Introduction: The iSHOP Study Methodology Strategic Priorities Summary Findings Results by Channel > Supermarkets > Convenience > Drugstores > Mass Merchants > Warehouse Clubs > Value Top 20 Most Trusted Retailers
What’s most important to shoppers, and how does it influence where they choose to shop? Does it change across retail channels, and, ultimately, how do these critical perceptions drive trial, frequency and advocacy?
INDEX
01
INTRODUCTION
Trial: Drivers that put a retailer into the shopper’s consideration set for “light shopping” (no more than one trip per quarter).
Frequency: Drivers that make the retailer a regular destination for the shopper (at least once per month).
Advocacy: Drivers that lead a shopper to recommend the retailer to other consumers. Among the leading drivers in this area is their belief that the retailer is “a store I trust.”
Since 2013, Coca-Cola has conducted an annual shopper study centered on these questions to inform their collaborative marketing and business planning with their retail partners.
The goal is “to be a better business partner and help them understand how to drive action against these metrics,” explains Sally Buckley, director of shopper insights & analytics at Coca-Cola.
The study shows that while most key drivers are unique in each channel, some drivers remain consistent across the different classes of trade.
Retail ratings
The study identifies some clear-cut winners in each channel:
For example, advocacy is significantly influenced by shoppers believing the store “has a friendly, comfortable atmosphere” and “is a store I trust,” and frequency is heavily determined by the store’s success in providing “items I buy frequently in a convenient location.”
Perhaps most noteworthy was the relatively low importance of “low everyday price” on these behaviors: Among factors driving frequency, for instance, price perception was only the 12th most important element.
Products. Price. Customer service. Store experience.
Methodology
A comprehensive study of shopper behavior and attitudes
Coca-Cola’s iSHOP: Individual Shopping Habits, Occasions and Perceptions
DATA COLLECTION
BROAD COVERAGE
DEPTH OF INSIGHTS
40,000 shoppers from 16-75 years old
A 360-degree view of the industry including information on:
Shopper demographics and shopping attitudes
Data collected daily with new shoppers
71,000 trips studies annually
• Six channels • 300+ total retailers • 65 priority retailers
Retailer awareness, frequency, imagery and preference
Path to purchase, including pre-shop, shop and post-shop
X
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Understanding what drives shopper beliefs and behaviors allows Coca-Cola to drive action against its retailer partner strategies.
Focusing on trial imagery drivers will put a retailer into the shopper’s
Focusing on imageries that drive Frequency and Advocacy will increase traffic to the retailer. The difference is quality of the traffic.
FREQUENCY
BEHAVIOR
BELIEF
ADVOCACY
Light Shopping
Heavy Shopping
Willingness to Recommend
Shops Quarterly or less
Shops Monthly+
KEY SHOPPER PERCEPTIONS
The 2019 study sought to understand shopper attitudes about specific retailers across 30 different behavioral drivers, ranging from abstract assertions (“Is a store I trust”) to more tangible concepts (“Has a clean shopping area”).
VALUE/PRICE
Low everday prices
Key Shopper Perceptions
CUSTOMER SERVICE
IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
SERVICES PROVIDED
PRODUCT OFFERING
Good sales
Good loyalty program
Good coupon policy
Good overall value
Helpful, courteous, knowledgable employees
Rarely runs out of stock
Is a store I trust
Good customer service policy
Friendly, courteous atmosphere
Product demonstrations/ samples
Family-friendly
Clean shopping area
Fun place to shop
Has good, safe parking facilities
Has convenient hours of operation
Has a pharmacy I trust
Offers one-stop shopping for the items I need
Has clean restrooms
Has a good selection
Offers unique and appealing products
Carries high-quality products
Is a good place to grab a quick meal, beverage, or snack
Has the items I frequently buy in a convenient location in the store
Easy to get in and out of quickly
Familiar layout
Easy, quick checkout experience
Well organized
Is well-organized and easy to shop
Is conveniently located
TOP RANKED RETAILERs: VALUE
TRIAL DRIVERS
FREQUENCY DRIVERS
ADVOCACY DRIVERS
Dollar Tree
1
99 Cents Only
2
Dollar General
3
Family Dollar
4
Store I trust
Good atmosphere
Good selection
SEE BEHAVIORAL DRIVERS: VALUE
Perceptions among light shoppers
Perceptions among frequent shoppers
Perceptions among loyal shoppers
TOP RANKED RETAILERs: WAREHOUSE
Costco
BJ's Wholesale
Sam's Club
SEE BEHAVIORAL DRIVERS: WAREHOUSE/CLUBS
TOP RANKED RETAILERs: DRUGSTORES
CVS
Walgreens
Rite Aid
CVS (tied)
Walgreens (tied)
SEE BEHAVIORAL DRIVERS: DRUGSTORES
TOP RANKED RETAILERs: ConveniencE
Sheetz
QuikTrip
Casey's General Store
Wawa
QuickTrip
SEE BEHAVIORAL DRIVERS: CONVENIENCE
TOP RANKED RETAILERs: MASS MERCHANTS
Meijer
Walmart Supercenter
SuperTarget
Fred Meyer (Kroger)
Target
SEE BEHAVIORAL DRIVERS: MASS
TOP RANKED RETAILERs: SUPERMARKETS
Publix
Wegmans
King Soopers (Kroger)
Hy-Vee
King Soopers (tied)
HEB (tied)
ShopRite
Fry's (Kroger)
HEB
Trader Joe's
SEE BEHVIORAL DRIVERS: SUPERMARKETS
5
7-Eleven
Speedway
Retail ratings summary
Supermarkets Shopper loyalty for regional retailers HEB, Publix, Wegmans and Kroger’s King Soopers placed those chains among the top five across trial, frequency and advocacy.
