Would you prefer to save now or save later? That was one of the questions put to grocery shoppers by Baltimore marketing firm Vertis as part of its Customer Focus 2006: Grocery study. Just under half (49 percent) of the adults queried said they prefer a discount on specific products during each store visit, compared to 34 percent who would rather accumulate points for a larger reward or payoff at stores that offer a frequent-buyer or loyalty card program.

Fifty-one percent of professional/white-collar adults would prefer a discount on specific products during each visit, compared to 46 percent of blue-collar adults surveyed. Of Baby Boomers, 51 percent prefer immediate discounts on specific products or services, compared to 45 percent of Generation X (1965-1976) consumers. Forty-two percent of Hispanic consumers prefer to accumulate points for a larger reward or payoff.

The survey of 3,000 adults was conducted via phone and Web in August and September 2005. Respondents were asked which one type of media most influenced their buying decisions. Among men 18-34, TV (25 percent), advertising inserts/circulars (18 percent) and the Internet (17 percent) topped the list. Among men 35-49, the top three were inserts/circulars (32 percent), TV (17 percent) and newspaper ads (16 percent). For women 18-34 the breakdown was: inserts/circulars (31 percent), TV (24 percent) and newspaper ads (11 percent). For women 35-49: inserts/circulars (40 percent), TV (20 percent) and newspaper ads (16 percent).

Other tidbits:

  • The influence of inserts among women 50+ has grown: In 2006 33 percent said inserts had the most influence, up from 28 percent in 2004.
  • Eighty-four percent of grocery insert readers use circulars to compare prices, while 52 percent use them to decide where to shop for groceries.
  • And among male weekday newspaper readers who are 50+, weekday advertising insert readership increased to 68 percent in 2006 from 52 percent in 2002.

Still clipping coupons

The old-fashioned paper coupon is alive and well, according to the study. Of the grocery ad insert readers surveyed, 51 percent of men 35-49 said they regularly use coupons they receive from grocery advertising inserts or circulars, compared to 45 percent of women in the same age group. Of the women aged 50 and over who said they were ad insert readers, 36 percent said they occasionally use coupons they receive from grocery advertising inserts or circulars, compared to 30 percent of men 50+ in the same category. Twenty-seven percent of men and 23 percent of women aged 18-34 who are grocery ad insert readers rarely use coupons they receive from grocery advertising inserts or circulars.

Some questions looked at the types of stores shoppers prefer for different types of foodstuffs. Respondents were asked, “In the past two weeks, other than at a traditional grocery store, what type of store did you visit most often to purchase non-perishable products, such as rice, pasta, canned goods, cereals etc.?” (Choices included drug store, convenience store, dollar store, wholesale/warehouse club, regular discount store, super-sized grocery store, super discount store.) Twenty-three percent of women grocery shoppers 18-34 cited a super discount store compared to 12 percent of women in the same category who visited a super-sized grocery store. Among women grocery shoppers 35-49, 21 percent indicated they had visited a super discount store, compared to 16 percent who shopped at super-sized grocery stores.

Twenty-four percent of women grocery shoppers 18-34 said they had visited a super discount store most often to purchase perishable products (such as meat, produce, dairy or bakery items), compared to 17 percent in the same age group who visited a super-sized grocery store.

You say deli, I say bakery

In addition to the meat and produce departments, respondents were asked to cite two other departments that most influence where they choose to buy groceries. Thirty-three percent of men 18-34 said the deli is the most important department to consider. Other consumers leaned toward the bakery department: 26 percent of women grocery shoppers and 26 percent of men grocery shoppers aged 35-49 tabbed it as most important. Only 9 percent of women and 7 percent of men 18-34 labeled the canned goods department as a prime influence.