Top Four Factors that Shoppers Use to Pick their Primary Grocery Store

There is no doubt that shoppers will visit multiple stores throughout the year.

Some make multiple stops on their weekly grocery runs. But every shopper has that one store where they do most of their shopping – and spend most of their weekly grocery budget. What are the factors that cause them to choose that store?

AMG Grocery Marketing surveyed over 700 shoppers in the Southeast about their grocery shopping habits. Here are the responses they gave us.

Respondents chose all that apply

None of these items stand alone as the deciding factor. Rather, it is the combination of them that come together to match the shoppers needs, preferences and tastes.

Location is the #1 factor for shoppers determining their primary store. That does not necessarily mean the store is closest to home. The location might be convenient to the office or on the daily commute.

Affordability and specials are number two. Stores that are in tune with their communities can attract more loyalty by consistently offering the right specials to keep loyal customers loyal. The feel of the store is also important in the decision process. Nearly half say a clean environment is on their list of must-haves in a go-to grocery store. Having the right selection and good customer service round out the list – receiving 39% and 36% support from respondents, respectively.

While you cannot do much about your current store location – at least in the short-term – marketers can help their brands to understand the importance of matching price and inventory selection with each location’s community needs. In today’s competitive environment, the cleanliness of the store and the quality of interactions with staff can be the difference in growing and retaining a base of shoppers that call your store home.