TH! SPARTAN m WY - -
AN INVESTifiATiON OF THE FOOD SHOPPtNG
HABITS AND ATTITUDE!» OF A SELECT GROUP

Thais kt flu. Dog!“ of M. A.
WAN STATE UNIVERSWY
Rab-art David Lustborg
1958

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THE SPARTAN VILLAGE STUDY-~AN INVESTIGATION OF
THE FOOD SHOPPING HABITS AND ATTITUDBS
OF A SELECT GROUP

by
Robert David Lustberg

AN ABSTRACT

Submitted to the College of Business and Public Service of
Michigan State University of Agriculture and
Applied Science in partial fulfillment of
the re1uirements for the degree of

EASTER OF ARTS

Department of General Business
Curriculum in Food Distribution

1958

. Approved:%://£:’_(j;:’ j/’ diae

 

 

2
ROBERT DAVID LUSTBERG ,ABSTRACT

Statement 9: Egg Problem

The growing success of food retailing within our
marketing system has been accompanied by the intensifica-
tion of competition between store operators themselves.

The food retailer, beset by problems of expansion and
rising costs of Operations, has withdrawn to a certain
extent from contact with the ultimate consumer. Accept-
ance of the self-service principle by the consumer accompa-
nied by technological advances have further complicated
communications between retailer and consumer.

Although research relative to consumer shopping habits
and attitudes is not new, the position of the consumer has
been gaining in importance in the thinking centered on the
problem of maintaining and increasing customer franchises.
The dynamic nature of our society and economy call for con-
tinuing examination and reevaluation of ideas concerning

the habits and attitudes of the changing consumer market.

Procedure

 

An exploratory study was designed to develop and test
hypotheses relating to the food shopping habits and atti-
tudes of a select group. The emphasis in this study is on
young, married couples, newly arrived in an area, who are

a
dependent on a car for shopping. In addition, the hepe

ROBERT DAVID LUSTBERG ABBTRACT

was that other marketing implications would develop out of
a system of questioning designed to encourage reSpondents

to talk freely on.many aspects of their food shopping ex-

periences.

Through the medium of a questionnaire, 40 personal
interviews were conducted in the homes of respondents in
the Spartan Village married housing development of Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan. The respondents

were selected in an unrestricted, random manner.

Summary 9; Findings 33d Qonclusiog

I The principal findings relative to the food shopping
habits and attitudes of the group involved in this study
were as follows:

1. Where a one—car family is dependent on their
automobile for shopping, husbands take an active role in
food shopping.

2. Shoppers who are dependent on their car for
transportation have added new meaning to our concept of
"convenience" as a prime factor in their store selection.

3. Food store newspaper advertising has little in-
fluence on the store selection of new arrivals in an area.

4. The manner in which food store newspaper adver-
tising is presented is confusing and irritating to many

consumer S o

4
ROBERT DAVID LUSTBERG ABSTRACT

5. ‘While trading stamps are a minor factor in main-
taining customer loyalty, they have become so much a part
of the promotional scene that consumers regard them as an
added attraction and derive satisfaction from saving stamps.

6. Although self—service meat departments have gained
general acceptance, consumers are faced with their greatest
food problem in selection of meat by themselves.

7. Habit is a dominant factor in maintaining customer
loyalty and restricting movement of shoppers between stores.
8. Although non-foods have been accepted and are
purchased by almost all consumers, most respondents looked
with disfavor on the suggestion of adding more non—foods.

9. Packaged produce has gained greater acceptance
than packaged meat but a substantial minority of consumers
are still doubtful of the benefits of packaging produce.

10. The majority of respondents used shOpping lists
but only a small minority of those using lists restricted
their buying because of the list.

11. Recipes and menus are great aids in solving food
problems for the housewife.

12.. Communications between consumer and store personnel
is restrictd in nature and is the root cause of many con—
sumer shopping problems.

These findings point up the fact that consumers can

provide many insights leading to advantages to be gained

5
ROBERT DAVID LUSTBERG ABSTRACT

in the competitive struggle.

The problem for the store operator is to stimulate a
positive consumer orientation on the part of all personnel
involved in consumer-store relations, and to close the

communications gap which currently exists between consumer

and store personnel.

"Th Food Distribution program at Michigan State
University is under the sponsorship of the National
Association of Food Chains."

THE SPAFTAN VCZLAGE STUDY--AN INVESTIGATCON OF
THE FOOD SHOPFTNG HABITS AND ATTETUDES

OF A SELECT GFOUP

by

Pobert David Lustberg

A THESIS

Submitted to the College of Business and Public Service of
Michigan State University of Agriculture and
Applied Science in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of

MASTEF OF ARTS

Department of General Business
Curriculum in Food Distribution

1958

‘3

Us}

to

.. f (a
/ ' C’ k.)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation
to Dr. E. A. Brand, Director of the Curriculum in Food
Distribution, for his kind guidance and valuable help during
the preparation of this thesis.

He would like to express his sincere thanks to the
following members of Food Fair Stores, Incorporated; Mr.
Louis Stein, President; Mr. Myer B. Marcus, Executive Vice—
President; and Mr. Jules Schwartz, Director of industrial
and Public Felations, to whom the author is forever indebted
for providing the opportunity-of attending Michigan State
University.

Finally, the author would like to express his deep
appreciation to his wife, Estelle, for her patience, under-
standing, suggestions, and help during the preparation of

this thesis.

.TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION. . . . . .

Background of the problem

Need for the study.

Review of recent literature.

Purpose of the study

Description of the methodology.
Preliminary investigation
Questionnaire
Method of selecting respondents
Place and time of study

Hypotheses to be tested

Limitations of the study.

II. CLASSIFICATION DATA

Background information

Data on Households.
Age composition of husbands and wives
Number of children per household
Weekly income per household.
Weekly range of food expenditure per

household

Monthly rent expenditure.

Type of apartment

PAGE

[‘0
n w

Car ownership and ability to drive

Data on stores shopped by respondents

CHAPTEP
Working wives
III. RESUITS OP HYPOTHESES
Hypothesis No. l:
in shopping
Hypothesis No. 2:
"convenience"
Hypothesis No. 3:
advertising
Hypothesis No. 4:
Hypothesis No. 5:
trading stamps
Hypothesis No. 5:
service meat.
Hypothesis No. 7:
choice.
Hypothesis No. 8
foods
IV. ADDITIONAL MAPKETING

TESTED

The role of husbands

The meaning of

The influence of

Peactions to advertising

The influence of

The problem of self-

Habit versus rational

Attitudes toward non-

IMPLICATIONS.

The day and time of day respondents shop

Promotion of new stores

The relative importance of price, quality,

and variety

Pespondents'

opinions of packaged, self-

service produce.

27

Lt)
C\

39

The use of shopping lists
Pespondents' opinions of food advertising
other than newspaper advertising
Pespondents‘ reactions to "out-of—stock"
items
Communications at the consumer level.
V. SUMMARY, PECOMNENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSION
Characteristics of respondents.
Results of hypotheses tested and
recommendations.
Additional marketing implications.
Conclusion
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A--Case Studies.
APPENDIX B--Questionnaire
APPENDIX C--Respondents' Knowledge of Stores in

Tabular Form. .

APPENDIX D--Additional Information from Questionnaire

in Tabular Form.

85

87

TABLE

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

LIST OF TABLES

Age Composition of Husbands and Wives. . . .

Number of Children per Household

Weekly Income per Household

Weekly Pange of Food Expenditure per Household.

Data on Stores shopped by Respondents.

Person(s) Involved in Food Shopping

The Meaning of "Convenience" to Pespondents.

The Influence of Newspaper Advertising on the
Store Selection of Pespondents

Pespondents' Comments on Food Store Advertising

The Influence of Trading Stamps.

Pespondents‘ Opinions of Trading Stamps

Pespondents' Opinions of Self-Service, Packaged
Meat.

Non-Food Items Purchased in Supermarkets by
Pespondents

Pespondents' Opinions on More Non—Foods Items

Bespondents' Knowledge of Stores and Movement
Between Stores

Pespondents' Likes and Dislikes in Stores

‘-

They Have Shopped

31
33
34

LA.)
\I

86

88

TABLE

XVIII.

Respondents'
Pespondents'

of Beef.

Suggestions for New Stores

Comments on More Than One Grade

vii

CHAPTER I

INTPODUCTION

Background of the Problem

 

One of the vital and genuine success stories of the
post depression years is that of the supermarket industry.
To keep pace with the increasing demands of a growing and
shifting population, and to properly compete for the
increasing real dollars which consumers have had available
to spend, the supermarket has slowly evolved into a retail
giant. The physical size of the supermarket structure and
the variety of merchandise handled are only two of the
basic elements related to supermarketing that have developed
at a steadily expanding rate.

Today, the largest food chain operators dominate the
entire retail business. A listing of the nation's twenty
leading retailers in 1957 reveals that food chains occupy
eleven positions.l Although every company in the top
twenty showed sales increases over 1956, only two of the
companies, both food chains, increased sales at a faster
rate than they achieved in l956. From a profit standpoint,

however, the food chains reversed the trend of the non-food

 

¥"Ihe Food Chains Lead the Way,” Business Week, No.
1A9? (May 13, 1958;, 59.

 

retailers who reported profit percentages substantially

below their sales increases. In contrast, eight of the

eleven food chains reported net earnings increasing at a
faster rate than the corresponding sales increases.

The marked success of the food industry in the face
of the most serious post war recession is not beyond ex-
planation.

Of all the violent upheavals that have shaken and
transformed the American Market, none have been

bigger, or more baffling, that those affecting food.
Back in l9Al, Americans spent $20 billion for food.

In 1953. . . they spent $60 billion. . . . In 1941
they were allocating 2A per cent of their cash
income for food. In 1953 the figure was up to 27

per cent.2

From now until the 1969's, it seems probable,
calorie consumption will rise about 3 per cent
faster than the population totals. Applying 3 per
cent to a national food bill of $63 billion, it
would seem that the food industry has some $2
billion worth of extra business implied in the
changing size and age composition of the nation.

The progress, growth, and general optimism surrounding
the food retailing business are based, in the main, on well
founded statistical data. Ho ever, it would be folly to
ignore the signs which pointed to the pressures exerted by
the increase in the over—all competitive situation.

Many operators. . .have been fearing a saturation

in number of supermarkets. While few believe that
saturation is imminent, there was definite evidence

 

2Editors of Fortune, The Changing American Market
(New York: Hanover House, 1953), p. 131.

 

3Ibid., p.37.

last year that opportunities for successful new
stores were narrowing. Members of Super Market
Institute, a good cross section of the super market
bloc, reported that 63% of the stores they opened
in 1957 failed to do as much volume as expected,
that each new super market competed directly with
three other super markets, whereas in 1956 each new
unit competed with only two others.

The problem for supermarket operators is clear. The

3

American market for food has expanded by $3.5 billion each
year since 1955.5 There are no indications as yet of any
surcease in the population boom which has added an annual
natural increase (excess of births over deathS) of
&,533,333 persons to the total population for the past
seven years.6 Although all the evidence points to an
increased sales forecast for many years to come, there are
indications that competition between food retailers is
growing more intense. Continued prosperity and expansion

are dependent on the broadest knowledge of marketing facts

which can lead to any competitive advantage.

Need for the Study

 

.With the obvious increase in the competitive situ-

ation the succeeding question would logically seem to be,

 

“Robert w. Mueller, ”1957 Grocery Store 53188;"
Progressive Grocer, Vol. 37, No. A (April, 1958;, pg.

 

E: '1
”Ibis.

/
OHarry Hansen (ed.:, The World Almanac for 1958
(New York: World Telegram and The Sun, I958), p, 257.

 

 

"What are food retailers doing to meet the problem?"

Depending on who is doing the talkingthis problem
may be rising costs, shrinking margins, too many big
stores, customer pilferage, cart 1osses,long store
hours or anything else that the man may have on his
mind.

Our personal nomination for this number-one problem
is the space in every store that should be occupied
by a customer who isn't there. There are very few
things wrong with any stere that would not be cured
by a few more customers.-

Food retailers should be freely aware oftheir
strength and advantages-~but they must also recognize
the definite changes taking place in the frame of
mind of the consumer. . . . One hears more customers
complaining that there are fewer worthwhile weekend
specials, especially in perishables; more shoppers
are keeping records of their food expenditures and
comparing prices between stores; there is more
interest in lower priced brands to see if they aren't
just as good. . . . in the period ahead individual
retailers who keep tuned in to consumers' attitudes,
look for shifts in buying habits and preferences,
and take appropriate action will not only hold their
own but strengthen their positions in the "recession”
era that promisgs to be with us for at least a few
months to come.

There may be disagreement as to the ultimate position

of the consumer problem, but there is little doubt that it

rates high on any list. An examination of the proposed

agenda for the impending Twenty-First Annual Convention

of the Super Market Institute reveals the intensified

interest in the problem of consumer habits and attitudes:9

at

J ’

'Fecession‘,

7Lawrence Drake, "Store Talk," Chain Store Age, Vol.
No. 5 (May, 1958), 3.

