Ways in Which the Expectations of Supermarket Shoppers Have Changed Since, During and Post-Recession - Essay Example

Ways in which the expectations of supermarket shoppers have changed during and post-recession Most supermarkets value what customers expect. However, customers tend to change their expectations making the supermarket owners unable to deal and satisfy their expectations. Supermarkets work very hard to see the satisfaction in their customers but because demands and expectations keep on changing, the supermarkets deal with customers as per their recent expectations. This paper owns the thesis that customer’s expectations have changed during and post-recession. Customers are coming up with new shopping habits as compared to the previous generations. Although these customers have tried to move from excessive and conspicuous expenditure, they are recently focusing on perceptive sustainability. The newly identified supermarket shopper wants to do the right thing with the assistance. These customers aim at making this in a simple and easy process. Additionally, customers come up with very complex questions with the aim of being solved on their behalf. They do this so that they ensure they pay a fair price for quality products. The following are the new characteristics on how supermarket shoppers expect or behave since, during and after recession (Hardgrove, 2001). Perceptive sustainability Research in the UK states that consumers are adjusting on how they spend on their budgets. Despite the fact that some shoppers are willing and wishing to save, most of them are contemplating on the idea of save and splash out on treats for identical occasions. Data sales from Sainsbury’s supermarket confirm that most shoppers tend to do their shopping on reserved occasions which include popular holidays as Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Halloween. Despite the fact that shoppers have little income, they still want and wish to live an enjoyable living, which is as a sustainable life. From the research point of view, twenty-two percent of the individuals in the UK treat themselves to indulgent food at home since they tend to believe it is cheaper. They choose foods from premium retailer ranges. For example, Sainsbury’s supermarket shows that their finest fine-sale increases by approximately twenty percent each year. While the sale of ready foods increases by approximately fifty-two percent each year. There are greater trends identifiable in consumers redeeming nectar points during important occasions in the calendar. This shows how shoppers are trying to find new ways of shopping. It is so as to extend their budget as well as afford treats for their families on very special occasions (Ochieng, Jones, Price, Ruan, and T. Zuofa 2014). However, customers always want to feel better on the goods they buy despite the places they shop in that is, whether basic or premium retails. These customers tend to believe in goods that offer integrity besides the value for the money. Customers expect ethical and responsible sourcing to be in collaboration with the supermarket’s mainstream offer but not something that is for premium lines Value re-evaluation Facts deploy that the positive effects or outcomes of straightened times is absolute genuine deepening of values. The evidence implies some of the positive results that come with of straightened times mostly depend on values. Most customers do not accept the fact that the economic downfall is the main reason for high animal welfare, fair-trade or sustainability in the very economic goods. However, values crunch is not the outcome for the credit crunch. Sainsbury’s supermarket data sales prove on the facts. The supermarket has sold 8.5 percent in the past one year despite the fact that many shoppers are keen on the price tags of the goods. With this in mind, the number of customers that make such sustainable choices has raised by approximately five percent. Facts deploy that there are sales growth in several ‘ethical’ sectors from greater animal welfare to fair trade and additionally with health or even environmental benefits (Noe, Raymond & Raymond 2012). Most issues revolve around shoppers having lots of money is a big misconception because people who have less do not care less. This means that it is not the only high-salaried shoppers who make these choices, but also the low salaried shoppers. This data is from the Sainsbury’s supermarket. The data from Sainsbury’s supermarket shows that in every £10 spent £1 comes from shoppers with the lowest incomes. The stores with the lowest demographics create high participation in comic and sports relief. This is a confirmation deploys the research done by the online ABA research in 2012 that customers of different socio-economic groups expect supermarkets to carry out business responsibly (The Shopper Report 1996). Act on behalf of customers Customers have greater anticipations on the companies they shop at their premises. They have many questions but have little time to ask. At times, they are forced to access media and social networks to post such questions hoping to be answered successfully (Food & Drink Weekly 1999). In most cases, customers want supermarkets that they trust. They need companies who confront, and satisfactorily attend to their questions and satisfy their raised needs. In most cases, these consumers want supermarkets to deal with issues on their behalf. However, shoppers embrace the company that identifies and deal with issues that affect them both directly and indirectly. They continually choose supermarkets that are there and ready to listen and attend to them in a manner they want. Health wise People contemplate and wish to live healthy and full lives. The modern family life is hectic rather not busy. Parents always divide themselves into demands of work and the needs of their households. This means that family members have different times to have and enjoy their meals. The other things are school life, clubbing and partying, leisure points, and different social engagements to fit in. This creates more headaches for most families to ensure that their nutritional lives are up