Easier
Is Still Better
Feeling
Safe
Food
Shopping
Making
A Living
Clothes
That Fit
Safer
Investments
Easier
Check Out
Thoughts
About Buying
Comfort
From Campbell Soup?
EASIER IS STILL BETTER
It's comforting to know that some things haven't changed since the world
changed around us. Consumers are still consumers. American consumers
would still like faster checkouts, better housework helpers, and easier
ways of fixing dinner. Japanese consumers are flocking to new-technology
washing machines that eliminate the need for detergent. The bottom line
is that consumers around the world are continuing to seek and buy better
mousetraps. Marketers that respond to their wishes could find at least
25 percent of the consumers beating a path to their door.
Top
Feeling
Safe: The most widespread of consumers' wishes right now
is for easier ways to feel safe. Many have not yet adapted to feeling
less than safe, or to the effort involved in overcoming safety anxieties.
Even in the days before anthrax cases dominated the headlines, those
who expressed strong wishes to feel safe outnumbered those with strong
feelings about
anything else on our list. But while 47 percent expressed strong interest
in feeling safe, only 15 percent expressed moderate interest- suggesting
that some are far more anxious than others. Some will appreciate soothing
words and gestures. Some are loading up on information they find credible,
and others are doing their best to escape from the media bombardment.
In the retail marketplace, anything that is irradiated or germ-free
has added value right now. Vending machines that irradiate food, mail,
or whatever consumers are worried abut could be as common as coin counters
and can recyclers in months or years to come. In the meantime, store
operators should be double-checking their sanitation practices and rethinking
their salad bars, their buying standards, and their visible as well
as invisible security measures.
Top
Easier
Food Shopping: Getting repair work done at home is generally
known to be time consuming, difficult, frustrating, and expensive. In
two income and/or single parent households, it's likely to be especially
challenging and exasperating. It's not surprising that many consumers
would like to find ways that make it easier. What is surprising to us
is that JUST AS MANY consumers would like to find ways (or stores!)
that make food shopping easier.
On-line shopping
is one option. An excellent consumer assessment of Publix Online appeared
in the 9/30/01 South Florida Sun-Sentinel under the Christine Winter
byline. Here's a nutshell summary of what she said:
- Grocery shopping
is hard because she has to do it when she is tired (after work) or
has other things to do (weekends).
- It's harder to
recall what you need from computer menus and submenus than when you
cruise aisles.
- It's harder to
judge quantities from a picture. "Are those bottles of water
I like a half liter, a liter, 8.5 ounces, etc."
- You have to pay
close attention to the details shown on the screen or you won't get
the size or cut that you want.
In spite of these
problems, she'll use the service again - especially when there's a no-charge-for-delivery
promotion going on.
Based on what we
continuously hear from shoppers, there's more than fatigue and time
scarcity that makes grocery shopping a chore. After developing programs
and procedures to deal with future threats of bio-terrorism, food marketers
should be brainstorming in-store as well as on-line approaches to easier
shopping for the 21st Century. We suggest that they look at both form
and content of their stores, displays, aisles, signs, merchandising,
and their total communications package.
Other implications
of the Easier Is Better data:
Earning A Living:
With more than half of our respondents saying that earning a living
is tough these days, food marketers in general and food retailers in
particular need to get back to the business of helping consumers who
need to stretch their food dollars. With fewer consumers young knowing
how to cook well and most accustomed to added value meal components,
coming up with real solutions isn't as easy as it used to be. With many
older consumers feeling the pinch of reduced earnings, stores that don't
have senior-part-timer recruiting programs ought to think about starting
them.
Top
Safer
Investments: With forty percent of our respondents wishing
for easier ways to invest safely, and so many supermarkets incorporating
bank branches, savings bonds sound like a timely offer and a possibly
great promotion.