 

8Pobert w. Mueller, "Food Sales at High Level Despite
" Progressive Grocer, Vol. 37, No. A (April,

 

1958), 6.

pig‘s

K,

I

9"Sell More Chain Store

Vol. 3A, No. 5

 

bio

mpa t, Impulse, and Ideas,‘
AM J)

1958;, 83-81.

U3

"See Ourselves As Others See Us."
"Do You Make These Impressions on Consumers?"

"How to Lay Out Stores to Take Advantage of Consumer
Shopping Habits and Desires."

"Let the Customer Tell You How to Design Stores for
Greater Sales."

"How to Make Super Market Advertising More Effective."

’"What's on the Woman's Mind?"

Manufacturers in the food industry have long been
aware of the need for information from the consumers them—
selves in order to maximize sales promotion and new product
development. Marketing research has provided management
with a problem solving tool to help close the communication
gap between producer and consumer. The free flow of infor-
mation between these sources had been complicated by
increased specialization within the marketing system.

The food retailer, who has the prime responsibility
for the transaction and continuation phases of marketing,
has also withdrawn to a certain extent from intimate con-
tact with consumers. Expansion and merger have created
problems of organization, supply, and communication within
the business firm itself. Standardization and speciali-
zation have been key factors in the economic success of
chain store operations. The giant food stores of today are
geared to run like a well oiled machine, with the emphasis
on volume and increased experimentation in non-food lines.

The individual customer behind the shopping cart has

6

i

become a "face in the crowd,‘ in the main, expressionless,

except as a microscopic reflection in the total sales
figure.
The growing competitive situation has forced super-
market operators to reevaluate the position of the consumer.
"Under dynamic conditions the organization planner
takes account not only of the market and marketing channels

but of the kind and size of market the firm must serve the

. 13
day after tomorrow." -

"Periodic measurements of consumer perceptance, atti—
tudes, and acceptance should be made not only for the usual
purposes, such as to provide direction in product develop-
ment and to guide advertising and marketing, but also to
protect the company‘s investment in consumer good will."ll

'By now, it should be clear, nothing is more important
than the inclinations of the consumer. He has money, he
has a big choice, he can buy as he desires, and he can stop
'buying many things for quite a while. What is he likely to
do?"12

The problem of consumer research is further compli-

cated by the dynamic nature of our economic and social

13Wroe Alderson, Marketing Behavior and Executive
.Action (Homewood, Illinois: Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1957),
I3. 432.
llBensis Likert, "Measuring Organization Performance,"
§%arvard Business Review, Vol. 36, No. 2 (March-April, 1958;,
9. '
l

I\)

Editors of Fortune, op. cit., p. :9

system. Advances in technology are constantly pressuring
what were once considered standard methods, accepted pro-
ducts, and productive communications media, into obsole-
scence. To meet the needs of the socio-economic dynamics
of our system, consumer research is challenged by the
problem of meeting new frontiers in action and reaction
on a continuing basis.
Even a wholly repredentative sample cannot provide
an answer that is good for more than the moment it
is taken. As the individual becomes better informed,
as he gains new experiences, his attitudes, prefer—
ences and plans change and are, in fact, bound to
change under the impact of new developments.
"Marketing research cannot make decisions for the
executives. It may provide him with information, but that
information will never be complete. Thus, the executive
must still operate in an area of uncertainty. Research
can only decrease the size of the area."lu
The area of decision for the supermarket operator
has been growing in intensity through competition, expan-
Sion, and rising costs of operations. Research relative

1:0 consumer interests can only help focus his marketing

Giffort in the proper direction.

T§Eeview of Recent Literature
Research relative to consumer habits and attitudes

lfleas been attempted from,many different approaches. In

\

13H. w. Boyd, Jr. and Ralph Westfall, Marketing
I3eesearch (Homewood, Illinois: Richard D. Irwin,_Inc.,l956),
‘F>. 25, quoting Illinois Business Review, Vol. X (November,

31953u 2,6.
luIbid.

 

 

 

recent years, the economists, sociologists, and psycho-
logists have joined forces with business and government
researchers in an attempt to make some sense out of the
mysteries of consumer behavior. Although there is much
activity in this field, it can be categorized as unorgan-

ized; the results usually reflecting the background of the

writer or researcher. if the consumer would only stand
still long enough to be classified as an ”Economic Man,"

or a "Patlona Man, or a "Group Product," the problem
would be greatly simplified. However, the individual con-
sumer refuses to mark time and be counted as a predictable,
convenient statistic.

The following responsibilities sometimes assigned to

consumers are, in the opinion of a leading consumer econ-

 

omist, no longer reasonable ' der modern conditions:15
1. That consumers should be able to Judge the

q

quality of merchandise before buying.

[U

That consumers should always shop before buying.

j. That consumers should make their own decisions
without being influenced by advertising and
selling efforts and should attempt to develop
sales resistance.

4. That consumers should act rationally in buying and

should not be influenced by emotion.

: 1 T" 'I
lxPearce C. Kelly, Consumer aconomics (Homewooa,
Lllinoia: Richard D. train, Inc., 1953!, p. 16.

 

The modern consumer, according to Dichter, is an

"entirely new type" who exhibits these five major charac-

l6

teristics:
l. Desire to be treated as an individual.
2. Desire for participation.

3. An increased maturity.

1:-

Desire for recognition.

\n

. Desire for creativeness.

Alderson in his attempt at a functional marketing
synthesis of consumer motivations has categorized house-
holds by special types of organized behavior systems.

While rational problem solving is believed to fill
a central place in the behavior of the consumer
buyer, the presence of irrational or nonrational
factors cannot be ignored. Habit and impulse are
often more in evidence than rational choice, and ef-
ficiency as a buyer is acquired only as the result
of considerable experience.

This scheme of analysis obviously leads to a four-
way classification by family type. The four classes
as follows: co-ordinated and compatible; co—ordinated
and incompatible; unco-ordinated and compatible; and
unco-ordinated and incompatible. it seems reasonable
to expect quite different types of guying behavior
from these four types of families.1

l6Perrin Stryker, "What‘s the Motive?" in The
rkmazing Advertising Business by The Editors of Fortune

k

(yNew York: Simon and Schuster, l957>, p. 78.

7 , . .
l Alderson, op. Cit p. 163.

_..L_______;’

18
Ibid., p. 177.

Economists and sociologists have noted a growing
trend toward a homogeneity in consumer buying patterns.
Having now followed the individual from childhood to
the grave, we would like in these concluding remarks
to touch on the specter of uniformity, both in
careers and in consumer behavior, that specter which
haunts so much of our, and European, thinking about
America.1
in commenting on the intensive survey of consumer
spending made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1953
and the succeeding group of university research projects
which had the advantage of many cross-classifications per-
mitting the isolation of important variables relative to

spending patterns, the following observations were made:

However, the search for differences in spending
patterns should not cause us to lose sight of the

similarities. indeed, many of the tables we have
presented. . .are more remarkable for the similarity
of consumption patterns they reveal that for the
differences. There are regional and racial differ-

ences, and they may be important for the firm inter-
ested in a particular market or type of product.
Generally, however, the dominant impression is one
of uniformity. . . . Perhaps the major finding that
will emerge is that the American Market is becoming
a homogeneous whole, with variations attributable
almost entirely to income differences rather than a
market sharply segmented by regional, racial,occupa-
tional, and other differences. As far as markets
are concerned, at any rate, the melting pot may well
be on its way to the completion of its task.23

This tendency of the mass market of consumers to act

£18 a unified whole has been of invaluable aid in many

\—

19David Beisman and Howard Boseborough, "Careers and
C3Qnsumer Behavior,” Consumer Behavior: The Life Cycle and
Eggnsumer Behavior, Lincoln H. Clark, editor (New York: New
3(ork University Press, 1955), p. 14.

231min Friend and :rvin B. Kravis, "New Light on the
(Tonsumer Market,” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 5, No. l
(January-February, 1957), 115-116.

 

 

 

 

ll
phases of marketing research and in the proper direction of
marketing decisions and promotional effort. However, there
are grave dangers inherent in the acceptance of the prin-
ciple of the homogeneity of the consumer market or the
predictability of consumer behavior in a dynamic economy.
in spite of the fact that the American consumer is probably
the best researched person in the world, he still represents
an enigma of sizable proportions. The leading proponents
of the social science approach to marketing problems are
the first to admit that their efforts are still in the
pioneer or frontier stage.

"Of course motivational research is not a panacea.
What is needed is a unified concept in research, dealing

with the behavior and motives of human beings."21

What seems badly needed is research on group factors
in consumer behavior that will deal with phenomena
falling between, let us say, brand preferences at one
end of the scale and the national consumption function,
as theoretical economists call it, at the other.‘t

The realization that buyers come into the market to
solve problems is more reliable than the notion that
selling is simply a matter of implanting habits or
taking advantage of impulses in passive and muddle-

headed customers. A product, a service, or a retail
store must function to survive the test of the

21Ernest Dichter, "Scientifically Predicting and Under-
fStanding Human Behavior," Consumer Behavior and Motivatiog,
Tdobert H. Cole, editor (University of Illinois Bulletin,
\fol. 53, No. A5. Urbana: University of illinois Press,
Efebruary, 1956), p. 36.

 

LiNelson N. Poote, ”The Autonomy of the Consumer,"
Elonsumer Behavior: The Dynamics of Consumer Peaction,
'Lincoln H. Clark, editor (New York: New York University
Press, 195A), p. 16.

 

 

 

market. . . The world of consumers may be willing
to be flattered, cajoled, or entertained, but it does
not wish to be deceived.5

From the fields of humanistic psychiatry has come
the warning of both the limits and latitudes of our knowl-
edge of human behavior.

Undoubtedly the desire to know our fellow men and
ourselves corresponds to a deep need in human beings.
Man lives within a social context. . . . However com-
plete rational knowledgguis possible only of things.

_._.rl is £22 a thihe. “‘—

Indeed we can be quite certain that most of the
theories we hold today in the areas of motivation,
emotions, and personality will look very "corn" fifty
years hence. To become intimidated by a conceptual
structure which is little better, than a primitive
word picture at best, ho ever colorful and dramatic,
is certainly not far from the height of folly.5J

The current status of research relating to consumer
behavior indicates that methodology and experimentation are
approaching a more unified concept within the limits of the

knowledge existing in the social sciences.

Purpose of the Study

 

Pesearch studies on consumer habits, attitudes, and
preferences are not new to the supermarket operator. How—
ever, the extent to which the survey approach is utilized

k

23Alderson, op. cit , p. lBu.

/“

_ Erich Fromm, "Man is Not a Thing,” The Saturday
F3eview, March 16, l957, p. l3.

 

25‘J. A. Gengerelli, "Dogma or Discipline,” The
fiiaturday Peview, March 23, l957, p. D3.

 

within retail operations varies greatly, even among the
largest chain store operators. A survey made b‘ the author
on the extent of consumer research conducted within, or
contracted for, by eight of the food chains represented in
the Food Distribution Curriculum at Michigan State Univer-
sity revealed marked variance in the extent of consumer
research. The extremes were represented on the one hand,
by a company utilizing consumer opinion surveys, product
testing panels, and the maintenance of a staff of part

time resident interviewers in all parts of the country, and
on the other extreme by a company using verbal reports from
shoppers who evaluate stores from a customer's viewpoint.
In all cases the replies from the food chains indicated an
active and growing interest in this field.

In view of the increasing competitive nature of food
retailing and the changing pattern of the consumer market,
the author feels that the study of consumer habits and
attitudes represents a primary and continuing need for the
food retailer.

An exploratory study was designed to develop and test
hypotheses relating to the shopping habits and attitudes of
a select“group. The emphasis in this study is on a select
‘universe; young married couples, newly arrived in an area,
(dependent on a car for shopping. Inasmuch as this type of
group will gain in market significance as the baby boom of

the 19b3's is translated into family formations in the

1L.
1963's, it was felt that information regarding their habits

and attitudes could be helpful in the proper channeling of

market effort.
Description of Methodology

Preliminary investigation. The married housing devel-
opment, Spartan Village, of Michigan State University,
presented an excellent example of a newly constructed‘
'garden apartment development, containing a population that
was basically new to the East Lansing area. The apartments
were occupied for the first time in September of l957.

Secondary data relevant to the population of Spartan

Village was available at the Married Housing_9ffi§emof the

Uglyersity; Information relative to each household was
available on individual cards filed alphabetically. The
information contained on the card included the name of
ruisband and wife, address, and name and date of birth of
aJiy children. 6
Prior to the construction of the questionnaire, four

e}<tensive, personal interviews were conducted with neighbors
1T1 Spartan Village. These interviews lasted from one to
twO hours. The respondents were informed of the general
ptlrfioose of the study and were encouraged to talk on any
5U1Ci all phases related to their food shopping from the

tifnfii of their arrival at Spartan Village. Notes were

WPitten down during the interview and then consolidated

15
after the interview. The reports on these interviews are

presented in Appendix A, page 78.

