Supermarket Perimeter - June 2024 - 10

4 ways
for retailers
to improve
communications
with shoppers
Action plan
1
2
Transparent pricing communications
Whenever there is a price increase, retailers could proactively
inform their customers about the reasons behind it. This can be
communicated at the point of sale, via signage in the appropriate
department, or through digital channels, providing specifics such as
increases in supplier costs or changes in supply chain dynamics.
Regular updates on market conditions
Providing ongoing updates about market conditions that
affect food prices, such as weather events impacting crop
yields or geopolitical events affecting supply chains, can help
consumers understand external factors influencing pricing.
3
4
Staff education
Enhance the training of in-store staff to better handle inquiries about
prices and inflation, as well as better understand the true profitability of
supermarkets. This direct engagement can help in managing perceptions
and misinformation effectively. If employees don't understand the
situation, it will be hard for them to answer shopper questions.
Feedback & listening
Implement feedback tools for collecting and addressing consumer
feedback. Understanding shopper sentiment can guide supermarkets
in adjusting their communication strategies effectively.
Source: Retail Feedback Group
" Even though we might have things like
canned fruits and vegetables that have
become more expensive, we also have fresh
vegetables that have become more affordable.
We also have citrus fruits, apples, bananas,
lettuce, potatoes that all have become more
affordable. "
Despite affordability reaching near prepandemic
levels on many fresh and other
items, however, consumers still name grocery
costs as one of their top concerns, according
to FMI data.
Consumer spending on weekly groceries
has reached an average of $165 per household,
up from $121 in 2020, and shoppers are
employing a variety of techniques to
save money.
Over 50% of consumers report hunting for
deals as a popular cost-cutting strategy, along
with buying more private brands (41%), buying
fewer items (32%) and buying in bulk (23%).
More shoppers also are comparing unit
65% of consumers are buying
more items on sale.
49% are buying more store brands
instead of national brands.
93% of shoppers are using
inflation-coping strategies.
Source: Retail Feedback Group
10 - JUNE 2024
supermarketperimeter.com
pricing, such as per ounce, between different
grocery stores than previously. Gen Z and
millennial shoppers are the most likely
demographics to compare unit prices, with
at least 70% of both groups comparing price
points across products in a single store and
across products between stores.
" Given the impact of inflation on food
prices over the last few years, we've seen a
shift in consumer behaviors to address these
prices, " said Steve Markenson, vice president
of research and insights at FMI. " Perhaps
the biggest change we've seen is shoppers'
evolving notions of what constitutes value.
While traditionally thought of as a straight
price-to-quantity ratio, the notion of value
among the modern grocery shopper is a
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Supermarket Perimeter - June 2024

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