Finding Sanctuary in the Supermarket
I don’t know about you, but I always have been a strong believer in learning to enjoy something I have to do instead of doing only what I enjoy. Mix that with my inner foodie and the mad cooking skills I’ve developed in this recession, and you’ll probably understand why I love grocery shopping so much.
For me, grocery shopping is a time to set aside everyday stresses and enjoy thinking of creative dishes to cook for the next week. And with the wide array of new and innovative (and inexpensive) private label products offered by the two main grocery stores at which I shop, I can purchase a product or two I haven’t tried before and feel no guilt if I end up not liking them.
As much as I liked to believe I’m not the only American out there who enjoys taking sanctuary in his (or her) local grocery store, long lines of grumbling customers and aggressive space-stealers in the parking lots were leading me to believe that I was.
Thankfully, The Nielsen Co. revealed otherwise. A recent survey from the New York-based market research company revealed that only 9 percent of U.S. consumers actually dislike grocery shopping. In fact, the survey found that a whopping 53 percent of U.S. consumers said they “like” (39 percent) or “really enjoy” (14 percent) grocery shopping. When shopping, 18 percent of those consumers browse the store on a regular basis.
Still, Nielsen reported that 38 percent of the consumers surveyed said they find grocery shopping to be a chore, though not a difficult one — they know which parts of the store to visit to get the items they want.
So how can a retailer make the shopping experience more enjoyable for these consumers? Todd Hale, senior vice president of consumer and shopper insights at Nielsen, believes retailers need to take advantage of the trend of consumers cooking and entertaining at home more often.
“Knowing consumers’ attitudes toward grocery shopping is critical for retailers to understand how to encourage shoppers to spend more each trip,” Hale said, “thereby helping grow their business.”
For example, Hale said retailers could cater to consumers who dislike shopping or think it is a chore by simplifying their store’s layout for easier navigation. Retailers also could make sure the checkout process is properly streamlined by offering well-staffed registers and self-checkout stations.
And as an added touch that can get a frantic consumer to stop and smell the “roses,” Hale said retailers could set up cooking demonstration stations in strategic sections of their store.
