Madison, WI — The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association™ (IDDBA) has released two new studies: Consumers in the Bakery: Attitudes, Buying Behavior, & Purchase Drivers and Consumers in the Deli: Attitudes, Buying Behavior, & Purchase Drivers. The new reports update the studies published in 2004.
These benchmark studies determine how much is actually a change in eating behavior or taste and how much is influenced by economic factors. Additionally, to validate how the economy continues to affect consumer attitudes, a series of questions from last year's New Value Shopper study was asked again.
From this, a clear picture of cautiously-optimistic shoppers emerged. They're recovering from the recession but wary and unwilling to completely abandon frugal tactics developed during leaner times. Consumers are not being passive. They're very vocal and they're feeling empowered. We found a top ten list of consumer influences:
1.Every penny counts for me now. Price matters.
2.What I get by way of value for my money matters. If it spoils quickly, or gets stale on day two, I feel like I'm throwing my money away.
3.I want it fresh.
4.I want it to look good and appetizing before I'll buy it.
5.I don't want to get sick because of something I ate. I have to trust you to handle food safely. I would like to see some proof of that to enhance my trust.
6.I want nutritional information. Tell me what's in it. How many calories does it have? What's the sodium level? Does it have nuts in it? We have health and allergy concerns in our family that I have to watch out for; I can't be buying mystery food.
7.Which food choices help me keep my diabetes in check and/or watch my blood pressure?
8.I don't have time to hang out waiting to be served.
9.I want variety. I get bored with the same old choices. I like to see new things to try.
10.If I like it, I will probably buy it. Let me taste it first. And don't make me feel guilty for asking.
The top ten reasons can be grouped into six similar categories: price, freshness, food safety, variety, service, and value. The difference is in how the consumers are expressing themselves. Start by taking a closer look at their word choices. It's not just what they want; it's what they want, and what we have to do to get them to buy it.
The consumer survey assessed demographic and economic data for 4,000 respondents and specific deli and bakery shopping behavior and preference information from 2,000 respondents for each department. The 2010 responses were compared with studies done five, ten, and fifteen years ago. Purchase behavior data are broken out by eating occasion and purchase and consumption locations. The Deli report analyzes consumption and purchasing data for 39 products and includes 143 tables. The Bakery report looks at 23 bakery products and includes 182 tables.
Consumers in the Bakery: Attitudes, Buying Behavior, & Purchase Drivers and Consumers in the Deli: Attitudes, Buying Behavior, & Purchase Drivers and other IDDBA research projects are available for purchase. The cost is $395 each for members and $795 each for non-members, plus shipping and handling. For more information, or to order, call the IDDBA Education Department at 608.310.5000 or visit the Web site, www.iddba.org.
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Information on IDDBA's research, education, and other industry activities is also available on its Web site, www.iddba.org, or by calling 608.310.5000. Now in its 47th year, IDDBA specializes in promoting the dairy, deli, cheese, and bakery industries. Member companies enjoy many benefits and services including the annual seminar and expo, leading-edge research, video and computer-based training programs, management tools, an annual trends report, and a member directory of key industry contacts.
Source: International Dairy·Deli·Bakery Association