Customers are choosing convenience over value these days, according to a yearlong shopper experience study currently underway by The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research.
Data from the study shows that consumer priorities are changing from shopping around to save dollars to spending more money in an effort to save time.
“There has been an 8% rise in consumers who are willing to spend more money at convenience stores if it makes their lives a little easier,” Craig Elston, senior vice president of Integer said in a press release. “The majority of shoppers surveyed want to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible and convenience stores often give time back to the consumer to do other things.”
Consumers these days seek out a convenience store chain they feel they can trust that provides strong customer service and a clean, well-lit store environment. Meanwhile, shoppers will avoid convenience stores for safety concerns, such as poor quality staff, unwelcoming store environment and an unattractive store appearance. The top reason shoppers avoid convenience stores, according to the study, is because they believe the selection of goods is limited.
“Our data shows us that convenience stores have an opportunity to draw a larger number of shoppers if they focus on a few of the fundamental factors, ” said Randy Wahl, executive vice president, M/A/R/C. “For example, providing a clean store environment would lead to a more pleasant shopping experience with hopes that more people will consider shopping in convenience stores to save time.”
C-store operators can reach more in the report The Checkout, which includes information from the national survey conducted by Integer and M/A/R/C where consumers were about their shopping attitudes, shopping behaviors, and economic outlook. Topics range from criteria shoppers use to select retailers, to which in-store stimulus is most likely to drive purchase, to factors that might lead shoppers to leave an aisle empty-handed. The Checkout is available for download at Integer’s blog load at Integer’s blog www.ShopperCulture.com or M/A/R/C’s Web site www.MARCresearch.com/thecheckout.