STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Yesterday, VideoMining Corp., a leader in shopper behavior analytics, announced the results of two major national studies that found shoppers are spending less time in supermarkets and more time in convenience stores.

According to VideoMining's third annual Grocery MegaStudy, shoppers are spending 5% less time in supermarkets compared to the previous year. The sixth annual C-Store MegaStudy found that shoppers' time in convenience stores increased 6% from the previous year.

These shifts are in line with the broader national trends surrounding channel blurring and its impact on trip missions, but these measures only reveal part of the picture and raise many questions, according to VideoMining. In order to address some of these questions, VideoMining integrates behavioral data with a range of other data sources, including transaction data and exit interviews. In the C-Store MegaStudy, for example, this integration showed a correlation between time in store and average dollar basket size, which grew by 9%.

In collaboration with top grocery and c-store retailers, the MegaStudy programs provide detailed analyses of shopper interactions with over 220 categories, insight into behaviors of key shopper segments like Hispanics and Millennials, and a number of special interest reports. 

For instance, the study shows that engaging shoppers for longer periods can lead to increased basket size in c-stores, according to Mark Delaney, VideoMining's senior vice president of retail. Identifying the factors driving these increases and which levers can be pulled to maximize the value of longer in-store visits is key for manufacturers and retailers.

"Convincing time-starved shoppers to spend more time is a challenge that the convenience channel seems up for," Delaney said. "One key is ensuring they have the right assortment to satisfy shoppers who are increasingly concerned about healthy eating and expecting tailored offerings by time of day.”