Easy-Fit Clothing:
It's a weird juxtaposition of numbers, but in aggregate, even more of
our mostly female consumers wish it was easier to find clothes that
fit than wish it was easier to feel safe. Readers who are old enough
to remember "muumuus" know that they were a popular alternative
to finding clothes that fit. "Muumuus" are or were tent dresses
that hid a multitude of flesh and other sins and could be worn over
nothing or over multiple layers. Envision racks or kiosks of Large,
Larger, and Grande sized "Muumuus" in a global array of multi-cultural
patterns in supermarkets as well as mass-markets and bazaars.
Top
Easier
Checkout:
Scanning was going to make checkout easier and indeed it has. But it
hasn't made it easy enough, since more than half the shoppers who responded
to our survey still wish that it was easier than it is now. Self-checkout
is only part of the answer.
Easier Bill Paying:
Neither on-line nor telephone bill paying have made bill paying easy
enough to satisfy most of our respondents. The fact that so many consumers
are charging so much more means that they are writing fewer checks for
bill paying. The reasons that bill paying is hard have more to do with
income-to-outgo ratios than the act of writing and mailing checks and
balancing checkbooks.
Easier Bathroom
Cleaning: Weren't soaps where supermarkets really began? Soaps for
hands, soaps for faces, soaps for laundry, soaps for babies, soaps for
beauty, soaps for baths, soaps for tough jobs. Then came detergents,
and there were more detergent brands and classes than soaps. (The Japanese
washing machine that uses no detergent at all seems to bring this full
circle.) Today, there are almost as many products positioned for or
dedicated to cleaning bathrooms as there are for cleaning hands or clothes.
Besides the general purpose bathroom cleaners like Ajax for harder jobs,
Bon Ami for tender surfaces, Clorox because bleach works, and Comet
because it really cleans, there are special bathroom products like Dow
which promises easier cleaning, Lysol which disinfects, Soft Scrub for
versatility, Sun and Earth for the environment, and Tilex because it
does what it says it will. And with all of these solutions, more than
half of our respondents will still be receptive to anything else that
comes along to make bathroom cleaning easier.
Easier Dinner
Fixing: It's even more amazing that in the 21st century, more than
half of the shoppers we surveyed are still looking for easier ways to
fix dinner. After all, this is a full century since Campbell's Soup,
a half century since Chef Boyardee and Hamburger Helper, and a quarter
century since microwaves and Lean Cuisine. How hard can fixing dinner
be?
Well, some consumers
might stovetop or zap some Chunky but few "fix" Campbell's
Soup for dinner (see Campbell Comfort below.) Chef Boyardee is now for
kids. Hamburger Helper (or tuna or turkey or buffalo helper) is kind
of boring and still requires messy cooking. Frozen and take-out foods
don't really count as fixing at all. So maybe what consumers are telling
us is that they do want to fix dinner, or feel like they are fixing
dinner, but they'd like to do it without mess and without having to
think about it very much. Which sounds pretty much like what Lipton's
______ and Green Giant's Create A Meal were all about.
EASIER
IS BETTER - WIDE INTEREST
(All percents based on 210 respondents.)
| Statements
about when easier is better. |
Strongly
Agree |
Total
Agree |
| Feeling
safe |
47% |
62% |
| Finding
clothes that fit |
39% |
66% |
| Earning
a living |
39% |
54% |
| Checking
out (of stores) |
34% |
56% |
| Paying
bills |
33% |
57% |
| Bathroom
cleaning |
32% |
57% |
| Fixing
dinner |
30% |
52% |
| Maintaining
freezer for easy finding and so nothing dries out |
30% |
51% |
| Maintaining
refrigerator for easy finding so nothing spoils |
29% |
48% |
| Opening
packages |
29% |
41% |
| Car
maintenance |
28% |
57% |
| Using
computers |
28% |
54% |
| Investing
safely |
28% |
41% |
| Getting
repair work done at home |
27% |
53% |
| Food
shopping |
27% |
52% |
| Remembering
names |
27% |
49% |
| Finding
things in big stores |
27% |
46% |
| Taking
pills |
27% |
39% |
| Maintaining
pantry shelves for easy finding and so nothing spoils |
25% |
52% |
| Reclosing
packages |
25% |
41% |
| Housework
in general |
22% |
55% |
House Versus
Lawn: The female bias of our data shows its colors in the wide disparity
between the 22-55% interest in making housework easier (the table above)
versus the 9-27% interest in making lawn care easier (in the table below).
