-11 May/June-11 Nov/Dec-10 Jun-10 Nov/Dec-09
% % % % %
I always 24 26 25
compare/shop around 37 33
for better prices
85% 82% 71% 74% 67%
Making Complaints
47 42
I sometimes 48
compare/shop around 49
for better prices 48
21
I very rarely 19 17
compare/shop around 13
for better prices 11
10 9 12
I never compare/shop 4 5
around for better prices
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8. Key Influencing Factors in Determining
Where to Shop
(Base: All Aged 15-74 – 1,000)
8
Strongest Influencing Factor
Nov ‘11 May/June ‘11 Nov/Dec ‘10 June ‘10 Nov/Dec ‘09
% % % % %
Price 56Making Complaints
53 57
65
72
Convenience 21 23 19
17
13
Shopped there previously 11 13 12
7 10
Service 6 7 6
Other 4 3 5 6
2 3 3 1
2 2
Don’t know 1
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9. Overall Awareness of the Price of
Everyday Goods
9 (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)
All responsible for the main
grocery shop – 526 (53%)
May/June Nov/Dec
Total Nov ‘11
‘11 ‘10
% % % %
Very aware of the prices (5) 25 20
Making Complaints
(27)
42 78%
aware
38 74%
of 93% 85%
prices
54
Fairly aware of the prices (4) 53
(44)
47
51
Don't really know the prices (3) 12
11(14)
Somewhat unaware of the prices (2) 8 11
7 (9) 3
Not at all aware of the prices (1) 4 (6) 3 5
1 2 3
( ) = May/June 2011
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10. 10
Section 2: Grocery Shopping
Making Complaints
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11. Main Reasons for Choice of Supermarket for
Main Grocery Shop
53% (Base: All responsible for main grocery shop - 526)
11
Nov-11 Jun-11 Nov/Dec-10 Jun-10 Nov/Dec-09 Jun-09 Nov/Dec-08
Price 63 60
73 72 70 62 58
Making Complaints
Convenience
54 54 43 55
49 47 49
Parking 19 22 22 20 18 20
9 17
Late Night Opening 8 9 9 12
21 15 8
16 12 10 12
Quality of Product 13 11
9 9 10 8 10 10
Loyalty 12 10 8
6
Support Local 6 6 6 6
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12. Special Offer Seekers?
(Base: All responsible for the main grocery shop – 526)
12
53%
Nov ‘11 May/June ‘11 Nov/Dec ‘10
% % %
Select a particular store to
visit based on special 28 25
offers advertised 31
Making Complaints
Visit your usual store and
pick up special offers while
you are there 65 66 73
Don't buy special offers 4 6 2
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13. Own Brand Versus Regular Brand
53% (Base: All main grocery shoppers – 526)
13
November 2011 May/June 2011 Nov/Dec 2010 June 2010
% % % %
Own Own Own Own
Brand Brand Brand Brand
35% 35% 36%
35%
65% Making Complaints
65%
65%
64%
Regular Regular Regular Regular
Brand Brand Brand Brand
Higher amongst Higher amongst Higher amongst
– Those who are not – Those who are not – Those who are not
aware of the prices of aware of the prices of aware of the prices of
everyday goods (74%). everyday goods everyday goods
– Males (69%). (74%). (69%).
– Working full-time – 55+ (71%). – Males (70%).
(68%). – ABC/F50+(70%). – 55+ (69%).
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14. Own Brand Versus Regular Brand Preference – I
(Base: All responsible for grocery shop who purchase each of the products)
14
53%
Beer Tea/Coffee Baby Breakfast Chocolate/
Products Cereal Sweets
Regular brand 89 84 82 76 72
Own brand 11 Making Complaints
16 18 24 28
Yoghurts Bread Fresh Meat Frozen Meat Soft Drinks
Regular brand 66 71 74 75 73(+11%)
Own brand 34 29 (+5%) 26 25 27
( ) = +/-% vs May/June 2011
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15. Own Brand Versus Regular Brand Preference – II
(Base: All responsible for grocery shop who purchase each of the products)
53%
15
Butter/ Deli/Processed Toiletries Tinned/ Biscuits
Spreads Meat Frozen Food
Regular brand 64 73 66 57 61
Own brand 36 27 34 43 39
Making Complaints
Juice Milk Household Toilet Tissue/
Drinks Cleaning Products Kitchen Towel
Regular brand 58 42 33 24
Own brand 42 58 67 76
( ) = +/-% vs May/June 2011
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16. Switched to Own Branded Products within the
Past 12 Months
(Base: All who purchase own branded products)
16
% Yes % Yes % Yes
Breakfast cereal 27 Milk 15 Soft drinks 12
Bread 23 Tea/Coffee 14 Juice drinks 11
9
Baby products* 20
Making Complaints
13
Frozen meat Fresh meat
Household cleaning 19 Tinned/frozen food 13 Deli/processed meat
9
products
Toilet tissue/kitchen 18 Butter/spreads 12 Chocolate/sweets 8
towel
Toiletries 17 Yoghurts 12 Beer*
8
Biscuits 16
* Caution small base size
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17. Factors Which Influence Choice for Own Brand Products
– Volumetric Analysis*
(Base: All main grocery shoppers – 526)
17
53%
May/June
Nov 2011
2011
% %
Price 34 34
Making Complaints
Quality 38 37
*Volumetric Analysis is where
Packaging the most influencing factors
3 3 are ranked, and a score is
applied according to the
Past Experience 18 19 ranking, the level of
importance is then determined
Advertising 1 1 by these scores. It is a
Recommendations 4 4 standard research approach
Don’t purchase own branded products 2 2 applied to ranking importance
of factors.
