Cost and convenience have driven a marked shift in grocery shopping across the globe, with consumers significantly more likely to make frequent, smaller grocery shopping trips, as opposed to one large weekly shop, according to new research from leading customer science company dunnhumby.
The global trends study of shopping behaviours across 18 countries shows that the average frequency of shopping trips has increased by some 18 per cent over the last five years, with purchases of no more than three products prevalent across all store formats.
The move towards smaller purchases is in part driven by financial necessity, with price-sensitive customers 16 per cent more likely to make small-basket purchases, while in some regions, including Asia, this number is as high as 30 per cent.
The desire to quickly grab a few top-up items also suggests a greater emphasis on convenience, which is also reflected in the growth of freshly prepared meals, which are predicted to enjoy a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5 per cent through 2017 globally.
“Shoppers are demanding store experiences and products that are simple, efficient and easy,” said Julian Highley, global director of customer knowledge at dunnhumby.
“In order to succeed, retailers can consider how to cater for small-basket shopping trips across all store formats. Whether this means placing popular convenience products near express checkout lanes or also ensuring that these are sufficient for processing small-basket shoppers quickly, it’s clear that retailers and consumer-packaged-goods manufacturers must look to address this growing long-term trend so they can continue to meet customer needs.”
© 2014 - European Supermarket Magazine