Losing keys
stands out as a major niche problem that smart marketers ought to think
about. Since many new-car keys are built-for computer recognition, future
keys might help consumers stay connected as well as safe.
Diets in doldrums:
Some readers may share our surprise at the low interest in easier ways
of dieting - which may reflect the observed and widely-reported fact
that many consumers have just given up and gotten fat - which is why
they can't find clothes to fit.
Window washing
miscellany: Caring for the elderly scores much higher among consumers
over fifty, and cleaning pet accidents scores much higher among consumers
with pets. We're going to do another survey on why the washing-windows
numbers are so small. We can't help wondering if some of our consumers
are keeping their blinds closed, living without windows, or sharing
the magical window washing service that we've been searching for.
EASIER
IS BETTER - NICHE INTEREST
(All percents based on 210 respondents.)
| Statements
about when easier is better. |
Strongly
Agree |
Total
Agree |
| Not
losing keys |
24% |
43% |
| Caring
for elderly |
24% |
36
% |
| Cleaning
pet accidents |
23% |
34
% |
| Exercise
for keeping fit |
20% |
43% |
| Making
new friends |
20% |
38% |
| Getting
through voice mails |
20% |
28% |
| Carpet
and rug cleaning |
15% |
36% |
| Dieting |
15% |
32% |
| Maintaining
towel and sheet storage for easy finding |
14% |
38% |
| Removing
spots |
14% |
31% |
| Washing
windows |
14% |
30% |
| Getting
home delivery |
14% |
27% |
| Ironing |
13% |
29% |
| Carrying
packages |
11% |
23% |
| Finding
mates |
11% |
16% |
| Garden
care |
10% |
39% |
| Fixing
lunches |
10% |
19% |
| Lawn
care |
9% |
29% |
| Cutting
firewood |
6% |
9% |
| Removing
nail polish |
4% |
12% |
| Polishing
silver |
1% |
6% |
Top
THINKING
AND BUYING
The responses to the statements below show that many consumers are thinking
conflicting thoughts and are troubled by their own feelings. Two thirds
of our respondents are concerned about their own prejudices. Many of
the same consumers agree that it is a time to buy American and think
globally. Twice as many think it's a good time to go out and celebrate
being alive as think it's a good time to buy luxuries if you can afford
them.
More home cooking
and baking is in there, but not as strongly as we might expect, possibly
because anxiety depletes some of the energy that is required - and as
noted above, many are still hoping to find easier ways to fix dinner.
| Statements
about when easier is better. |
Strongly
Agree |
Total
Agree |
| This
is a time to fight our own prejudices. |
49% |
66% |
| This
is a time to buy American. |
47% |
63% |
| This
is a time to think globally. |
35% |
53% |
| This
is a time to go out to celebrate being alive. |
27% |
44% |
| This
is a time for more home cooking and baking. |
24% |
44% |
| This
is a time for basics, when luxuries don't feel right or seem right. |
18% |
28% |
| This
is a time when it's important to listen to people in the peace movement
and other dissidents. |
17% |
29% |
| If
you can afford them, there is more reason than ever to buy luxuries. |
11% |
28% |
The following comment
captured the mood of many: "At this time, I don't feel like
buying anything but necessities. Luxury items are an impossibility right
now anyway. Do I feel safe? Not anymore, hate that these "people"
have made us feel like this. Don't want the children to grow up scared
and always fearful. My mom is back remembering WWII!"
These holiday statements
support the low-key holiday idea, which could benefit neighborhood stores
and supermarkets since so many consumers seem reluctant to go out shopping.
.
| Statements
about holiday celebrations this year |
Strongly
Agree |
Total
Agree |
| This
is a year for patronizing small stores near home. |
15% |
39% |
| This
is a year for more mail order and web shopping. |
13% |
21% |
| This
is a year for buying everything at Wal-Mart. |
6% |
12% |
| This
is a year for going back to department stores and specialty shops. |
6% |
12% |
| This
is a year for going all out on gifts for the holidays |
4% |
6% |
Top
Comfort
From Campbell Soup?