When it comes to shopper advocacy, regional operators seem to do especially well due to their ability to foster trust among their shoppers. Texas-centric HEB earned the highest scores for “Is a store I trust,” followed by Southeastern operator Publix.
Drugstores CVS bested national rival Walgreens in each area.
Overall, six of the 10 chains with the highest trust ratings are regional, with three others — Harris Teeter, King Soopers and Fry’s — likely benefitting from parent company Kroger’s largely localized operating model. Alternate grocer Trader Joe’s was the only “national” player in the top 10.
Mass Merchants Midwestern chain Meijer topped national retailers Walmart, Target and Kmart to earn the highest scores for all three behaviors.
Convenience Sheetz, Wawa, QuickTrip and Casey’s General Stores alternated among the top four slots in all three.
Warehouse Clubs Costco outranked rivals Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale across the board.
Value Dollar Tree and Dollar General shared the top two spots.
Retailer Ratings
Retail Ratings
NEXT
Called iSHOP (“Individual Shopping Habits, Occasions and Perceptions”) the uniquely comprehensive study surveys consumers on a daily basis throughout the year to account for seasonal differences and other potential variables in their needs and habits.
02
METHODOLOGY
It goes beyond Coca-Cola’s own beverage categories to gain insights about the entire shopping experience, and polls beyond the primary household shopper to cover all consumers. The results encompass roughly 40,000 interviews each year.
View METHODOLOGY
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Back
03
CONSIDERATION SET
SHORT-TERM TRAFFIC
LONG-TERM TRAFFIC
Focusing on imageries that drive Frequency and Advocacy will increase traffic to the retailer. The difference is quality of the traffic
TRIAL
VIEW ALL 30 BEHAVIORAL DRIVERS
The 2019 study sought to understand shopper attitudes about specific retailers across 30 different behavioral drivers, ranging from abstract assertions (“Is a store I trust”) to more tangible concepts (“Has a clean shopping area”). Coca-Cola identified the level of influence each of these drivers has on three critical shopper behaviors:
04
SUMMARY FINDINGS
Mass Merchants Midwestern chain Meijer topped national retailers Walmart, Target and Kmart to earn the highest scores for all 3 behaviors.
Behavior Drivers
05
RESULTS BY CHANNEL
Supermarkets
Key Drivers: Supermarkets
Items I buy in easy locations
One-stop shopping
Conveniently located
Helpful employees
SEE RETAIL RATINGS: SUPERMARKETS
Key Drivers: CONVENIENCE
Good place to grab a quick meal/snack
Convenient hours
Good checkout experience
SEE RETAIL RATINGS: CONVENIENCE
Convenience
Key Drivers: DRUGSTORES
Easy to get in & out quickly
Pharmacy I trust
SEE RETAIL RATINGS: DRUGSTORES
Drugstores
Key Drivers: MASS MERCHANTS
Good customer service
Product demos/samples
Easy to get in and out fast
SEE RETAIL RATINGS: MASS MERCHANTS
Mass Merchants
Key Drivers: WAREHOUSE
Easy to get in & out
High quality product
SEE RETAIL RATINGS: WAREHOUSE
Warehouse Clubs
Key Drivers: VALUE
SEE RETAIL RATINGS: VALUE
Value
06
TOP 20 MOST TRUSTED RETAILERS
PUBLIX
WEGMANS
TRADER JOE'S
KING SOOPER'S (KROGER)
HY-VEE
MEIJER
HARRIS TEETER (KROGER)
FRY'S
SHOPRITE
KROGER
HANNAFORD (AHOLD DELHIAZE)
SMITH'S (KROGER)
FRED MEYER (KROGER)
WHOLE FOODS
GIANT EAGLE
INGLES MARKET
ALDI
TARGET
LIDL
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
6
7
8
9
10
For more information about this study, or to learn how the Path to Purchase Institute can provide resources and intelligence to help you succeed at retail, call 773-992-4450 today or email KLopez@p2pi.org.
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