consumer focus

HeWe've all seen them in the supermarkets, shopping with toddlers in the basket, making a harried run through the aisles after work–smartly dressed but slightly rumpled–and on Sunday morning buying produce and some takeout from the deli to ease the transition back to the work week.

These are the men who shop supermarkets these days.

As the number and frequency of male customers increase, the question is whether there are real, quantifiable differences in the way the sexes approach supermarket shopping. If so, what are they? Are there notable disconnects in the kind of products each buys? Do they respond to the same stimuli? What's their "take" on product labeling, and what do they want from the shopping experience?

In a detailed questionnaire that went beyond the normal demographics of age, income and ethnicity, a recent survey conducted by Berni Design for Progressive Grocer came up with some admittedly gender-qualified information, asking shoppers what they really wanted when the ubiquitous electronic doors parted.



Where & when

For this study, interview teams focused on the "Gold Coast" counties of Westchester, N.Y., and Fairfield, Conn., surveying a broad cross-section of shoppers in the following stores: Super Stop & Shop, New Rochelle, N.Y.; D'Agostino's, Rye Brook, N.Y.; Grand Union, Fresh Fields and Food Emporium, Greenwich, Conn.; Super Stop & Shop and ShopRite, Norwalk, Conn.; and Grand Union stores in Darien and Fairfield, Conn. Interviews were conducted at different times of day and early evening.

With the supermarket industry busily redesigning interior architecture, reconfiguring the center store, and reconsidering some timeworn display techniques, the old dictum "never assume" is increasingly valid. As such, some open-ended questions allowed respondents to tell interviewers what they really like in- store, and how they might design the store of the future.



He chooses/she chooses

Asked about specific categories purchased, the greatest gender disparity was in dairy (women 61.1%, men 45.3%), laundry products (women 31.5%, men 13.2%), snack foods (women 31.5%, men 20.8%) and over-the-counter medications (women 16.7%, men 5.7%).

These are fairly wide percentage spreads, especially in any category designated as "fresh," and it might be assumed that the pattern would continue in such "male-dominated" areas as deli, meal solutions, fast food and beer. However, the sample showed that the only thing men bought and women didn't were automotive products (9.4% men, 0% women). In the other categories, including frozen foods, cheeses, hot deli/takeout, bakery, beverages, canned foods, toiletries, paper goods and seasonal goods, purchasing differentials between men and women were marginal.

He looks/she looks—who cooks?

The survey revealed some interesting facts, and dispelled some myths about shopping habits. Contrary to stereotypes, men do not go for one item only, looking neither right nor left with a "secure it and leave" attitude.

While women are more likely to shop with lists, carry coupons and try new products, the sexes seem to wander the aisle equally.

While she is less likely to buy the most convenient size or a store brand, he is less likely to display store loyalty, more often dividing his time between stores.

While she is more often the primary shopper for the household (94.4% of women compared with 64.2% of men), he is more likely to make more "fill-in" shopping visits and more likely to look for sale items, according to the survey.

Consider this comment from Thomas R. in Waterbury, Conn.: "It's like a game to find the best price."



A chore? A bore?

When asked if they liked supermarket shopping, the genders both replied "not much." "It has to be done," shrugged Leyda fromGreenwich.

Again, the question is why the industry does not seem to respond to consumer needs. While corporations consider spoke-and-hub design, food courts and coffee bars to enhance the shopping experience, perhaps the important thought is to define or redefine the consumer "experience" of both store and product. The good news: Most consumers felt that the supermarket experience was satisfactory, and didn't suggest major redesign, or even a different experience. However, the aggregate opinion seemed to be that consumers feel overwhelmed when confronted by a sea of SKUs.



The man store/the woman store

We called these our "leading questions." Do men shoppers want a haven within the store—an inner sanctum dedicated to the products they want? And would it feature beer, motor oil, tools and fast food?

Few of the men interviewed responded affirmatively to this idea. A recent item in The Stamford Advocate reported that beer is being positioned next to diapers in many supermarkets. Marketing analysts discovered that toward the end of the week, diapers are often purchased by men who have received calls to pick up the weekend supply.

Among those who liked the idea of a "Man Store," here are some comments on what the store should include:

Joe, Norwalk: "A clothing shop and automotivesupplies."

Ralph, Mt. Vernon, N.Y.: "Slacks, shirts, tools, automotive products and fishing tackle."

Albion, Greenwich: "Car wash supplies and hardware."

Sonny, Stamford, Conn: "Beer and razors."

Harold, Fairfield: "Two express lanes for the shop, and a self checkout."

Most women surveyed felt that the entire supermarket was already a woman's store. The only other requests were for underwear, skin care, make-up, women's books, vitamins and high-nutrition/low-fat foods.

As the beer and diaper story illustrates, shopping is more about time than gender. The forces driving society–equality in the workplace, working mothers, longer working hours, flexible time–are being felt in the supermarket. Many stores are offering telephone pick-up order and delivery services, and more consumers are shopping at lunch or on their way home from work. Time explains the proliferation of online shopping and widespread impatience with checkout time, as well as the predominant request for the future: faster checkout.