Consumer panel sheds light on produce purchases
Consumer panel sheds light on produce purchases
CHICAGO - A panel of consumers raised a few eyebrows with candid opinions about what drives their produce purchasing decisions during a Retail Marketing session held April 30, here, at the United Produce Show.
The session was facilitated by the Perishables Group and moderated by Steve Lutz, executive vice president of the organization.
The 11 panelists, all from the Chicago area, represented a diverse mix of demographics and purchasing patterns. Seven of the members were female and five of the panelists were single. The ages of the panelists ranged from 28 to 57. All had eaten fresh produce in the past seven days, and all had purchased produce at some point in the past two weeks.
Mr. Lutz first quizzed the panel members about whether they use a list when shopping for produce. The five who responded yes said that the items on their lists included staples such as bananas, potatoes and apples. The remainder of the produce purchases were impulse buys driven largely by appearance and seasonality. Interestingly, price was not a factor in purchases for the majority of the panelists, who were more concerned with quality and freshness.
Carrie, who is single and 28, said that when she is entertaining and cooking for others, price does not come into play. But she would be more likely to consider price when buying for herself.
The panelists also were asked for feedback on packaged products vs. bulk products. While many like the convenience of having product prewashed and precut, the perception is that bulk product is fresher and of higher quality. Russell, 40, who shops two to three times a week for he and his wife, said that he prefers shopping at small stores like Stanley's, a no-frills independent retailer in the area, because there are few packaged items. "The produce looks fresher and tastes better," he said.
Dorothy, 50, who shops frequently and enjoys cooking for her husband and daughter, said that she prefers bulk displays to packaged and bagged product because she likes to closely examine and feel the product. She also said that her experience with buying bagged apples was tainted when she discovered several that were bruised.
Carrie, who had a similar bad experience with bagged oranges, agreed, speculating that packers may use off-grade product in bagged offerings.
Michael, 48, who is single and who shops once a week, stated that he prefers the bagged product because it is a better value and because bagged offerings contain smaller fruit. Sometimes I want a small apple, and they are hard to find in bulk displays, he said.
Mr. Lutz queried the panelists on whether brands were drivers in their purchasing decisions. Aside from Chiquita, Del Monte, Fresh Express and Dole, panelists were at a loss to mention others by name, and nearly all agreed that brands are not a factor in their purchasing decisions. Michael said that he was not concerned with produce brands because you can see what youre buying. Its not like a canned product. Carrie said that brands only influence her when there is an issue with a company in the media, such as poor labor relations, and then she will not buy a brand.
Regarding store brands vs. national brands, some of the panelists believe that store brands tend to be priced lower, but quality is not always on par with national brands.
Laura, 44, who shops several times a week for her family of three, said that in her experience national brands tend to have a longer shelf life. Michael said that his experience with store brands has been mixed. Sometimes the quality is good, but sometimes its not, he said. Thirty-eight-year-old Tom, however, underscored the sentiment of the panel when he said that while the price may be lower on store brands, his main driver is how something looks.
The issue of country-of-origin labeling was also addressed, and panel members largely agreed that it has no bearing on their purchasing decisions. Barb, 57, who is retired and lives with her husband, said that it would be nice if everything was grown in the United States, but it is not a major factor. Michael stated that the only time it makes a difference with him is if the origin changes the nature of a product.
Russell, 40, said that he believes product from the Southern Hemisphere is superior to that which is grown elsewhere.
Panelists were asked about their perceptions about point-of-purchase signs and materials, and whether they look for assistance from workers in the produce department. All agreed that they appreciate when signage is posted offering recipes, preparation tips and ripening information; all wished for more p-o-p materials at the stores where they shop. Most of the panelists said that they would seek help from produce department personnel, but they said that at the conventional chainstores, workers have little produce knowledge or are not available. When shopping at produce stands or independent stores, panelists said that assistance is more readily available and workers tend to have more knowledge about produce. Russell said that he talks to workers at farmers markets but not at chainstores because they are either not around or dont have much knowledge. Michael said that one store he frequents started posting signs about how to tell when something is ripe. That gave me the impression that they know more about [produce].
The majority of the panel was opposed to genetically modified products, with Russell and Michael stating that it doesnt matter to them. Dorothy was adamantly opposed, saying that she preferred things to be in their natural state. A similar reaction was evoked when the panel was posed with the scenario of produce items being enriched with vitamins.
Panelists were asked about organic produce and what it means to them. Three said that they thought it means grown without pesticides. Two said that it means its better for you. Michael said that he believes it costs much more than conventional product, and if you wash it properly, its the same thing.
Teresa, who is single and 45, said that she is an avid buyer of organic produce and shops at Whole Foods because the chain carries a wide selection and she is always pleased with the quality. I shop frequently and I buy small quantities, so price is not an issue for me, she said, stating that quality was the main factor in her purchasing decisions.
Mr. Lutz informed the panel that there are currently about 500 SKUs in the produce department, and that number is expected to grow by 20 percent in the next several years. With so many offerings, he asked the panel what it would take to get them to try new things.
Most replied that sampling and recipe information would be key factors. Laura said that she reads food magazines for new ideas about product usage, and that she would like more of that information from stores. She also would like to be able to try a product before she buys it.
One of the more surprising revelations from the panel occurred when Mr. Lutz projected the 5 A Day logo onto a screen and asked the panelists whether they recognized it. None could identify it, although Laura said that it looked familiar. This shows that we as an industry have a lot of work ahead of us, said Mr. Lutz.
