Nearly half of food and beverage category shoppers and almost 60 percent of health/beauty and household goods category shoppers buy their favored brand even when a cheaper alternative is available, with many shoppers using coupons and price promotions to justify the more expensive purchase, according to initial findings of a shopper marketing study from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), global management consulting firm Booz & Co., and online consumer community SheSpeaks. “Shopper Marketing 3.0: Unleashing the Next Wave of Value” analyzes survey data collected from 3,600 shoppers across the food and beverage, household products, and health and beauty categories, and encompassing various retail formats.

“This research shows us that even in a recession, more often than not, shoppers are making purchase decisions based on factors other than price,” said Brian Lynch, director of sales and sales promotion for Washington-based GMA. “This key finding reinforces the notion that there is significant opportunity to influence shopper behavior by having the right messages in place along the entire path to purchase.” Read more in Progressive Grocer