Mushroom Purchase Point Internet Survey Results

1
Mushroom Purchase Point Internet Survey Results

• Report prepared for
• January, 2004

2
Table of Contents

• Page
• Overview 2
• Objectives 3
• Approach 4
• Executive Summary 5
• Sliced White Mushroom Findings 10
• Whole White Mushroom Findings 17
• Respondent Profile 24

3
Overview
4
Objectives

• Research objectives for the online consumer
  research are as follows
• Gauge consumer perception of mushroom quality via
  presenting photos of whole and sliced mushrooms
  at various quality levels.
• Determine correlation of consumer perception of
  quality and purchase behavior.
• Measure perception of mushroom quality
  encountered in consumers grocery stores.

5
Approach

• In order to deliver against the objectives, the
  Perishables Group (PG)
• Worked with Mushroom Council to develop a
  targeted Internet consumer interview
  questionnaire in which consumers saw all of the
  five sliced or whole mushroom photos in random
  order.
• Conducted 271 online interviews across the five
  regions of the country
• West WA, OR, ID, MT, ND, CA, NV. AZ
• Midsouth SD, WY, UT, CO, NE, KS, NM, OK, TX, LA
• Southeast AR, MS, AL, TN, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA
• Midwest MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, IN, MI, KY, OH, WV
• Northeast ME, NH, VT, NY, PA, MA, CT, RI, NJ,
  DE, MD
• Ensured that at least 120 respondents (spread
  across the regions) saw each of the 10 mushroom
  photos.

6
Executive Summary

• CONSUMER FINDINGS
• Cleaner, whiter mushrooms are closely linked
  with consumer purchase intent. Mushroom browning,
  even in modest amounts, will cause a large
  segment of consumers to delay a planned
  supermarket purchase.
• Only 28 of consumers describe themselves as
  generally satisfied with the quality of
  mushrooms on display in the retail supermarket.
• 77 of consumers report that in the past year
  they have delayed a planned mushroom purchase due
  to concerns with the quality of mushrooms on
  display at retail stores.
• 38 of consumers say they often sort through
  displays to find mushrooms that meet their
  quality expectations, potentially damaging the
  remaining product on the shelf.
• When consumers are asked to identify the
  mushrooms that most closely match the quality
  they typically see in the supermarket, 92 say
  they are likely to purchase mushrooms. However,
  if the quality slides only slightly lower, only
  67 of consumers now say they are likely to make
  a purchase.

7
Internet Survey Findings
8
Internet Survey Findings

• White Mushroom Purchase Reasons
• Most consumers (69) surveyed said they buy white
  mushrooms for a specific reason, while 31 said
  they buy mushrooms to have on hand as the need
  arises.

9
Internet Survey Findings

• White Mushroom Lost Sales
• Seventy-seven percent of respondents said that on
  at least one occasion in the past year, they have
  not purchased white mushrooms due to poor
  quality, even though they were planning to buy
  mushrooms when entering the store.

10
Internet Survey Findings

• White Mushroom Shopping Behavior
• While 24 of respondents said they are often
  satisfied with mushroom quality, only 5 said
  that poor mushroom quality deters them from
  purchasing mushrooms for long periods of time.
  Most consumers (71) said they sort through the
  display to find acceptable quality mushrooms.

11
Sliced White Mushrooms
12
Sliced Mushroom Photo Legend

• The following nomenclature and corresponding
  photos are used throughout the Sliced White
  Mushroom results

13
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Purchase Likelihood
• Consumers said they were most likely to buy the
  mushrooms shown in Sliced 1 and 2 photos. There
  is a large drop off in Sliced 3, 4 and 5
  likelihood of purchase.

How Likely Are You To Purchase These Sliced White
Mushrooms?
14
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Quality
• Consumers said the mushrooms shown in Sliced 1
  and 2, photos were good quality. The Sliced 5
  photo averaged the lowest quality, as rated by
  respondents.

Sliced White Mushroom Quality
15
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Quality Comparison
• Consumers said that the mushrooms shown in Sliced
  1 and 2 photos are better than the quality of
  mushrooms they usually find in their grocery
  stores, while the mushrooms in the Sliced 3, 4
  and 5 photos are of worse quality.

How Similar is the Quality of These Sliced White
Mushrooms to the Sliced White Mushrooms You
Usually See In Your Grocery Store?
16
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Purchase Triggers
  Definitely/Probably Buy
• Consumers who said that they would
  definitely/probably buy the mushrooms shown in
  each photo, did so primarily because of the
  cleanliness, general appearance and color.

Multiple Responses Allowed
17
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Purchase Triggers
  Probably/Definitely Not Buy
• Consumers who said that they would
  probably/definitely not buy the mushrooms shown
  in each photo, did so primarily because of
  general appearance.

Multiple Responses Allowed
18
Whole White Mushrooms
19
Whole Mushroom Photo Legend

• The following nomenclature and corresponding
  photos are used throughout the Whole White
  Mushroom results

20
Internet Survey Findings

• Whole White Mushroom Purchase Likelihood
• Consumers said they were most likely to buy the
  mushrooms shown in photo Whole 1. Interestingly,
  respondents were equally willing to purchase the
  mushrooms in photos Whole 4 and 5.

How Likely Are You To Purchase These Whole White
Mushrooms?
21
Internet Survey Findings

• Whole White Mushroom Quality
• Consumers said the mushrooms shown in photo Whole
  1, were between good and top quality. Respondents
  perceived the mushrooms in photo Whole 5 as
  having a slightly higher quality than the
  mushrooms in photo Whole 4.

Whole White Mushroom Quality
22
Internet Survey Findings

• Whole White Mushroom Quality Comparison
• Consumers said that the mushrooms shown in Whole
  1 and 2 photos are better than the quality of
  mushrooms they usually find in their grocery
  stores, while the mushrooms in the Whole 3, 4 and
  5 photos are of worse quality.

How Similar is the Quality of These Whole White
Mushrooms to the Whole White Mushrooms You
Usually See In Your Grocery Store?
23
Internet Survey Findings

• Whole White Mushroom Purchase Triggers
  Definitely/Probably Buy
• Consumers who said that they would
  definitely/probably buy the mushrooms shown in
  each photo, did so primarily because of the
  general appearance, color and freshness.

Multiple Responses Allowed
24
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Purchase Triggers
  Probably/Definitely Not Buy
• Consumers who said that they would
  probably/definitely not buy the mushrooms shown
  in each photo, did so primarily because of color
  and general appearance.

Multiple Responses Allowed
25
Internet Survey Respondent Profile
26
Internet Respondent Profile

• PG completed 244 total consumer intercepts
• Typical Respondent Overall
• Age 35-44 Years Old
• Household Size Two adults with no children
• Household Income 25,001 - 50,000
• Ethnicity Caucasian
• Gender Female

27
Internet Respondent Profile
While the majority of respondents had no
children, 42 had between 1 and 2 children in the
household.

28
Internet Respondent Profile
Respondents represented a wide range of ages with
the largest group (31) being 35-44 years old.

29
Internet Respondent Profile
Respondents represented a wide range of income
groups with the largest group (35) earning
25,001 - 50,000.

30
Internet Respondent Profile
Respondents represented a range of ethnic groups
with the largest group (87) being Caucasian.

31
Internet Respondent Profile
Respondents represented both gender groups with
the largest group (80) being female.

32
Internet Respondent Profile
Respondents represented a range of marital status
with the largest group (62) being married.