Surveys from other researches have confirmed the starring role of soup
in the comfort food galaxy. Campbell Soup has had many ups and downs
in recent years and recently (but before T-day changed our world) announced
that it planned a quality upgrade for soups, which are still its principal
product. As soon as we heard their announcement, we shared it with 100
of our shoppers and asked them what, if anything, they thought the soups
needed to fix. We asked the question on an open-ended basis, no checklists
or options provided.
First, 91 of the
100 responded and they had a lot to say. Campbell Soup remains an American
icon, and has added value because it is an icon and made in America
to boot.
Overall, the responses
suggest that lower soup prices would bring more comfort than more pieces
of chicken. Consumers aren't as emotionally connected to Campbell as
they probably were in decades past, but many really like (or remember)
liking the traditional flavors of a lot of the soups.
Red and White (Condensed)
Chicken Noodle and Chicken Rice are still used as emotional support
for cold and flu victims, but only three of the 91 respondents to this
question actually said they used them as comfort food. Progresso is
widely associated with fuller-bodied soups and along with Chunky fills
more of the comfort food role.
While 30 percent
said that the quality of the condensed soups should be improved, more
than 40 percent said that lowering prices or adding coupons was more
important. Several noted that Campbell already has several different
quality grades available and that preserving the traditional flavor
of the condensed soups was more important than upgrading their quality.
Many of these consumers think the condensed soups have become significantly
overpriced.
- I think they
should probably LOWER the rather exorbitant prices they are charging
for just a lot of water and some flavoring, then people would start
buying more soup again. They have gotten too greedy. I used to buy
a lot of Campbell's soups but since they started raising the prices
so that you pay 90 cents or more for a can of Chicken Noodle soup
or Mushroom soup I have stopped buying them.
- I don't buy it
for quality; I buy it as comfort food. I hope they don't change the
taste too much in the search for improvements.
- It is my perception
that Campbell's already has a variety of qualities that I can purchase.
- Haven't seen
a decline in quality. Maybe our tastes are just getting more sophisticated.
They are the soups we grew up with and I think most consumers would
hate to see them change radically.
- Think Campbell's
canned soups are satisfactory for what they are and have a tried and
true traditional taste.
- I think most
of the broth based condensed soups are a waste of money -but my 6
year old won't give up Chicken Noodle.
- All I know is
that most people I know have their classic soups in their pantries.
I don't use them every week, but probably do so every month.
- For the most
part I think that Campbell's soups should be left alone. Their ready
to eat soups like the Chunky line could maybe use a quality update
to compete with the ever growing competition, but they need to leave
their stand-by condensed soups alone!
On the other side,
and the last word on this:
- Campbell can
certainly improve upon their soups. Although they were good in their
day, they haven't kept up with the current trends of other soup manufacturers.
They also haven't kept up very well with what the modern day consumer
wants - which are more health conscious foods and more sophisticated
tastes.
Admitting our own
bias as former research suppliers to Campbell (back in the days when
they still listened to what consumers wanted) is that big sales of Campbell
Soups are all right for now but that down the road, some body-building
is needed to change the flavored water perception without really changing
the taste.
Well, some consumers
might stovetop or zap some Chunky but few "fix" Campbell's
Soup for dinner (see Campbell Comfort below.) Chef Boyardee is now for
kids. Hamburger Helper (or tuna or turkey or buffalo helper) is kind
of boring and still requires messy cooking. Frozen and take-out foods
don't really count as fixing. What consumers are telling us is that
they do want to fix yummy dinners without mess and without having to
think about it very much. Most of the food companies have tried to respond
to this need. Many have come close to meeting it. None have yet hit
the current version of the "yummy button" that once-upon-a-time
made Kraft Macaroni and Cheese a national staple.
©
2001The Consumer Network, Inc., PO Box 42753, Philadelphia, PA 19101.
215/235-2400. Email comments to ShopperReport@cs.com
or to Mona@MonaDoyle.com.