Questionnaire. On the basis of these interviews a

 

questionnaire was drawn up and pretested in four interviews.
The original questionnaire contained an abundance of multi-
ple choice and dichotomous questions and only a few open
questions. The results were far from satisfactory in
obtaining the feelings of the respondents and establishing
rapport between interviewer and respondent. The original
questionnaire was revised so that fifty per cent of the
‘questions were of the open type. Although this made for
more difficulty in tabulation, the advantages gained in
obtaining new ideas and relationships far outweighed the
inconvenience in time. The final form of the questionnaire

is presented in Appendix B, page 81.

Method of selecting respondents. Since the universe

 

vmas a known quantity an unrestricted random sample of forty
prrospective respondents was obtained by using a table of
I°au1dom numbers and applying the numbers to the alphabetical
-fi.le of residents which had been numbered consecutively from
Drug to 508 (the total number of apartments). All forty
I‘63-‘53pondents were interviewed either at time of first con-
tEUCt, by call back if out, or by appointment if busy at

tirne of first contact.

F J
0.

Place and time of study. All interviews were con-

 

ducted in the homes of the respondents in the Spartan
Village married housing development of Michigan State Uni-
versity, East Lansing, Michigan, during the period from
May 23, to June l3, 195

The interviews were made by the author and his wife,
who had been thoroughly briefed on data collection forms
and field work procedure, and who had been involved with

the study from its inception.

Hypotheses to be Tested

 

The following hypotheses were to be testedg

%éi;fif§. Where a one-car family is dependent on their
o automobile for shopping, husbands will take an
/,

active role in food shopping.

‘zza' Shoppers who are dependent on their car for

’* transportation have added new meaning to our
conception of "convenience" as a prime factor
in their store selection.

(.10

In a newly settled housing development, food
store newspaper advertising in a local news-
paper has little influence on the store
selection of the new arrivals.

i>;<.an) Food store newspaper advertising rather than

t - accomplishing its objective of initiating con-
sumer action, has the negative effect of
instilling confusion, irritation, and antagonism
on the part of consumers.

Vfik While trading stamps are a minor factor in
maintaining and increasing customer loyalty,
they have become so much a part of the com-
petitive promotional scene that consumers
regard them as an added attraction.

é Although self-service meat departments have
gained general acceptance, consumers are faced

17

with their greatest food shopping problem in
selection of meat by themselves.

Although consumers like to feel that they have
made a rational choice in the selection of their
store, habit \the knowledge of their store lay-
out accumulated over a period of time) is a
dominant factor not only in maintaining loyalty
but restricting movement between stores.

;§wy
o.\

f
.%Q9@§§ The proper presentation of non-fooo merchandise
is not only regarded as acceptable to the

consumer, but is looked upon as an added con—
venience.

in addition to these hypotheses the hope was that

many other important marketing implications would develop

out of a system of questioning that would encourage respon-

dents to talk freely on their likes and dislikes regarding

food store operations.

Limitations of the Study

This study involved the use of a select and limited

universe and in no way claims to represent the real universe

of food shoppers. However, the age group included in this

EStudy does represent a significant portion of the universe

c>f food shoppers. In a recent study involving a non-random

Sahnple of 533’"in-store" shoppers, in East Lansing, it was

fkound that 23.? per cent of respondents were in the 20-29

.2

aége group.‘6 In an earlier study, a restricted random

Sainmfle of a limited area in Lansing, involving 150 "at

hOme" interviews, it was found that 36 per cent of the

 

 

36Byron E. Chalfonte, "A Study of Consumer Food Store
PIWSferences"(unpublished Master's thesis, Michigan State
Urliversity, East Lansing, Michigan, 1957), p. 8.

persons interviewed, almost all of whom were housewives,
were between the ages of 17 and 32.:7 In the validation
of his sample, McKenzie used the nationwide survey of the
E. I. du Pont De Nemours and Company which reported that
36 per cent of the shoppers were in the QJ-BA age group.28

Although a conscious effort was made to keep inter-
viewer bias to a minimum, it should be pointed out that
the interviewers were closely associated with the food
business, and the relative importance of the responses to
the open questions were subject to the interpretation of
the individual interviewer.

Due to the limited sample, percentage results have

been kept to a minimum, and the majority of the data are

shown in numerical relation to total responses.

J

7

Sflopping Habits and Preferences of Retail Food Stores”
‘gLunpublished Master's thesis, Michigan State University,
Last Lansing, Michigan, 1951), p. 13.

28
Ibid., p. 1A.

R

 

George F. McKenzie, "A Method of Diagnosing Customer

CHAPTEP II
CLASSTF:CATION DATA

The purpose of this chapter is to present data rele-
vent to the physical and economic composition of the house—
holds involved in this study., in addition, pertinent com—
parative data regarding the food stores in the area will be
presented.

After a brief explanation of the housing requirements
for residence in Spartan Village, the classification data

will be presented in tabular form for simplicity.

Background information

Spartan Village contained 538 apartments, divided
almost equally between one and two bedroom apartments.
’Ihere were 256 two bedroom apartments and 252 one bedroom
éipartments.

The requirements for a two bedroom apartment was the
Fxresence of proof of birth of at least one child. The
r‘equirements for a one bedroom apartment was the presence
<5f‘ proof of marriage. Thus the universe was established
tCD be 133 per cent married couples with at least fifty per
CEflfit of the universe having one or more children.

In order to obtain a clearer picture of the number

of‘ children per household, a restricted random sample of

[D
L)

133 households was taken by selecting every fifth card

in the secondary data file and recording the number of

children by type of apartment. The following information

on the number of children by type of apartment was obtained:

One Bedroom Apartment: 4%--l child
96%--no children

Two Bedroom Apartment: 67%--1 child
27%-—2 children
6%--3 or more children

.Although all of the actual respondents to the ques—

tionnaire were the women of the house, the husband was

present and participated in seventeen of the forty inter-
views.
Car transportation for food shopping was an absolute

essential for the residents of Spartan Village due to their

physical location. The closest food store until March 1958

was the Red Cedar Co-Op which is located one mile from the

entrance of Spartan Village. in March of 1958 a gas sta-

tion interior was converted into a food store (Campus

(Dupboard), located a half mile from Spartan Village. Walking
tzo this store presented a problem until April 1958 when the

Enaving of sidewalks was completed.

£1§Lta on Households

Age composition of husbands and wives. Table 1 on

t31'1e following page shows the age composition of husbands

Eirld wives.

TABLE I

AGE COMPOSCTTON OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES

.—

Average Age Range in Age

23-39

18-32

26
.9 Li

I
.—

Husbands

Wives

Number of children per household. Table 11 below

gives in tabular form the number of children per household.

 

 

TABLE :1
NUMBER OF CHILDREN PER HOUSEHOLD
. One Bedroom Two Bedroom
Number Of Children Household Household
No children 13 _
1 - child 7 13
2 - children - 9
1

A - children

 

 

The actual data on the number of children per house-
}aold showed a marked variance with original information
<Dbtained from the random sampling of the secondary data.
Pharther investigation revealed that six of the seven child-
rwan found in the one bedroom apartments had been born after
‘Clae parents moved into Spartan Village, and that the secon-

CiEiry data had not been kept current with the recording of

rlesw births. Although the secondary data was only six

InOnths old, in terms of true population statistics it could

r‘iot be used with any degree of authenticity.

Weekly income per household. Data showing the weekly

 

income per household is set forth in Table iii.

TABLE III

WEEKLY INCOME PER HOUSEHOLD

 

 

 

Number of Households Income Range
23 S50— 75 per week
14 $T5-l33 per week
3 $133+ per week

 

Weekly range of food expenditure per household. Food

 

expenditures are difficult to determine with any degree of
accuracy as few respondents kept any sort of records. In
addition, many respondents mentioned the fact that they
purchase cigarettes, beer, health and beauty aids, magazines,
and many other non-food items at the food store. Further
complications are added by the home delivery of dairy and
bakery products. The attempt here was to obtain the respon-
dents‘ best possible estimate of the amount spent at the

food store for food alone.

TABLE IV

WEEKLY PANGE OF FOOD EXPENDITURE PER HOUSEHOLD

 

 

 

Number of Number of Total in Range of Food
Households Children Household Expenditures
13 o 2 $ 12-18
23 1 3 12—25
9 2 A 15-27

1 A 6 2O

 

 

Monthly rent expenditures. Rentals established by

 

the university are $75 per month for the one bedroom apart—

ments and $81 per month for the two bedroom apartments.

Type of apartment. Twenty-three respondents resided

 

in two bedroom apartments and seventeen respondents resided

in one bedroom apartments.

Car ownership and ability to drive. All of the

 

respondents owned one car and not more than one. All of
the husbands were able to drive and thirty-three out of

forty wives were able to drive.

Working wives. Sixteen out of forty wives were em-

 

ployed. Of the sixteen working wives, nine had children.

Data on Stores Shopped by Respondents

 

Table V, on the following page, presents pertinent
information relative to the stores which respondents had
shopped in the area.

All of the stores mentioned in Table V are free
standing units except for the two supermarkets in the
Frandor Shopping Center. The Frandor Shopping Center
could be classified as a small Regional Shopping Center.
The Center was built behind a Sears, Roebuck and Company
Department Store, and, in the absence of any barriers to
traffic flow, appears to be anchored by the Sears store.

There is a Federal Department Store in the Shopping Center

 

 

 

2b
TABLE V
DATA ON STORES SHOPPED BY RESPONDENTS
Wrigley Kroger Kroger Prince Camnus

Data (Frandor) (Frandor;' (E. Lansing) National Bros. A & P Schmidt’s Co—op Cupboard

Distance from Spartan Village (miles) 2.5 2,5 2.5 2.5 2.5 3.1 4.7 1 3 5

Selling Area (square feet: 16,333 13,333 13,333 8,333 73333 9,333 13,33? 3,33: 333

Parking Spaces 1,8)? 1,833 N 45 45 3: 183 ;3: e? 5

Number of Chockouts l3 7 f 5 .4 _ 8 7 g 1

Approximate Weekly Volume (dollarS) 75,333 63,003 ‘ 15,3o3 1g,330 1y,333 35".) g5,3o3 :,§“3 6‘?

Age of Store (years, 3 A 13 15 E 1/2 1/_ 13 1/;

Frozen Food Display Space \feet) 96 8A 5 53 33 oh 96 138 12 12

Self-Service Meat Department yes yes yes yes no yes yes no no meat

Health and Beauty Aids yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

Beer and Wine yes yes no no no yes yes no no
\Tagaz 113638 yes yes : yes yes n0 yes yes 3638 1’10 C

Hosiery yes yes % yes yes yes yes yes no DO

Housewares yes yes ' yes yes no 383 yeg no no

Service Sea Food yes no . no no no no no no no

Service Delicatessen (plus self-service) no no ; no no yes no yes no no

Barbecue no no } no no no yes yes . no no

On Premise Bakery (piesi . yes no f no no no no’ yes no no

Parcel Pickup yes yes no no no yes yes no no

fl

 

 

 

25
plus forty additional stores including the two supermarkets,
two variety stores (Kresge and Woolworth), and three
nationally known shoe chains (Kinney, Thom McAn, and A. S.
Beck).

With the exception of the two small food stores
which are located on the campus, all of the other super-
markets must be approached by car in the following manner:
On leaving Spartan Village, the shopper would drive for
_one and one-half miles on a two lane access road (Harrison
Road: and then turn right or left on to a main, four lane,
divided highway (Michigan Avenue). A left turn would take
the shopper to the Shopping Center and a right turn would
lead the shopper through the center of the town of East
Lansing to all of the other supermarkets. All of the super-

markets have direct access to the main highway.

CHAPTER I:

RESULTS OF HYPOTHESES TESTED

Hypothesis No. l--The Role of Husbands in Shopping

 

Hypothesis. Where a one-car family is dependent on

 

their automobile for shopping, husbands take an active role

in food shopping.

Pesults. The need of a car for food shopping was
established by the physical location of Spartan Village
which precluded shoppers‘walking to and from the food stores.

The respondents were asked questions u-8 in the Ques-
tionnaire, Appendix B, page 82, in order to establish car
ownership and the ability of husbands and wives to drive,
and to determine the person or persons involved in food
shopping.

All of the respondents questioned owned one car and
not more than one car. Thirty-three of the forty wives
{82.5 per cent) questioned were able to drive.

Table VI reveals the responses to the question, “who

in family does food shopping?”

 

In twenty-five per cent of the households, the food
shopping was done exclusively by the wives; in seventy-five
per cent of the cases, the husband was a participant in the

food shopping experience.

R)
\1

TABLE VI

PEPSOler tNVOLVED :N FOOD SHOPPING

 

 

 

 

Persods Involved Total
Husband only 3 ( 7.5%)
Wife only la (25.3%)
Both _ 27 (67.5%)
TOTAL no (133.3%)
Hypothesis No. 2--The Meaning of "Convenience"

 

Hypothesis. Shoppers who are dependent on their car

 

for transportation have added new meaning to our conception

of "convenience” as a prime factor in their store selection.

