-By Phil Lempert

Our annual consumer panel survey comes at an opportune time, as retailers and brands strive to become more consumer-centric on their paths to success. Using the consumer intelligence in this survey to better understand and please shoppers, and innovate to what people say they want, retailers in particular will be in a stronger position to consistently satisfy the American shopper's constantly changing tastes and buying preferences.

The findings of this nationally projectable study of 2,656 consumers examine many aspects of food buying:

What people want most in their preferred stores and department sets. How well they feel stores deliver on assortment, value, access, and convenience. Their weekly spend, and how this blends with their overall eating habits. What triggers their actual purchase of a food product for the first time. Their overall nutritional concerns.
In all, this year's survey focused on 72 attributes of shopping.

A clear majority of our panel (79 percent) felt that it was important for their supermarket to be active or involved in the community. Almost as many (78 percent) felt it was very or somewhat important for their store to offer locally grown produce as well as other locally produced packaged foods, which was also the No. 2 requested improvement they wanted to see in their primary store.

There was no surprise when it came to the economics of shopping and the current climate. Ninety-three percent said low prices were important, while 91 percent said they shopped for items on sale or for money-saving specials. Only 59 percent felt that it was important for their store to have a frequent shopper program or savings club.

A high proportion of consumers, 87 percent, reported that they were now eating home-cooked meals three or more times a week, and 54 percent reported serving leftovers one or two times a week. These are clearly signs of rising food costs for the average family.

Consumers expressed widescale frustration with the nutritional content of the foods they eat both at home and away from home, with 69 percent saying their diet could be a "lot" or "somewhat" healthier. The No. 1 (85 percent) response to what they're doing to ensure their diet is healthy was consuming more fruits and vegetables, followed by eating fewer "junk/processed foods," fewer "fried foods," more "fresh foods," and more "whole grains."

Power of fresh -- and price

Since nine out of 10 consumers cite high-quality fruits and vegetables (91 percent) as a "very important" concern when selecting their primary supermarket, and nearly as many (85 percent) say the same about "selling products before 'use before/sell by' date," it's clear that success in a store hinges on the retailer's ability to perform in perishables.

The only other store traits noted as "very important" by a majority of survey respondents were high-quality meats (77 percent), accurate shelf tags (74 percent), and personal safety outside the store (62 percent).

Price can be either the biggest trial inducer or the highest barrier to an initial purchase, survey findings show. It's the single factor that more consumers said they "almost always" look at (73 percent) when deciding whether to purchase a new food product for the first time.

People look at brand name "almost always" 45 percent of the time, making it the second-largest influence on an initial purchase, followed closely by looking at the "types of preservatives and additives" (48 percent) and looking at "health claims" (43 percent).

"Price is on my mind before, during, and after the shop" is the consumer message corroborated by these findings. It appears in the current climate that one of the most important tools for a retailer is to communicate deals to influence decisions on where to shop and what to buy in the aisles.

For example, almost half (43 percent) "go to stores other than the primary grocery store for advertised specials." Even after they shop, 24 percent said they "send in mail-in rebates for cash refunds." Together, that's almost three-quarters of respondents who undertake these time-consuming activities to save money.

The rest of the mix of pre-, during- and post-shop behaviors seem more time-efficient. The top five on the list:

Stock up on an item when you find a bargain: 73 percent. Buy products on special even if you hadn't planned to buy them that day: 61 percent. Use cents-off coupons received in the mail or from newspapers/magazines: 48 percent. Look in newspapers for grocery specials: 63 percent. Use cents-off coupons received in the store, such as off-the-shelf, at checkout, or at a kiosk: 62 percent.
As we face an unsure economy, it's critical for retailers and brands to be in tune with the shopper and form a stronger relationship that goes beyond price.

For your free copy of the 2008 NGA/SupermarketGuru.com Consumer Panel Survey, please contact Christine Cunnick, director of communications for NGA, at ccunnick@nationalgrocers.org.