They avoid large lists, quickly pop down to the shops, and are a fan of ready made meal packs.
Welcome to the new Australian grocery shopper in 2014, according to research by Mi9.
The local insights agency has found that the typical grocery shopper is changing in line with food retail trends.
It appears the days of Mum’s bulk shopping trip are fading, with today’s main household grocery buyer purchasing less more often.
Almost half of survey respondents say they’re shopping more frequently than before, with “top up” shops increasing.
“Meal to meal shoppers who visit grocery stores usually on a daily basis [are purchasing] items to eat that day,” says Mi9 of this emerging trend.
This finding correlates with the growth of pre-prepared meals in supermarkets like Coles and new generation Woolworths in areas like Sydney’s Erskineville.
Interestingly, Australians are spending more overall per week on groceries, as a strict weekly budgeted shop becomes less prevalent.
This doesn’t mean planning has gone entirely out the window, however, with 68 per cent of grocery shoppers still having a fixed routine.
One quarter of respondents say they shop on Saturday, but 56 per cent make habitual purchases driven by “need”.
More than half said “they would like greater personalisation, indicating there’s plenty of room for advertisers to influence purchases”.
“We’ve reached a turning point in grocery shopping, there is no longer a one size fits all approach,” said Gabbi Stubbs, Mi9’s head of research and insights.
“What this research shows us is that retailers and brands can combat price wars with value add services and digital experiences that drive differentiation.”
Norrelle Goldring, head of shopper insights and retail strategy at GfK, told Inside Shopper last year that the classic supermarket shopping trip can now be broken down into five categories: stock up, top up, dinner tonight, destination, and entertaining.
“Where a stock up shopper is looking for a week’s worth of variety and meal ideas, the dinner tonight shopper wants the protein, carbs, and vegetables all in one bundle,” she says.
Stir fry packs, easy access parking, and ready to go avocados are some of the ways retailers and brands are targeting convenience and quick trip grocery shoppers in 2014.