Pesults. Convenience, as a factor in store selection,
has had the traditional meaning of the store located closest

to the food Shopper's home. Table VII, shows the responses

 

 

 

to the question, ”What does convenience mean to you in rela-

tion to your store selection?"

 

 

The point to be emphasized here is not that the dis-
tance customers travel can be minimized, but rather that a
”convenient location” means more to a customer using a car
than Just the proximity of the store to her home.

This point is further illustrated in the information
contained in Table XV, Appendix C, page 86, which lists

the respondents‘ knowledge of the stores in the area and

TABLE VI:

THE MEANING OF CONVENIENCE TO FESPONDENTSl

 

 

 

 

Responses Number of Replies
"Parking” 24
"Distance——Closeness" 21
"Parcel Pickup“ 12
"Variety—-Brand Selection" ll
"Fast Checkout" 1o
"One-stop Shopping” 9
"Less Crowded” 8
"Express Checkout” 7
‘"Time Saving” 6
"Shopping Carts With Seats for Children” 6
'"Non-Food Items" ' 5
"Check Cashing" 5
"Good Store Layout” 4
"Clear Aisles” 3
"Convenient Hours” 3
"Self Service" 2
"Selection of Can Size" 2
”Packaged Meats" l
"No Pressure" 1
1Some respondents gave more than one reason.
the movement between these stores. It can be readily seen

that the two supermarkets located in the Shopping Center
have monopolized the main shopping of the residents of
Spartan Village, although the other supermarkets, in exis-
tence at the time of the respondents arrival to the area,
were located no further from Spartan Village (see Table V,
page ad).

The supermarkets located in the Shopping Center, by
virtue of their advantage in physical size and extent of

parking area, were in a position to capitalize on the added

meanings of ’convenience" for shoppers.

[\J
\O

Hypothesis No. 3-—The Influence of Advertising

 

Hypothesis. In a newly settled housing development,
food store newspaper advertising has little influence on

the store selection of the new arrivals.

Pesults. Table VIII contains respondents' replies
to three of the four parts to question 8, in the auestion-

naire, Appendix B, page 82.

THE INFLUENCE OF NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING
ON THE STOPE SELECTION OF RESPONDENTS

 

 

Question Yes No

 

"Do you read the local paper?” 15 25

"Do you read the food store ads before shopping?" 10

J—‘U‘l

"Do food store ads influence store selection?" 6

 

 

 

Although fifteen out of forty respondents reported

reading the Lansing State Journal, the only local newspaper,

 

only ten of the fifteen reported reading the food store ads.
Of the ten respondents reading the food store ads, six
respondents reported being influenced by the ads in
selecting a store to shop.

An attempt was made to obtain from those respondents
reading the ads, an explanation of ad readership and influ-

ence. The four respondents who reported no influence on

L .0
l g)

store selection were in general agreement that they read
the ads primarily to be informed of the items on sale in
the store or stores in which they regularly shopped. The
six respondents who reported an influence on their store
selection from food store advertising were in general
agreement that price was the determining factor. Three of
the six respondents departed from their regular routine in
search of the best meat buy of the week. The other three
respondents left their regular store under the influence
of coupons on staple grocery, produce, and frozen food
items, or significant price reductions on staples dependent
on a $13 total food purchase. In no instance did any of
these six respondents indicate a permanent change from the

store in which they did most of their food shopping.

Hypothesis No. A--Peactions to Adverting

 

Hypothesis. Food store newspaper advertising rather

 

than accomplishing its objective of initiating consumer
action has the negative effect of instilling confusion,

irritation, and antagonism on the part of consumers.

Pesults. Table IX shows the responses to the ques—

tion, ”What do you think of food store newspaper advertising?"

 

 

 

in order to clarify the leading unfavorable comment

H

'"coupons are discriminatory, it ShOUld be pointed OUt that
after January 1, 1958, coupons began appearing in the body

of the food store newspaper advertisements. in the

TABLE IX

RESPONDENTS' COTNENTS ON FOOD STOFE ADVERTISINGl

 

 

 

 

 

Comments Number
Favorable Total 1A
'"Helpful" 8
"Like Coupons" 2
'"Like Extra Stamps” 1
'"Interested" 3
Unfavorable Total 27
"Coupons are Discriminatory" 6
‘”Can‘t tell what's on sale" A
"Sale items are least wanted" 3
”Lots of advertising is false" 3
"Confusing" 3
”Meaningless" 2
'"Cluttered'l 2
"Dislike" l
"Forced quality buying" 1
”Waste of time" 1
'"Deceptive“ 1
Neutral Total 12
"No opinion" 12

 

 

lSome respondents made more than one comment.

following six months, competitive promotion centered almost
exclusively around this practice, reaching its height in
the form of full page advertising made up exclusively of
coupons. Since twenty-five of the forty respondents did
not make use of the local newspaper in which these coupons
appeared, it is not surprising that their resentment was
focused on a promotion from which they were automatically

excluded.

32

However, even if the comments on coupons are deducted
from the total of unfavorable responses, there was still
considerable feeling against the way in which food stores
present their advertised specials, the items selected for
specials, and the confusion resulting from the inclusion
of items at regular prices.

There is no doubt that the average consumer is inter—
‘ested in obtaining information regarding weekly food sales.
Pespondents indicated'this desire by a margin of three to

one in response to the question, "Are you interested in

 

being informed of weekly food sales?" This uestion was
- 0 _ J

 

 

 

followed by, "What would be the best way of getting this

 

 

 

information to you?" Thirty of the forty respondents sug—

 

gested some method other than newspaper advertising to
reach them with the message (see page 5A for results), thus
giving further indication of the failure of food store

newspaper advertising to fulfill its primary function.

Hypothesis No. 5--The Influence of Trading Stamps

 

Hypothesis. While trading stamps are a minor factor

 

in maintaining and increasing customer loyalty, they have
become so much a part of the competitive promotional scene

that consumers regard them as an added attraction.

Pesults. Table X shows the responses to questions

17-19, in the Questionnaire, Appendix B, page 83-

33
TABLE X

THE INFLUENCE OF TRADING STAMPS

 

 

Question Yes No

 

‘"Do you save trading stamps?" 36 (93-3fl) A (13.9%)

"Do trading stamps influence
your store selection?” 14 (39.3%) 22 (61.3%)

"If your food store stopped
giving stamps, would it
change the amount you spent

in that store?” 6 (16.75) 3 (83.3%)

K)

 

Ninety per cent of the respondents were stamp savers.
Of those respondents who saved stamps,_6l per cent said
that trading stamps had no influence on their store selection.
When the group of stamp savers were asked if they would
change the amount spent in their regular store if the store
stopped giving stamps, 83.3 per cent indicated that there
would be no change in their spending patterns.

On the basis of these results it would appear that
the majority of shoppers are not influenced by stamps in
either their store selection or spending patterns.

However, at a later‘point in the study, respondents

were asked the question, "How do you feel about trading

 

 

stamps?" The responses to this question are shown in
Table XI.
The majority of respondents (65 per cent) indicated

a liking for trading stamps as a promotional device. These

3b
TABLE XI

RESPONDENTS‘ OPINIONS OF TRADING STAMPS

 

 

 

Responses Number
Favorable Total 26 (65%)
"Like them" 13
‘"Forced savings" 5
‘"They help a lot." A
'"A must." 1
'"I like them but they are not essential." l

"O.K. You may pay for them in the long run,
but you feel as though you are getting

something for nothing;" 1
'"I like them but my husband thinks I‘m

silly." 1
"They are of secondary importance, but

sometimesyou get carried away." 1

"You pay for what you get. You don‘t feel

the extra few pennies each week and

we've gotten some nice things." 1
‘"Good idea. I feel as though I'm paying

for them but it‘s sort of a forced

 

saving;" l
Unfavorable Total 14 (35%)
‘"Nuisance." 5
"Prefer lower prices."- 3
"Leave me cold." 1
“Can't stand them." 1
”Don‘t mean much." 1

"Prefer prices to stamps. Stamps mean'
higher prices or lower quality."
"Pain in the neck. Save them only be-
cause National gives double." 1
'"Wish they didn't have them. Raises
prices. Gives bigger profits to
store.‘" 1

|-“

 

I1.—

findings indicate that the problem of accurate determination
of the influence of trading stamps on store selection and
spending patterns, call for a more intensive analysis of

the problem utilizing the techniques of Motivation Research.

35

A summary of the results of a study by Dr. Bertrand
Klass, Manager of Applied Social Science Research, Stanford
Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, who utilized the
projective technique, reported the following results.29

1. On the basis of surface attitudes alone, food
consumers appear to have a feeling of indifference
or casual acceptance toward trading stamps.

2. Subsurface behavior suggests that trading
stamps might have a greater popularity than might
be indicated by surface attitudes.

3. Subsurface attitudes reveal that stamp savers
derive many inner satisfactions from collecting and
would resist discontinuation of trading stamp plans.

The Klass findings are substantiated to a degree by
the apparent conflict between the 83.3 per cent of respon-
dents who indicated that they would not change their
spending patterns if their store discontinued stamps, and
the 65 per cent of respondents who indicated a liking for
stamps.

The author feels that the basic contention of the
hypothesis is correct. Although there are more important
influences determining store selection and spending pat-
terns, such as variety, assortment, prices, and quality of
meat, almost all respondents saved'stamps (90 per cent)

and the majority of stamp savers(65 per cent) like the idea

of saving stamps. At the present time there is no scientific

 

29D'Arcy Whelan, "An Investigation of Trading Stamps
in the Food Industry" (unpublished Master's thesis, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1957), pp. 47-h .

36
measurement available to predict how much a change in
promotional tactics involving stamps would influence the

food shopper.

Hypothesis No. 6--The Problem of Self-Service Meat

 

Hypothesis. Although self-service meat departments

 

have gained general acceptance, consumers are faced with
their greatest food problem in selection of meat by them-

selves.

Results. Table XII shows the responses of consumers

to the question, "What do you think of self-service,

 

 

packaged meat?"

 

The favorable and unfavorable responses were almOSt
evenly divided. Where responses seemed to reflect indeci-
sion, they were placed with the group closest to the con-
sumer's preference.

Table XVI, page 88, Appendix D, shows the responses
made to questions 26 and 27 in the Questionnaire, Appendix
B, which covered consumer likes and dislikes in the stores
they shop. '"Quality Meat" ranked third in total responses
shown under the likes of the consumers. Under dislikes,
"poor quality meat" and "packaged meat" between them re-
ceived more than three times the number of responses than
the third ranking complaint, "high prices."

Table XVII, page 89, Appendix D, shows the responses

to the question,'";£ a new food store opened in the area,

 

TABLE XII

RESPONDENTS' OPINIONS OF SELF-SERVICE,
PACKAGED MEAT

 

 

 

Responses Number
Favorable Total 22
"Like it" 10
"Convenient" A
'"Prefer it to service. It's faster." 1

"I like it, but selection could be

improved." 1
"I like it. It's faster. But I have

trouble getting smaller roasts;" 1
"It's good. Efficient." l
'"I use it. It's quick." 1
'"It's all right but I sure miss butchers." 1

'"You get a larger selection and can put the
packages right in the refrigerator or
freezer, but service meat was better. I
can't stand packaged lunch meatsfl' 1
"It‘s all right if the quality is good and
sizes are appropriate but when I want
something special I feel as though I am

 

interfering with the butcher's work." 1
Unfavorable ' Total 18
'"Poorer quality." A
"Need help." 3
"Pay more for packaging." 2
"Prefer service;n 2

"I like meat cut to order;" 1
‘"Meat sits on cardboard and bleeds." 1

"With service you get quality and the

right quantity. It's fresher and you

can see it weighed." 1
"I don't buy it. Prefer service. It's

fresher. I don't like to have to ask

for service." 1
'"I buy it but don‘t like it. You must

take the amount cut. If you go to

special service, they do you a favor

and keep you waiting." 1
'"I use it but prefer service." 1
'"I like service meat. When meat is pack-

aged you can't see the underside. It

lays in packages too long." 1

 

 

m 1"

 

__

38

~ what could they do to attract your patronage?" The impor-

 

 

tance of the problem of the quality and selection of meat
is highlighted by the number of times "meat" was mentioned.
When respondents were asked to explain why they

shopped in more than one store they gave the following

 

reasons:
.EEEEE Number of Responses
‘"Fill-in shopping” 2h
“Meat" 17
'"Produce" 6
"Sales" 5
‘"Near work" 3
“Stamps” 1
‘"Groceries" 1
'"Specialty foods" 1

Table XV, page 86, Appendix C, shows, in part, the
extent of shopper movement between stores. The ten shoppers
who are reported doing other shopping at Prince Brothers,
do so exclusively for meat. This store has the reputation
of carrying a better grade of meat, and the meat depart-
ment is a service operation. Of further interest is the
fact that this store has held the meat business of all the
respondents who shopped the store at least once.