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18. Where Own Branded Products are Bought
(Base: All that purchase own brand products - 203)
18
%
Switched
supermarket
10%
Making ComplaintsExisting
74%
Supermarket
Both 16%
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19. Change in Perceptions Towards Own
Branded Products in Recent Years
53% (Base: Responsible for the main grocery shop - 526)
19
%
The quality has improved/is better
22
than I thought
No change 21
Just as good as branded
17
products
Making Complaints
Better value for money 10
They have improved 5
More of a variety available 4
Much more positive towards 2
branded products
Have begun switching to own 2
brand
Some are ok 2
* All other mentions 1% or less
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20. 20
Research Background
Making Complaints
and Methodology
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21. Research Background and Methodology
21
Nov/Dec Nov/Dec May/June
Aug 2008
2007 2008 2009
Benchmark Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3
Nov/December
Nov/Dec 2009 June 2010 May/June 2011
2010
Wave 4 Making Complaints
Wave 5 Wave 6 Wave 7
Nov 2011
Current Wave
Wave 8
 The research was conducted by means of face-to-face interviewing with 1,000
people between the ages of 15-74.
 To ensure that the data is nationally representative, quotas were applied on
the basis of age, gender and social class.
 Interviewing was conducted over a four week period in November 2011.
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22. Profile of Sample - I
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)
22
SEX AGE REGION SOCIAL CLASS MAIN GROCERY
% % % % SHOPPER
15-24 17
Dublin 28
Male 49 ABC1 48
25-34 22 F50+ Yes 53% 47% No
Making Complaints
Rest of
26
Leinster
35-44 19
45-54 16 Munster 28
Female 51 C2DE 52
F50-
55+ 26
Conn/ 18
Ulster
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23. Profile of Sample – II – Main Grocery Shoppers
(Base: All Mainly Responsible for Grocery Shopping in Home – 526)
23
53%
SEX AGE REGION SOCIAL CLASS
% % % %
15-24 5
(17)
Male
(49) 25 Dublin 25
25-34 18
(28)
(22)
ABC1
F50+ 48
(48)
23 Rest of
Making Complaints
35-44
(19) 28 Leinster
(26)
Female 45-54 22
(51) (16)
75 Munster
(28) 30 C2DE
F50- 52
(52)
55+
(26) 32 Conn/
Ulster 17
(18)
( ) = Total Sample
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24. Profile of Sample – III – Internet Use
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)
24
USE INTERNET EVER PURCHASED BANKING
ONLINE ONLINE
(Base: All Internet Users - 762) (Base: All Internet Users - 762)
24% 22%
No (25%) Yes No (30%) Yes No 45% Yes
78% 55%
76% (51%) (49%)
(70%)
(75%)
Making Complaints
% Yes % Yes % Yes
Male 76 Male 80 Male 54
Female 76 Female 77 Female 57
15-24 95 15-24 72 15-24 40
25-34 92 25-34 85 25-34 70
35-44 88 35-44 84 35-44 66
45-54 73 45-54 76 45-54 54
55+ 44 55+ 69 55+ 38
() = May/June 2011
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25. Profile of Sample – IV – Social Media
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)
25 Nov 2011
May/June 2011
Higher Type of phone
Amongst %
Regular users of .......
%
50 15-24 86%
Facebook ABC1F50 59% 29
47 Dublin 55% %
(21)
Have a ‘Smart phone’
Twitter 10
10
Making Complaints
15-24 21%
Higher amongst:
Bebo
6
6 15-24’s 45
25-34’s 46
2
Linkedin
1 ABC1/F50+ 39
Working full time 44
48 55+ 86%
None of These C2DEF50- 56%
51 Students 42
Munster 53%
Dublin 44
() = May/June 2011
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