Mr. Lutz then projected the new Dietary Guidelines graphic released last month by USDA. Three members of the panel recognized it from recent media coverage, but all found it to be vague or confusing.
The session was facilitated by the Perishables Group and moderated by Steve Lutz, executive vice president of the organization.
The 11 panelists, all from the Chicago area, represented a diverse mix of demographics and purchasing patterns. Seven of the members were female and five of the panelists were single. The ages of the panelists ranged from 28 to 57. All had eaten fresh produce in the past seven days, and all had purchased produce at some point in the past two weeks.
Mr. Lutz first quizzed the panel members about whether they use a list when shopping for produce. The five who responded yes said that the items on their lists included staples such as bananas, potatoes and apples. The remainder of the produce purchases were impulse buys driven largely by appearance and seasonality. Interestingly, price was not a factor in purchases for the majority of the panelists, who were more concerned with quality and freshness.
Carrie, who is single and 28, said that when she is entertaining and cooking for others, price does not come into play. But she would be more likely to consider price when buying for herself.
The panelists also were asked for feedback on packaged products vs. bulk products. While many like the convenience of having product prewashed and precut, the perception is that bulk product is fresher and of higher quality. Russell, 40, who shops two to three times a week for he and his wife, said that he prefers shopping at small stores like Stanley's, a no-frills independent retailer in the area, because there are few packaged items. "The produce looks fresher and tastes better," he said.
Dorothy, 50, who shops frequently and enjoys cooking for her husband and daughter, said that she prefers bulk displays to packaged and bagged product because she likes to closely examine and feel the product. She also said that her experience with buying bagged apples was tainted when she discovered several that were bruised.
Carrie, who had a similar bad experience with bagged oranges, agreed, speculating that packers may use off-grade product in bagged offerings.
Michael, 48, who is single and who shops once a week, stated that he prefers the bagged product because it is a better value and because bagged offerings contain smaller fruit. Sometimes I want a small apple, and they are hard to find in bulk displays, he said.
Mr. Lutz queried the panelists on whether brands were drivers in their purchasing decisions. Aside from Chiquita, Del Monte, Fresh Express and Dole, panelists were at a loss to mention others by name, and nearly all agreed that brands are not a factor in their purchasing decisions. Michael said that he was not concerned with produce brands because you can see what youre buying. Its not like a canned product. Carrie said that brands only influence her when there is an issue with a company in the media, such as poor labor relations, and then she will not buy a brand.
Regarding store brands vs. national brands, some of the panelists believe that store brands tend to be priced lower, but quality is not always on par with national brands.
Laura, 44, who shops several times a week for her family of three, said that in her experience national brands tend to have a longer shelf life. Michael said that his experience with store brands has been mixed. Sometimes the quality is good, but sometimes its not, he said. Thirty-eight-year-old Tom, however, underscored the sentiment of the panel when he said that while the price may be lower on store brands, his main driver is how something looks.
The issue of country-of-origin labeling was also addressed, and panel members largely agreed that it has no bearing on their purchasing decisions. Barb, 57, who is retired and lives with her husband, said that it would be nice if everything was grown in the United States, but it is not a major factor. Michael stated that the only time it makes a difference with him is if the origin changes the nature of a product.
Russell, 40, said that he believes product from the Southern Hemisphere is superior to that which is grown elsewhere.
Panelists were asked about their perceptions about point-of-purchase signs and materials, and whether they look for assistance from workers in the produce department. All agreed that they appreciate when signage is posted offering recipes, preparation tips and ripening information; all wished for more p-o-p materials at the stores where they shop. Most of the panelists said that they would seek help from produce department personnel, but they said that at the conventional chainstores, workers have little produce knowledge or are not available. When shopping at produce stands or independent stores, panelists said that assistance is more readily available and workers tend to have more knowledge about produce. Russell said that he talks to workers at farmers markets but not at chainstores because they are either not around or dont have much knowledge. Michael said that one store he frequents started posting signs about how to tell when something is ripe. That gave me the impression that they know more about [produce].
The majority of the panel was opposed to genetically modified products, with Russell and Michael stating that it doesnt matter to them. Dorothy was adamantly opposed, saying that she preferred things to be in their natural state. A similar reaction was evoked when the panel was posed with the scenario of produce items being enriched with vitamins.
Panelists were asked about organic produce and what it means to them. Three said that they thought it means grown without pesticides. Two said that it means its better for you. Michael said that he believes it costs much more than conventional product, and if you wash it properly, its the same thing.
Teresa, who is single and 45, said that she is an avid buyer of organic produce and shops at Whole Foods because the chain carries a wide selection and she is always pleased with the quality. I shop frequently and I buy small quantities, so price is not an issue for me, she said, stating that quality was the main factor in her purchasing decisions.
Mr. Lutz informed the panel that there are currently about 500 SKUs in the produce department, and that number is expected to grow by 20 percent in the next several years. With so many offerings, he asked the panel what it would take to get them to try new things.
Most replied that sampling and recipe information would be key factors. Laura said that she reads food magazines for new ideas about product usage, and that she would like more of that information from stores. She also would like to be able to try a product before she buys it.
One of the more surprising revelations from the panel occurred when Mr. Lutz projected the 5 A Day logo onto a screen and asked the panelists whether they recognized it. None could identify it, although Laura said that it looked familiar. This shows that we as an industry have a lot of work ahead of us, said Mr. Lutz.
Mr. Lutz then projected the new Dietary Guidelines graphic released last month by USDA. Three members of the panel recognized it from recent media coverage, but all found it to be vague or confusing.