In recent studies of consumer shopping habits pre-
pared by the Burgoyne Grocery and Drug Index, Incorporated,

for the National Tea Company, shoppers' comments on the

39
meat problem ranked in first position in the listing of

things they do not like about supermarkets.30 In two
‘cities, Milwaukee and St. Louis, supermarket shoppers con-
centrated thirty per cent of their complaints on meat,
dividing their responses between packaging, quality, ser-
vice, and selection. The total adverse comments on meat
packaging alone were as great as the second most signifi-

cant complaint in each city.

Hypothesis No. 7--Habit versus Rational Choice

 

Hypothesis. Although consumers like to feel that

 

they have made a rational choice in the selection of their
store, habit (the knowledge of their store layout accumu-
lated over a period of time) is a dominant factor not only
in maintaining loyalty but restricting movement between

stores.

Results. In the selection of their first food store,
shoppers showed a decided preference for the store they
had shopped at their last residence (see Table XV, page 86,
Appendix C). The most serious loss of original shoppers
was in the case of the National food store. This store
was acquired by National from a local chain and waS‘not
similar in size or layout to the supermarkets which this

chain builds themselves.

 

3OBurgoyne Grocery and Drug Index, Inc., "Food
Shopping Habits Survey of Milwaukee and St. Louis Super-

market Customers,“ prepared for National Tea Company,
Chicago, Illinois, August, 1957.

The most significant gain in customers doing their
main shopping was made by The Great Atlantic and Pacific
Tea Company (A & P)fi the largest national chain. Although
this store was not opened until well after consumer shopping
patterns had been established, consumers had no difficulty
in making the adjustment to the new store. Contrast the
A & P success in attracting Spartan Village residents with
the failure of the Schmidttfi supermarket which opened one
week earlier with the benefit of strong promotional
materials (stamps, contests, giveaways, and coupons), which
were not present at the A & P opening. Schmidt's is a
local, four store, supermarket chain which was at a distinct
disadvantage in that they represented an unknown quantity
to the new arrivals in the area.

. ‘Table XVI, page 88, Appendix D, which reports
respondents likes and dislikes concerning the stores they
shop, shows that three out of four shoppers believe they
shop in the store with the lowest prices.’ The aforemen-
tioned Burgoyne studies indicate this trend is apparent
even when customers are asked for their opinions of com-
petitive conditions by store departments.31 Apparently,
once a habit pattern is established, a shopper justifies
her store selection by convincing herself that her store

is, at the very least, competitive.

 

31Ibid.
*Stores located on Grand River Avenue (A& --E.Lansing,
Schmidt's-~Okemos). ”

 

 

 

41
Although no direct question was asked to prove that
habit is a strong force in maintaining customer loyalty,
several respondents who indicated the greatest dislikes
in the store they shop were asked why they had not made a
change. In every case the respondents mentioned that
they had tried other stores, but encountered considerable

difficulty in finding merchandise.

Hypothesis No. 8--Attitudes Toward Non-Foods

 

Hypothesis. The'proper presentation of non-food

 

merchandise is not only regarded as acceptable to the

consumer, but is looked upon as an added convenience.

Results. Table XIII shows the responses to the ques-

tion ”What items other than food do you purchase in food

 

 

 

stores?"

Health and beauty aids headed the list, being men-
tioned by thirty-six out of forty respondents. This cate-
gory includes such items as shampoo, tooth paste, and de-
odorants. The only other item mentioned more than 50 per
cent of the time was kitchen utensils or housewares. Items
mentioned by 20 per cent or more respondents included, in
order of popularity: baby items, cigarettes, magazines,
and comic books.

Table XIV shows the responses to the question,'"Wgulg

ESE llké 22.599 more non-food items in the food store?"

 

42
TABLE XIII

NON-FOOD ITEMS PURCHASED IN SUPERMARKETS
BY RESPONDENTS

 

Responses Item

 

36 Health and beauty aids

Kitchen utensils

ID
ID

(.4
0\

Baby items
15 ’ Cigarettes
Magazines
Comic books
Plants
Nylons

Records

DUTUT moon)

Films

Toys

R.)

l Socks

 

Thirty of the forty respondents indicated that they would
not like to see this trend continued. This result was not
expected, but when the actual responses are examined and
related to the items that the respondents do buy, it became
clear that consumers accept those items which make
reasonable additions to a shoppinglist of frequently pur-
chased items. Only three of the negative responses indi-

cated a moral objection, but two of these three respondents

TABLE XIV

RESPONDENTS' OPINIONS ON MORE NON-FOOD ITEMS

 

 

 

 

Responses Number
Favorable Total 10
"Convenient. " A
"When there is no large shopping center,
it helpS. " I
"Yes. But don't over do it." 1
‘"Small items are all right, but they might
add too much." 1
'"Yes. But no clothes." 1
‘"I like the idea of one—stop shopping.” 1
‘"Small items are all right, but a food
store is a food store.” 1
Unfavorable Total 30
"Could use the space for food;" A
'"Just right HOW;H A
"Don't like the idea." 3
"Stores cluttered now." 2
‘"Not interested;" 2
‘"Don't want to be bothered." 2
'"I like to go to the other stores for a
change;" 1
'"Spend too much time now doing my shopping." 1
’"You could never get the selection as in a
non-food store;n 1
'"I like specialty stores for better service." 1
‘"Prefer non-food store." 1
‘"Would rather see more groceries;" 1
‘"Don't have the time for a good look;" 1
'"There's enough junk there now;" 1
‘"Small items are enough." 1
"Would probably be out of place;" 1
"It's not right for food store to sell
these items." [Buys toilet articles and
housewares. ] l
"A food store is for food. " [Buys toilet
articles, housewares, and baby items.] 1
‘"I only buy food in a food store." [Buys
cigarettes. ] l

 

==== m

AA
reported buying non-food items. The balance of the un-
favorable responses and many of the favOrable responses
point up the fear that stores will tend to overdo the
promotion of non-foods at the expense of food items, clutter
up the store with unwanted items, and still not present
the selection which consumers like to see in certain non-
food categories.

The author feels that the hypothesis as stated is
still sound and would stress that added emphasis should be
placed on the first three words of the hypothesis: BEE

proper presentation.

 

CHAPTER IV
ADDITIONAL MARKETING IMPLICATIONS

The purpose of this chapter is to provide additional
information relating to the habits and attitudes of the
shoppers involved in this study. The Questionnaire,
Appendix B, included a total of forty-three questions.

Many of the questions were directed toward the testing of
the proposed hypotheses and the accumulation of classifi-
cation data. In addition, many questions were asked which,
while not directly related to the classification data or
the hypotheses to be tested, provide added marketing

O

information.

The Day and Time of Day Respondents Shop.

In response to the question, "go what particular day

 

and time go you go your main shopping?" the following

 

results were obtained:

1. Seventy-five per cent of the respondents
shopped on Friday or Saturday, evenly divided
between the two days.

2. Friday night and Saturday morning were the
most popular times mentioned by the weekend
shopper. Sixty—seven per cent of the total
shopping for each day was confined to these
hours.

3. Aside from Friday night, three other nights
[Monday, Wednesday, Saturday] were mentioned
by one respondent each as the time selected
for the main shoppingtrip. In terms of

A6

percentages, 32.5 per cent of all main
shopping was done at night, but only 7.5
per cent of all main shopping was done
on nights other than Friday night.

Promotion of New Stores

 

Two new supermarkets (Schmidt‘s and A & P) were
opened within the marketing area of Spartan Village in
February of 1958. A series of questions were asked to
determine whether respondents knew of these stores and had
shopped in them. The following results were obtained:

1. Twenty per cent of the respondents had not
heard about the new store openings.

2. Of the 80 per cent of the respondents who
had heard of the new store openings, 25 per
cent had not shopped in the new stores.
Thus a total of AO per cent of all respon»
dents had not shopped in the new stores.

Neither store used circulars which reached Spartan
Village in their opening week promotions, although they
did advertise extensively in the local newspaper. This
fact coupled with the 62.5 per cent of respondents who
did not read the Iocal paper probably did the most to con-
tribute to the AD per cent of all respondents who had not
shopped in the new stores.

Eighteen respondents mentioned having shopped in the
new A & P; Of these, seven reported that they were cur-
rently doing their main shopping at this store. Eleven
respondents mentioned having shopped at the new Schmidt‘s

market. Of these,three reported that they were currently

doing their main shopping at this store. Regarding the

47

group of respondents who tried the new store as potential

regular customers, A & P lost 61 per cent of their group

and Schmidt's lost 73 per cent of their group.

The foregoing facts would indicate the following

needs in new store promotions:

1.

At the very least, each household in the area
should be aware of the presence of the new store,
and the more direct the approach the better.

A continuing promotion would probably be more

effective than the give-away fanfare accompanying

opening week. In order to disengage consumers
from their normal shopping habits, there is need
for repeated visits on the part of the consumer.

Appendix D, page 87, contains tables showing

the likes and dislikes of consumers related to

the stores they have shopped and the things a new

store could do to attract their patronage. The
outstanding factors were:

a. Quality of Moog: The one department of the
store that needs extra attention during
opening weeks is the meat department. This
extra help should be focused on the shoppers
in an effort to determine their needs and
wants and the operation of the meat depart-

ment should be directed toward these desires.

A8
Prices: A low price impression is another
prime factor in establishing confidence in
the new store. Advertised specials should
have meaning to the majority of shoppers. A
small markdown on staple items would have a
more beneficial effect than larger markdowns
on those items which do not have general
appeal. Over-all, pricing of all staple
items should be competitive so as to allow
no room for unfavorable comparisons.

Variety and Brand Selection: The shopper is

 

confronted with a significant break in her
regular shopping routine when she shops the
layout of the new store for the first few
times. First impressions are lasting, and
every effort on the part of the store person-
nel should be directed toward acting the part
of guide and host. As many customers as
possible should be approached to insure
against the impression that the store did not
carry-items which the customer just did not
find. This policy should be continued for at
least four to six weeks after opening, with
customers encouraged to speak their mind.
Customer requests for items not carried should

be given prompt attention. Lastly, national

brands should be given priority of display
in an area where the stores' private label
merchandise may be new to many customers.

The author feels that the terms "variety”

and "brand names" are synonomous to many con—
sumers although,they are considerably differ-
ent in meaning to the store operator. Hence,

the advertising, promotion, and display of

national brand merchandise has the dual effect

of satisfying the customers liking for both

variety and brand names.

The Relative Importance of Price, Quality, and Variety

 

Price, quality, and variety are difficult to classify
as to degree of importance to the individual shopper. Most
studies have attempted to rate the relative importance of
these factors, and, in the opinion of the author, are
merely forcing respondents to make a choice between influ-
ences that are strongly linked.

In this particular study, the quality of meat seemed
to be the most influential determinant in changing respon-
dents shopping habits. The quality of produce, another
perishable, will also cause shoppers to seek other stores.

Variety and brand selection were the most often
repeated responses under consumer likes in the stores they
shop. This comment.was directed principally toward the
grocery department, but it would be a mistake to minimize

its importance in the perishable departments.

53

Price influences are difficult to measure. Price as
a factor seems to have the least influence in meat buying
and the strongest influence in grocery buying. Consumers
seem to understand that when it comes to meat, you pay for
what you get, and that quality does not come cheap. On the
other hand, a one cent differential on a name brand can of
groceries causes considerable irritation. In addition,
although most respondents indicated a willingness to pay
more for quality merchandise, they feel a strong need for
assurance that they are not overpaying for either quality

or variety.

Respondents' Opinions of Packaged, Self—Service Produce

The general consensus is that consumer acceptance of
packaged, self-service produce far exceeds the acceptance
accorded packaged meat.

Respondents were asked the question, "Woot EQ.X2E
EEEEE.2£ self-service, packaged produce?" As was expected,
the favorable responses exceeded unfavorable responses
(favorable, 26--65%; unfavorable, lA--35%). However, the
number of unfavorable responses was surprising and the
reasons are worth examining. The favorable responses were
brief and to the point: '"Like it,"'"Convenient," "Cleaner,”
"Neater," "Different."

The unfavorable responses are shown below:

\

‘"Buy it but don't like it. Can't tell the quality4"(2)
.uI buy it but prefer loose." (2)
‘"Use it but don't like it. I prefer my own selection."

51

'"Itfs alright for carrots and radishes but I like to

pick everything else."

'"I feel that it‘s forced buying on too many items.

A small family can't use the quantities they pack."

'"It's alright :finc some things but I'm distrustful of

what is packed."

'"Don‘t like it when I can't see the item."

'"Packages are more than we can use. There are just

two of us;"

'"I can‘t see packaging everything. There are some

items you have to pick."

Undoubtedly, many of the objections to packaged produce
can be overcome with improved packaging materials which
will permit greater visibility and help maintain the quality
of the product. The objections to quantity buying could
also be met by providing an assortment of package sizes to
meet the needs of the small family.

