Demographics Play Part in Selecting Prepared Foods

Different age groups want different things when it comes to prepared foods.

April 01, 2014

NEW YORK CITY – With prepared foods at grocery stores and other retailers, such as convenience stores, continuing to gain ground, it’s important for stores to know how to reach different demographics with these offerings, Progressive Grocer reports.

A new report from ICC/Decision Services highlights some of the ways different age groups look at prepared foods—and what they want to see in this category. “Age is a big story teller in this phase of the study,” said Eric Baer, research analyst and project leader for ICC/Decision Services. “While there is no one age group that takes greater advantage of the prepared food offerings from one retail outlet over another, needs were found to differ by age group.”

For example, “Younger consumers shop less for meals that are time-saving in preparation, but are heavily interested in preordering prepared food items online and save their time in that aspect,” said Nanette Brown, ICC’s vice president of operations. But the opposite holds true for older consumers, “who are less concerned with the time-saving aspect of ordering ahead and who would rather save their time when it comes to their meal preparation and convenience.”

Across the board, the survey found that top two most popular attributes are fresh, high-quality ingredients and timesaving convenience. However, shoppers between the ages of 18 and 34 put price over convenience, while males ranked timesaving meals higher than females. “Those in the $40,000-or-less income bracket do not use the option to preorder prepared foods ahead of time as much as other shoppers. This could be due to lack of access to the technology to do so,” said Baer.

Brown gave some specific suggestions for retailers based on survey results. “Specific prepared food items should be advertised in formats that cater to specific demographics,” she said. Baer added that breakfast is a segment that has yet to be fully realized in the prepared food section. “Closer consideration should be given to availability and increased promotion of breakfast food items, which were the least often purchased,” he said.

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