However, there may still remain a small core of shoppers
who gain satisfaction from the self-selection of produce.
The decision to satisfy the needs of these shoppers is up
to the individual operator, but further studies should be
able to narrow the field to the key items which, if pre-

sented loose, would satiSfy this group.

The Use of Shopping Lists

 

Respondents were asked the question, "Do you use o

shopping list?" If they answered in the affirmative, they

 

were asked to explain how they used the list. Twenty-eight
respondents (70 per cent) reported using a shopping list
and twelve respondents (33 per cent) shopped without a

list. Twenty-two of the respondents using lists (78 per

52
cent) Were in general agreement that the lists were a col-
lection of basic, needed items and were non-restrictive.
Only six respondents indicated that the lists were restric-
tive in nature. Their comments were:

'"I stick to the list." (2)

'"I plan my menus and keep impulse buying to a
minimum."

"I stick to the list but will buy other items
which are on sale and new items."

'"Use a list plus specials."

"I'll see what the sales are, but I keep to
the list."

If the foregoing six respondents are regarded as
immune to impulse buying, the remaining respondents form
an impressive 85 per cent who are prone to decision making
in the store.

A recent study of consumer food buying made by the
Indiana Experiment Station, reported by the United States
Department of Agriculture, indicated that housewives do
much of their meal planning at the store and often decide
what to buy as they shop. Less than half of the country's
housewives make any definite meal plans in advance and from
18 to 86 per cent of total purchases reported by homemakers
were the result of decisions made at the store.32

There is currently some controversy as to the correct

designation of the decisions made by consumers in the store.

Some critics prefer the designation "unknown buying" to

 

32"Housewives Plan Meals in Shopping," Supermarket
News, Vol. 7, No. 12 (March 24, 1958), .

"impulse buying." However, the indications seem apparent
that, whatever designation one chooses, the field of mer-
chandising is still very much alive. This merchandising
has only to be geared to the needs of shoppers to gain

maximum advantages for the supermarket operator.

Respondents' Opinions of Food Advertising Other than

Newspaper Advertising

 

Respondents were asked the question, "Do you have any

 

opinions on other advertising involving food?" Responses

 

to this question are shown below:33

 

Responses Number
'"Like recipes." 18
'"Like radio." 10
'"Circulars are good." 9
'"Like coupons." 7
‘"Interested." 4
'"Dislike coupons." 4
'"Likes T.V." 2
'"Likes window signs." 2
"Waste of time." 1
'"No opinion." 13

Thirteen of the forty respondents had no opinion on
the question. Of the remaining twenty-seven respondents,
the most active interest centered around recipes, with two

out of every three housewives mentioning this fact.

 

33

Some of the respondents made more than one
comment. -

54

A recent survey of consumer food shopping by the
Purdue University (Indiana) Experiment Station, covering
homemakers in three medium-sized cities in Indiana, indi-
cated that the help most respondents wanted on the family
feeding job revolved around menus and recipes.3u

This information should provide both manufacturers
and store operators with sensible direction to successful

promotipn, advertising, and display of food items.

Respondents were asked the question, "What would be

 

the one best way to get information of weekly food sales

 

 

 

 

_§g you?" The following responses were made:

 

Responses ' Number
"Circulars;" 21
'"Newspapers." ll
'"Radio;' 3
"Window Signs." 2
"Signs in store." 1
'"Post Card? 1
"College Paper." 1

The fact that respondents indicated a preference for
circulars over newspapers by a margin of two to one, can
be attributed in part to the lack of readership of the
local newspaper.

However, food stores do use the medium of circulars
with varying frequency and this method of advertising, when
utilized, could easily be adapted to incorporate the menus

and recipes which housewives seem to enjoy.

 

32J'"Family Likes and Dislikes Determine Shopping
Habits," Lansing State Journal, May 22, 1958, p. 30.

 

Respondents' Reactions to "Out-of-Stock" Items

According to Dr. Ernest Dichter, president of the
Institute for Motivational Research, the supermarket
shelves are considered by the housewife, to be an extension
of her pantry and, therefore, empty shelves in a supermarket
'"are frightening" to her.35

Respondents were asked the question, fig 3 store

happens to be out of an item you intended to buy, what do

 

 

you do?" The responses to the question are shown as follows:

 

Responses Number
"Substitute or go to another store." 9
"Nothing." 7
"Go to another store." 6
“Forget it. Might take a substitute." A
"Substitute."' 3
‘"Forget it." 3
'”WOuld depend on what the item was." 2
'"Do without it or go elsewhere if

needed." 1
'"May try a substitute or go to another

store;" 1
'"Let it go, substitute, or go to

another store. Depends on the item." 1
'"Ask for it. Would take a substitute

rather than go to another store." I
"Put it on next week's list or if I

needed it immediately I'd go to

another store." 1
"Ask for it." 1

The action a shopper takes when confronted with an

"out-of-stock" situation seems to depend primarily on

 

35"Advertise Philosophy, Not Just Food: Dichter,"
Supermarket News, Vol. 7, No. 22 (June 2, 1958), 37.

 

56
whether the item is needed immediately by the shopper. In
no case did shoppers report fright or even irritation at
the situation. In the majority of cases shoppers indicated
that they would do nothing or substitute before they went
to another store.

What does stand out is the fact that only two respon-
dents indicated that they ask for the wanted item. This
lack of initiative on the part of consumers to communicate
with store personnel will be discussed in the next section.
Considering the possibilities of the "out-of-stock" item
being actually in the store warehouse or in the process of
being moved to the sales area, makes this lack of communi-
cations stand out even more. Of concern to the supermarket
operator should be the fact that most shoppers seem to
favor the inconvenience of a trip to another store over an

inquiry in their regular store.

Communications at the Consumer Level

 

Respondents were asked the question, Have you eye:

 

mentioned any complaints or made any suggestions to the

 

 

store manager?" Of the forty respondents, twenty-nine

 

answered in the negative. Of the eleven affirmative re-
sponses, ten involved refunds on merchandise, and only one
respondent reported a complaint which did not involve
merchandise.

Admittedly, the modern supermarket is a heterogeneous

complex of merchandise, customers,and store personnel. Over

57

the past few years the industry trend has reflected a
preference for larger stores handling more varied types of
merchandise. As stores grow in size, and the self-service
concept is applied to the various departments within the
store, the customer becomes further removed from direct
contact with any store personnel.

This breakdown in communications between consumer
and store personnel is highlighted by the results of every
survey on shopping habits. The many problems which con-
sumers face are readily reported to strangers taking surveys
but are rarely discussed with the people closest to the
scene who are in a position to take quick, constructive
action.

All signs point to an increased complexity in store
operations. Problems will increase for both consumers and
store operating personnel. Increasing self—service oper-
ations have actually increased the service responsibility
of the store operators, in the sense that the communications
pipeline from consumer has virtually closed. What action
is taken on this problem will in a great measure determine

the success or failure of a marketing operation.

CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSION

The purpose of this study was exploratory in nature,
designed to develop and test hypotheses relating to the
food shopping habits and attitudes of a select group. In
addition, the hope was that additional marketing information
would be forthcoming through a system of questioning that
would encourage respondents to talk freely on their shopping
problems.

The Spartan Village married housing development of
Michigan State University, was utilized as an example of a
newly constructed garden apartment development, containing
a population that was basically new to the East Lansing
'area. The apartments in Spartan Village were occupied for
the first time in September of 1957.

After a series of four extensive, personal interviews
were conducted with neighbors in Spartan Village, summaries
of which are presented in Appendix A, a questionnaire was
constructed to be utilized as a basis for the study. The
questionnaire is presented in Appendix B.

The study involved the use of a select and limited
universe and does not claim to represent the actual universe

of food shoppers. However, the age group included in this

59
study does represent a significant portion of the universe

of food shoppers, and reflects responses of a group that
will gain considerably in marketing importance within the
next decade.
The material for this survey was obtained by forty
personal interviews taken in the homes of the respondents.
The results of these interviews with the respondents

we re:

Characteristics of Respondents

l. The select nature of the universe established the
fact that all of the respondents would be married and at
least 53 per cent of the universe would have one or more
children.

2. All of the respondents were housewives. Husbands
were present and participated in seventeen of the forty
interviews.

3. The average age of husbands was 26 years with a
range in age from 20-39 years. The average of the wives
was 24 years with a range in age of 18—32 years.

4. Twenty-three respondents resided in two bedroom
apartments and paid a rental of $81 per month. Seventeen
respondents resided in one bedroom apartments and paid a
rental of $75 per month.

5. Twenty-five per cent of the respondents had no
children, 50 per cent had one child, and 25 per cent had

two or more children.

6D

6. Twenty-three respondents had incomes between
$53-75 per week, fourteen respondents had incomes between
$75i133 per week, and three respondents had incomes over
$100 per week.

7. All of the respondents owned one car. All of the
husbands were able to drive and thirty-three out of forty
wives were able to drive.

8. Sixteen out of.forty wives were employed. Of
the sixteen working wives, nine had children.

9. Pertinent data relative to the stores which
respondents had shopped in the area is presented in Table V,

page 24.
Results of Hypotheses Tested and Recommendations

1. The role of husbands. The need of a car for

 

.food shopping by all respondents was established by the
physical location of Spartan Village, which precluded
shoppers' walking to and from the food stores.

Although thirty-three of the forty wives (82.5 per
cent) were able to drive the family car, only ten wives
(25 per cent) did the food shopping by themselves. In 75
per cent of the cases, the husband was a participant in the
food shopping experience, indicating that husbands take an
active role in food shopping where a one-car family is

dependent on their automobile for this shopping.

61

Recommendations--Hypothesis No. 1. Further study

 

would be necessary to determine with more precision, the
extent of the buying decisions made by husbands. However,
the very presence of an increasing number of male customers
in food stores, opens up many interesting merchandising and
promotion possibilities, not only in foods, but in non-food
lines as well.

In addition, a re-evaluation of the existing lines
of non-food merchandise carried within a store might show
that, by increasing the assortment within commodity groups,
a store could profit from the tremendous amount of adver-

tising specifically directed at the male market.

2. The meaning of convenience. Shoppers who are

 

dependent on their car for transportation have added new
meaning to our concept of ”convenience" as a prime factor

in their store selection.

‘ Respondents mentioned "parking" with more frequency
than"distance" when asked what "convenience" meant to them

in relation to their store selection. Table VII, page 28,
shows all the responses to this question, the most frequently
mentioned after'"parking" and "distance" being: "parcel-
pickup," "variety" and "brand selection," "fast checkout,"

and "one-stop shopping."

Recommendations--Hypothesis No. 2. ‘"Convenience" as

 

a factor in determining shopper store selection has had the

62

traditional meaning of closeness to" or "distance from"
the home. This term has been used in many consumer studies
and usually shows up as a prime factor in store selection.
There is no doubt that distance exerts an extremely impor-
tant influence on store sekaction, but the increased use
of the automobile for food shopping and the growth of the
shopping center movement have added new dimensions to the
traditional concept of convenience. I

What the author would urge is a definite attempt on
the part of all persons involved in research concerned
with food shopping to re-evaluate much of the terminology
which is utilized to describe consumer preferences. As the
study progressed there were other examples of simple semantic
problems which could conceivably make for significant changes
in statistical presentations depending on the aim of the
researcher or the misuse of a term by the respondent. When
respondents speak of "variety" or "brand selection" or both,
do they mean one and the same thing? The feeling on the
part of the author was that these terms are used synonomously
by many respondents, especially when referring to groceries.
'"Variety" and "assortment of package sizes" are synonomous

expressions to many respondents when referring to packaged

perishable foods.

3. The influence of newspaper advertising. Fifteen
out of forty respondents reported reading the only local

newspaper in which food store advertising appeared. Of the

63

fifteen newspaper readers, ten reported reading the food
store advertisements, and six of these ten reported being
influenced by the ads in selecting a store to shop.

The six respondents'who reported an influence on
their store selection were in general agreement that price
was the determining factor.

Thus it was established that only six of the forty
respondents were affected by the newspaper ads, indicating
that food store newspaper advertising has little influence

on the store selection of new arrivals in an area.

Recommendations--Hypothesis 3. A direct method of

 

contact between store and potential customer should be made
as soon as possible after the arrival of the family to the
area. In the case of Spartan Village, there was no direct
attempt to reach a potential market which represented, at
the very least, $7,500 in weekly food sales. Left to

their own devices, shoppers gravitated to the store they
were familiar with at their last residence, followed the
recommendations of neighbors, or selected the first store

they happened to see.

4. Respondents‘ reaction to advertising. Regarding

 

their opinions of food store advertising, respondents made
more unfavorable than favorable comments, indicating that
the manner in which this advertising is presented is con-
fusing and irritating, and has created much antagonism on

the part of consumers.

on

Recommendations--Hypothesis No. 4. Respondents

 

provided the key to the answer by pointing out the problem
areas.

a. To initiate action, sale items should be selected
from the group of items having widest, basic appeal.

b. To provide added meaning, and impact, food adver-
tisers should strive to add a conceptual framework to
sale prices. On groceries, with fairly stable prices, net
savings to consumers could be shown. In the case of those
perishables whichare subject to constant price fluctuation,
the problem is more difficult, but should not be beyond
solution.

c. Ads should be as simple as possible to avoid the
confusion generated by a maze of prices and items.

d. Ads built around menu plans and recipes would be
of considerable help in problem solving and at the same
time provide enjoyable reading.

e. Items promoted at regular prices should be clearly
separated from the body of sale items under such headings
as "Shopping Reminders" or "Check Your Shopping List."
Until such segregation does take place,items promoted at
regular prices in the body of the ad will create doubts
and confusion, and lessen the desired impact of the sale
items.

f. Price reductions should be available to every

customer. The store operator must decide whether he would

65

rather see "price" shoppers with a coupon in hand or satis-

fied regular customers.

5. The influence of trading stamps. Ninety per cent

 

of the respondents were stamp savers. Sixty-one per cent
of the stamp savers said that trading stamps had no influ-
ence on their store selection, and 83.3 per cent of the
stamp savers said they would not change their spending
pattern in a store if that store dropped stamps.

'However, 65 per cent of all respondents indicated a
positive liking for stamps, which gives credence to the
belief that, while stamps may not be one of the dominant
factors in maintaining and increasing customer loyalty,
they have gained consumer acceptance and are now an impor-

tant part of the promotion scene.

Recommendations--Hypothesis No. 5. The conflicting

 

nature of responses from the same individuals prohibited
the positive estimation of results from a specific course
of action regarding trading stamps.

An awareness of the strength of the satisfactions
consumers derive from trading stamps seems to indicate
that a course of action to abandon a stamp plan would nec-
essitate intelligent promotion to create substitute satis-

factions for consumers.

6. The problem of self-service meat. Consumer

 

opinion was almost evenly divided on the question of their

66

liking of self-service, packaged meat. Most of the un-

favorable responses were centered about the following

reasons:
8..

b.

e.

f.

Doubts about quality and freshness.
Insufficient assortment of package sizes.
Lack of knowledge about meat. Need for assistance.
Service stations not adequately or properly
manned.

Camouflage packaging.

Belief that consumers pay extra for packaging.

Further evidence that self selection of meat is the

number one problem for shoppers was indicated by the fol-

lowing:

a.

The leading cause for consumer shopping in more

than one store, after "fill-in shopping," was

." meat .."

When respondents were asked what they disliked in

the stores they shop, ”pOor quality meat" and

'"packaged meat" between them received more than

three times the number of responses than the next

ranking complaint, "high prices."

Recommendations-~Hypothesis No. 6. Institutional

 

advertising and consumer education through "in-store" prom-

otional material would be of considerable help.

Improved packaging methods and constructive policies

regarding freshness control and assortment of package sizes

would also build consumer confidence.

\-

67

The preceding suggestions, however, are long range
in nature. In order to obtain immediate positive results
an attempt should be made to face up to the service respon-
sibilities created by the self-service operation. Genuine
success will come, not by waiting for consumers to ask
for help, but by approaching consumers through personnel
who are trained to meet the public and can do a responsible

selling job.

7. Habit versus rational choice. In selecting their

 

first food store, shoppers showed a decided preference for
the store they had shopped at their last residence.

The largest gains and losses in original shoppers
were a reflection of previously accepted habit patterns.
Three out of four shoppers believe they shop in the store
with the lowest prices, indicating further that habit
rather than rational choice is a dominant factor in main-

taining customer loyalty.

Recommendation--Hypothesis No. 7. There is general

 

agreement that a satisfied customer is the best advertise-
ment a store can have. Evidence of this fact is the number
of respondents who selected their first store on the basis
of a recommendation..

Store operators should continually strive to fortify
the Shopper‘s belief that her selection of a particular

store was the right one. The list of consumer likes and

68
dislikes which appear in Table XVI, Appendix D, page 88,

can provide a basic check list for a plan of action.

8._ Respondents‘ attitudes toward non-foods. Respon-

 

dents‘ acceptance of non—foods is indicated by the number
of respondents who purchase these items in food stores.
Table XIII, page 42, indicates the variety of non-food
items and the extent to which they are purchased.

In spite of extensive non—foods purchases, respondents
voiced a decided objection to the idea of increasing non-
food lines, indicating that the proper presentation of
existing or planned non—food items within the framework of
consumer objections would be of vital necessity for the

. successful promotion of non-foods.

Recommendation-~Hypothesis No. 8. A flexible policy

 

toward non-foods seems essential to meet the paradox of
consumer acceptance of non-foods on one hand, and their
rejection of the idea to extend non-food lines on the
other. Different decisions would be required depending on
the store location, size, and marketing area. Non-foods
should blend in with the physical layout. An effort should
be made to eliminate any action which would create an
impasse in the food shopping situation, which is, after
all, the prime concern of the food shopper.

The current trend toward a combination food-department

store is an indication that non-foods may be promoted with

69

success when physically divorced from the food operation,
at no sacrifice of food display space. Although this trend
is in an early stage of development, indications are that
non-foods may be promoted with even greater success when
they are not in direct competition with food for the

Shopper‘s attention.

Additional Marketing Implications

 

l. Seventy-five per cent of the respondents did their
shopping on the weekend, evenly divided between Friday and
.Saturday, with the favored times being Friday night and
Saturday morning. Aside from Friday night, only 7.5 per
cent of all main shopping was done on nights other than
Friday night.

The current trend toward longer store hours is a
major factor contributing to rising costs of operation.
Undoubtedly the store that is never closed is satisfying
the shopping needs of the total area population, but
further study should indicate the exact "point of no return"
for such operations in a competitive situation. The prob-
_lem of satisfying the vast majority of shoppers within a
reasonable number of store hours should be approached in
a cooperative attitude by the food retailing industry.

2. Two new supermarkets were opened in the area in
February of 1958. Both stores showed marked difficulty in
retaining customers on a continuing basis indicating the

need for:

73

a. Continuing promotion in order to disengage
consumers from their regular shopping habits.

b. Extra help focused on shoppers in the meat depart-
ment, emphasis on low prices on staple merchandise,
and priority display of national brands to create
the"variety--brand selection" impression.

c. Absolute coverage of all households in the area
to insure that consumers are aware of the new
store.

3. The quality of meat seems to be the most influ-
ential determinant in changing consumer shopping habits.
'"Variety" and "brand selection" were the most often repeated
responses of what consumers like in the stores they shop.
Price as a factor seems to have the least influence in
changing habits of meat buying and the strongest influence
in grocery buying.

4. ‘Although consumers favored self-service, packaged
produce, the objections which were raised to this form of
merchandising point up the need for:

a. Wider range of package sizes to accommodate

smaller families.

b. Better packaging materials to increase
visibility.

c. Consumer assurance of quality guarantee.

d. Loose displays of certain items to satisfy the
small, hard core of shoppers who insist on self

selection.

71

5. Seventy per cent of the respondents used a
shopping list but seventy-eight per cent of these respon-
dents agreed that the lists were a collection of basic
items and were non—restrictive. All told, eighty-five per
cent of all respondents were prone to decision making in
the store, indicating that store operators can still
capitalize on their merchandising "know-how" as long as it
is geared to the needs of their customers.

6. Respondents showed an active interest in recipes
as an advertising form. Recent studies show that house-
wives do much of their meal planning in the store. This
information should provide sensible direction to successful
promotion, advertising, and display on the part of both
manufacturers and retailers.

"out-of—stock" situations

7. Respondents' reaction to
did not indicate that this condition creates a serious
problem for the shopper. What is important to the store
operator is the fact that most customers will go to another
store if they need the item, in preference to asking store
personnel about the item. Additional evidence of a serious
defect in communications is the fact that, except for
merchandise refunds, consumers are reluctant to discuss
their shopping problems with store personnel.

Shoppers should be encouraged to inquire about items

that are either "out-of—stock" or which they cannot find.

Store personnel should be trained in the proper method of

72
handling customer inquiries and encouraged to approach
customers who appear to be in difficulty.

Until such time as rapport and empathy are established

between consumers and store personnel, the supermarket will

remain a retail giant completely void of selling personality.

Conclusion

 

The results of this study have shown that there are
many problems confronting consumers which may not be obvious
to the store operator in the day to day operation of his
business.

Although the reported findings are limited by the
select nature of the group studied, there is abundant
evidence that the problems of this group are in accord with
those of the universe of food shoppers.

The answers to many research questions are often
found in the proper definition of the problem. The problem
facing the food store operator in his relations with the
consumer is two-fold:

l. The problem of a positive consumer orientation

on the part of personnel at all organization‘
levels who are involved in operations affecting
consumer-store relations.

2.. The problem of closing the communications gap

which currently exists between consumers and

store personnel.

73

A positive consumer orientation on the part of the
personnel involved in store operations will go a long way
toward correcting many consumer complaints. However, mere
exhortation of an idea is not enough. Policy decisions
affecting many of the problem areas are made above the
store operating level, and, unless these decisions are
flexible enough to cope with the heterogeneous needs and
desires of consumers, the problems will continue, in the
main, unsolved.

A basic premiSe to the success of supermarket oper--
ations has been the consumer acceptance of the self-service
principle. Of necessity, this acceptance has resulted in
the alienation of interest in the functions of consumer
and retailer. The retailer has become a production
specialist and the consumer is absorbed in the specialty
of consumption. It will take an active interest on the
part of both the consumer and the retailer to solve this
problem. Once this communications pipeline is opened
there is no problem that should be beyond our powers to

solve.

BIBLI OGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Alderson, Wroe. Marketing Behavior and Executive Action.
Homewood, Illinois: Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1957.

 

Blankenship, Albert B.‘ Consumer and Opinion Research.
New York: Harper and Brothers, 1943.

 

 

Boyd, Harper W. and Ralph Westfall. Marketing Research.
Homewood, Illinois: Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1956.

 

' Editors of Fortune. The Amazing Advertising Business.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1957.

 

The Changing American Market. New York:
Hanover House, 1953.

 

 

Clark, Lincoln H. (ed.). Consumer Behavior: The Dynamics
of Consumer Reaction. New York: New York University
Press, 1954.

 

 

 

. Consumer Behavior: The Life Cycle and
Consumer7Behavior. New York: New York University
Press, 1955.

 

 

 

 

Hansen, Harry (ed.). The World Almanac for 1958. New York:
The New York World Telegram and The Sun, 1958.

 

Kelly, Pearce CL Consumer Economics. Homewood, Illinois:
Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1953.

 

Bulletins and Periodica1s_

 

Anon. "Advertise Philosophy, Not Just Food: Dichter,"
Supermarket News, Vol. 7, No. 22 (June 2, 1958), 37.

 

. ‘"Family Likes and Dislikes Determine Shopping
Habits," Lansing State Journal, May 22, 1958, p.30.

 

 

 

. "Housewives Plan Meals in Shopping," Su er—
market News, Vol. 7, No. 12 (March 24, 1958), E.

 

76

Anon. "Sell More Impact, Impulse, and Ideas," Chain Store
Age, Vol. 34, No. 5 (May, 1958), 83-81. '

 

. "The Food Chains Lead the Way," Business Week,
No. 1497 (May 13,1958), 59- ~60.

 

Cole, Robert H. (ed.). Consumer Behavior and Motivation.
University of Illinois Bulletin, Vol. 53, No. 45.
Urbana: University of Illinois Press, February, 1956.

 

 

Drake, Lawrence. '"Store Talk," Chain Store Age, Vol. 34,
N0. 5 (May, 1958),

Friend, Irwin and Irving B. Kravis. '"New Light on the
Consumer Market," Harvard Business Review, Vol. 35,
No. 1 (January-February, 1957), 135-116.

 

 

Fromm, Erich. ‘"Man Is Not A Thing,” The Saturday Review,
March 16, 1957, pp. 9-11.

 

Gengerelli, J. A. "Dogma or Discipline," The Saturday
Review, March 23, 1957, pp. 9-11.

 

Likert, Rensis. "Measuring Organization Performance,"
Harvard Business Review, Vol. 36, No. 2 (March-April,
1958), 41450.

 

Mueller, Robert W. "Food Sales at High Level Despite
[Recession'," Progressive Grocer, Vol. 37, No. 4
(April, 1958),

 

. "1957 Grocery Store Sales," Progressive Grocer,
Vol. 37, No. a (April,l958), 56-83.

 

 

Unpublished Material

Burgoyne Grocery and Drug Index, Inc. "Food Shopping
Habits Survey of Milwaukee and St. Louis Supermarket
Customers;" Prepared for the National Tea Company,
Chicago, Illinois, August, 1957.

Chalfonte, Byron E. "A Study of Customers' Food Store
Preferences." Unpublished Master's thesis, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1957.

McKenzie, George F. '"A Method of Diagnosing Customer
Shopping Habits and Preferences of Retail Food Stores."
Unpublished Master's thesis, Michigan State University,
East Lansing, Michigan, 1951.

Whelan, D‘Arcy. '"An Investigation of Trading Stamps in the
Food Industry." Unpublished Master's thesis, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1957.

.APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

CASE STUDIES

79

CASE I: (2 bedroom apt.--1 child--Husband and wife
participating.)

'"We shop at Wrigleys. . .Started shopping there on
the recommendation of a neighbor. . . . They have nice,
wide aisles, but there is never anyone on the floor when
you need them for something. . . .They carry the best
variety of merchandise, but their produceijsonly so, so.

. .We‘ve tried Kroger [Frandor] and Schmidt's, and we do

a lot of fill in shopping at the Co-op. . . .Schmidt's is

a very nice store but a little too far. . . .We heard about
Schmidt's through a neighbor. . . .Kroger's canned goods
[private labels] did not impress us and their selection is
not as good, but their courtesy has it over Wrigleys. . . .
I buy mostly national brand items. . . .Spend $16 a week on
food. . . .Both Wrigleys and Kroger are a mess on Saturday
morning when we shop. . . .We don‘t get the paper so I don't
see the food ads. I never could make much senSe out of
them anyway. . . .Prefer frozen foods to the same item
fresh or canned. . . .Stamps are a drug; would not change
stores if they dropped them. . . .I don't know why I keep
shopping at Wrigleys. It's easy to shop there because

I'm familiar with the layout. . . .Can you tell me why

they don‘t sell single pack cigarettes?"

CASE II: (2 bedroom apt.--1 child--Husband and wife
participating.)

‘"We do most of our shopping at Wrigleys, but go to
the A&P for coffee and cigarettes. A&P's coffee is the
best for the money. We buy our meat wherever it is good
and on sale. . . .Started shopping at National because we
shopped National at home and liked that store. It was a
big market in a shopping center. This store is too small.
. . .We changed to Kroger [Frandor] but they were too

 

crowded and the variety was poor. . . .Wrigleys has the
best selection. . . .Their meat is the best, but their
prices are too high. . . .Frankly, we are on a very tight
budget and will shop all over the lot to get the best
value. . . .We get the State Journal delivered and read the
food store ads thoroughly. We have a hard time trying to
figure them out. . . .Can you tell us why they advertise

baby food at the regular price week after week?. . .When
we read an ad the main item is meat,with produce second,
and frozen food next in importance. . . .I doubt that two
grades of beef would,make much difference to me. If I
could afford it, I'd buy the better grade. If I couldn't
afford the best grade, I'd shop for sales or go downtown
and get the cheap meat. . . .We save stamps, several kinds.
Doubt that they are of much importance. I did get that
wagon over there with stamps. . . .Spend $16 a week on

80
food. . . .Usually shop Thursdays because it's less
crowded. . . .If I had the money, I would stick to Wrigleys.
They have the best store around." .

CASE III: (2 bedroom apt --2 children--Husband and wife
participating.)

‘"Started shopping at Wrigleys on the recommendation
of a friend. Friend told me that Wrigleys was cheaper and
gave stamps. . . .Saw a premium catalogue from National
and spotted an item that I wanted but was not in the
Wrigley catalogue. . . .I'll shop National occasionally,
but only on Wednesdays when they give double stamps, in
order to accumulate enough stamps for the premium. .

.Shop Kroger [East Lansing] occasionally when I'm in a
hurry. It's close to the school. I know that National

is just as close but I will only shop there on Wednesday.
. .Spend $22 a week on food. . . .We don't get the local
paper. ... .Haven't heard about any new stores opening.

By the way, where are,they?. . .I like Wrigleys for variety
and price. .,. .How do you really check prices anyway?. .
The service at Wrigleys is terrible. I'd make a permanent
.change if I could find a market that could get me out in a
hurry. Yes, even if they did not give stamps. . . .Two
grades of beef would only confuse me. It's hard enough

to get a good piece of meat now."

CASE IV: (2 bedroom apt.--2 children--Wife participating.)

"I'm not satisfied with any of the stores. The
aisles are too narrow and crowded. . . .Stores are cluttered
with displays cf non-sale items. . . .There's no check
cashing system like at home. Every week I have to go
through the same identification with the manager. . . .I
work during the week and have to shop Friday night or
Saturday morning. . . .I do most of my grocery shopping at
Kroger [Frandor]. I like their own brands of canned goods.

.I buy meat only at Wrigleys. I'll occasionally go to
a regular butcher department [service meat] for meat.
Self-service meat is convenient but I can't always get

what I want. . . .Newspaper advertising annoys me. Non-
sale items are printed in large letters to make them seem
,1ike sale items. . . .At home I used to do all of my

shopping at one store. It‘s inconvenient to shop at dif-
ferent stores but I can't find one store that has everything
I like. . . .The one thing they do have here that I like '
is parcel pickup. . . .I buy a lot of non-food items at

the supermarket. It's very convenient for me, but I hate

to see them clutter upma store. . . .I like a store that's
neat, clean, has good sales, and consistently good quality.

APPENDIX B

QUESTIONNAIRE

7:113 -
2< “
x {6
;g.”6.
73.4 '7 -

is .

flufd2.

(

14/

1’5.

82

 

QUESTIONNAIRE

Size of apartment (1 or 2 bedroom) 1-2

How many children do you have? O-l-2-3-4
Does wife work? Y-N

Do you have a car? Y-N

Do you have more than one car? Y-N

Who in family can drive? H-W-B-N
Who in family does food Shopping? H—WéB-N
Do you read the Lansing State Journal? Y-N

If yes:
8a. Do you read the food store ads before you Shop? Y-N

8b. Do the food store ads influence your store
selection? Y-N

8c. Explain

 

What food stores do you know of in the area? WF-KF-
. CO-N-K-AP-S—CC-Other

'What food stores have you shopped in the area? WF-KF-

CO-N-K-AP-S-CC-Other

In which food store do you presently do most of your
food shOpping? Use Code

 

Do you presently shop at any other food stores? Use
Code

 

12a. Explain

 

How often do you Shop" (Weekly main and fill-in) M;_F___

On what particular day and time do you do your main
Shopping? M-T-W-Th-F-S M-A-E.

Have you heard of any new food stores opening since
you arrived? Y-N
Which Stores?

15a. If yes: AP-S-CC

16.

1%
13

19.

20.

22.

23.

83
Have you shopped in any of the new stores? Y-N
16a. 'If yes: Which stores: AP-S-CC
Do you save trading stamps? Y—N
Do trading stamps influence your store selection? Y-N

If your food store stopped giving stamps would it
change the amount you Spent in that store? YéN

How much do you Spend on the average on weekly food
shopping?

 

What is your weekly income? A($50-$75). B($75-$lOO).
C($lOO+)

 

Husband's age?

 

Wife's age?

 

General Questions:

24.
25
*w2d
jKJE7.

2d

29.
30.

31.

..I~—..._

Do you recall the first store in which you shopped?

How did you happen to select that store?

 

What do you like about the stores in which you Shop?

\

 

i

What do you dislike about the stores in which you shop?

 

What does convenience mean to you in relation to your
store selection?

Do you use a Shopping list? Describe how it is used2__

What do you think of self-service, packaged meat?

 

What do you think of self-service, package produce?

 

. 32.

33.
34.
35.
36.

37.

38.
39.

75.74:).
will.
42.

43.

84
What do you think of food store newspaper advertising?

Do you have any opinions on other advertising involving
food?

 

Are you interested in being informed of weekly food
sales? -

 

What would be the one best way to get this information
to you? __

If a new food market opened in the area, what could
they do to attract your patronage?

 

If a store happens to be out of an item you intended
to buy, what do you do?_

How do you feel about trading stamps?

 

Would you like to see supermarkets offer more than one
grade of beef? Why?

 

What items other than food do you purchase in food
stores? <_4

Would you like to see more non-food items in the food
store? Explain

 

Have you ever mentioned any complaints or made sug-
gestions to the store manager?

 

What other comments would you like to make regarding
food Shopping which would be helpful to a store
attempting to meet your needs?

 

WWH

 

APPENDIX C

RESPONDENTS' KNOWLEDGE OF STORES IN TABULAR FORM

 

TABLE XV

86

 

 

 

RESPONDENTS' KNOWLEDGE OF STORES AND
MOVEMENT BETWEEN STORES
{ t m
Firstl Main Other Know Shopped
Store Shopping Shopping of at Least
Store Shopped Now Now Store Once
Kroger
(Frandor) 15 11 13 40 29
Wrigley
(Frandor) 11 16 7 4O 30
National 10 3 9 27 21
Co—op 2 - 13 26 19
Kroger
(E. Lansing) l - 3 8 4
Prince Brothers 1 - 10 12 10
A & P * .7 5 26 18
Schmidt * 3 2 22 11
Campus Cupboard *' - 7 l8 l5

 

*Stores not opened until February 1958.

lReasons given for selection of first store:

Reason

'”Shopped at home."

.HCl

osest?

'"Recommendedt"
'"Green stamps."
‘"First one seen in Shopping

Center."

Number

14
10

9
4

3

APPENDIX D

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM QUESTIONNAIRE
IN TABULAR FORM

88

 

 

 

TABLE XVI
RESPONDENTS' LIKES AND DISLIKES IN STORES
THEY HAVE SHOPPED
Number of Number of
Responses Likes Responses Dislikes
32 Good Variety and 20 Poor Quality Meat
Brand Selection
12 Packaged Meat
30 Low Prices
10 High Prices
20 Quality Meat
9 No Speed Booth
14 Good Parking
: 8 Cluttered
l2 Convenient
8 Crowded
12 Not as Crowded
7 Poor Check Cashing
11 Quick Checkout System
10 Good Check Cashing 6 Slow Checkout
System
5 Narrow Aisles
10 Know Layout
. 4 Displays of Non-
9 Parcel Pickup sale Items
8 Shopping Center 4_ Poor Brand Selection
8 Cleanliness 4 Poor Parking
8 Fresh Produce 4 Poor Produce
7 Courtesy 4 Quality of Private
Brands
6 Trading Stamps
4 Discourteous Help
4 Magic-eye Doors
3 The Manager
4 Related item
Displays 2 Late with New Items
3 Samples 2 No Parcel Pickup
2 ea. Music,PrivameBrands 1 ea. Sales tax on food,
Non-Foods Dirty,uninformed
personnel,poor
1 ea. Good lighting,Ice lighting, lights
cream bags, No odon too bright.

large store,small

 

store

 

TABLE XVII

RESPONSES TO THE QUESTION: "IF A NEW FOOD MARKET OPENED IN

THE AREA, WHAT COULD THEY DO TO ATTRACT YOUR PATRONAGE?"

89

 

fi—l—

Responses

'"Meat selection most important."

"Incorporate quality meat with competitive
prices;"

"Carry quality meat."

‘"Quality meat most important. Then price."

'"Quality meat, good prices, speed booth,
music, closer."

"Quality meat, clean, parking, good layout."

'"Quality meat, name brands, good sales,
parking;"

"Competitive prices."

'”Low prices;"

"Good Sales consistently."

'"Prices, conveniently located."

‘"No stamps."

'"Stamps, selection, clean, parking."

'"Carry-out service, bagging service,
clean."

'"Brand selection, quick checkouts, larger
carriages, larger variety of 8 oz.
merchandise (frozen food package is
too large for family of two)."

'"Room to move around, well stocked,
well lit."

'"If the stores get any larger, they will
have to have rest rooms;"

'"Improve checkout, parking, parcel pickup,
layout store so that perishables are
selected last."

‘"Build it closer." -

‘"Good produce. Meat in portions for small
families, offer legitimate salesg"

‘"No suggestions."

Number

HWUFJNkߣTF' FJH 24ml: (h

H

“DH UJH

 

TABLE XVIII

RESPONSES TO THE QUESTION: "WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE SUPER-
MARKETS OFFER MORE THAN ONE GRADE OF BEEF? WHY?"

 

 

 

 

Responses Number
Favorable Total 29
"Would help budget." ' 10
"Lower price is most important;u 6
”Would add to variety.” 2’
"Good idea. .Widens choice." 1
"Yes, if labeled properly." 1

"Meat prices are too high. Cheaper
meat can be prepared in a tasty
manner." 1
"It‘s all right if you know how to
use cheaper meat."
"Willing to pay more for better meat."
‘"It's all right but I wouldn't buy
cheaper grade." 2
‘"O.K. But I would only buy best
grade. Would sacrifice on some-

[UH

 

thing else, not meat.” 1

"I'd like to see them carry prime meat." 1

"I like economy beef. It‘s leaner." l

Unfavorable Total 4
"Wouldn't buy it. But it might

help the store's business." 1

‘"Don't like the idea." 3

Neutral - Total 7

"Don‘t buy meat in supermarkets." 3
'"No definite opinion. Wouldn't

matter;" 4

 

PRC-’31
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