to par (Helm, 2000). Consumers are more concerned on their health. However, people seek healthier options than the healthiest options. As to their budgets, customers want simple, affordable, and time-sensitive choices that they feel they are satisfying and rewarding. There are traits to show that consumers want healthy foods and ethical choices not only quality choices. To confirm this, the consumers had positive responses to the campaigns that combine ethical and healthy eating. The Sainsbury’s supermarket offers a wide variety of healthy and ethical choices. Closeness Customers try to reconsider on things that matter to them. People continue to place greater concern on their families despite the fact that there is nostalgia, which is by the increment of popularity in home-crafts such as baking. People continue to focus on simple and local matters despite the fact that things are becoming more hard and difficult. This is because they get a greater notion of control and trust. They concentrate on what they feel and what their family, friends, and communities feel (Ritchie, Elliott, and Flynn, 2010). Most customers show their interest in promoting and supporting charities and community issues. There are facts that sports relief and million meals appeal is getting high levels of donations other than raising cash to support these issues. Most people are getting involved in local issues by focusing on how to be good neighbors, and being optimistic on businesses if they do deal in the same business (Marketing Week 2010). Visit frequency Facts deploy that most customers prefer to shop at strip centers or enclosed centers to other places. These strip centers generate more trip frequency as compared to other malls. Statistics shows that the ratio of strip centers visits to other malls is 16.6 to 10.1 per year respectively. The Outlet centers, lifestyle centers, and the downtown shopping areas worked hard to influence common visitation levels as stated by the Sainsbury’s supermarket. The report shows that there is an average of about 6-7 visits per year to each shopping place. The key factor that impact greatly on visitation and frequency is the consumers’ perception on their financial situation. Other factors such as household income, age, and gender had less influence on the visitation and frequency at the shopping supermarkets. Customers with excellent financial situations report to have more visitations and frequent trips on wide varieties of supermarkets. The New Thrift Basing on the facts of the great recession, the dream is through largeness and acquisition. Due to the results of the crisis, more than two-thirds of the esteemed customers of Sainsbury’s supermarket prefer a pared-down life having little possessions. Additionally, they give less concentration on the displays of wealth. Consumer’s expenditure will never rise as fast as their personal incomes as it occurred in the past thirty years, which led to the crisis. Individuals from the United Kingdom have a value of saving more and reduce borrowing. With the facts in mind, basing on the saving rates of the UK; people tend to save ten percent of their personal incomes. This is the norm for the past six decades. In the mid 1980s, ordinary people got encouraged by the availability and promotion of consumer credit to crawl out of their saving skills. Over a few years, the individuals in the UK stopped being savers but became borrowers. However, currently consumers are crawling back to their old characters of saving more than borrowing and spending. Additionally, people want to do their things in their way. Customers have their sense of shopping depending on their needs and financial status. Supermarkets must try to cater for both low-income spenders and high-income spenders. Sainsbury’s supermarket deals with such issues by pricing goods at a level that will be favorable to all groups of individuals in the UK (Li, and Yousept, 2004). Most customers do not prefer seeking status through acquisition, but most of them seek ways of experiencing a sense of competence, self-sufficiency, and double accomplishment. This happens in Etsy supermarket, which serves as a retail and trading market place for many individuals in the UK. The Etsy supermarket developed an online place where people could show their work and sell to different consumers in the world. In a period of five years, Etsy had achieved the target of 300,000 vendors of which most of them were women. Millions of shoppers visited the site every month. This made the company grow and be worth $300 million in the year 2010. Etsy’ s mission states “to enable people to make a living making things.” This means in case you have an idea that you feel the world should know, and then Etsy gives you the chance to sell your creativity (Quader, and Quader, 2008). Transparency Breeds Trust In the current century, most customers are perceptive about marketing and social media. Supermarkets that serve customers who know and expect more will be needed to listen, respond and innovate new ideas. Facts deploy that confidence has dropped by around fifty percent in the last two years. The consumer trust and confidence has decreased specifically in the financial and automotive elements and supermarkets. Consumers want supermarkets that are clear and transparent on the issues that affect them. They do not like supermarkets that provide information that is neither clear nor available to the customers (Harvey, 2006). Some customers who seem to be worried go beyond different horizons to buy and acquire quality products. They are not affected by the name or brand of the supermarket, but they consider the services and the quality of goods offered. The customers are by the newest technology available in the supermarket. They tend to have systems that access information on the supermarket’s prices and environmental record before buying products from the supermarket. For example, Sainsbury’s supermarket has a system that tracks, tests and gives research on the identity and quality of products people buy (Free, 2008). This has increased customers in the mall since they buy goods they believe are genuine. Additionally, shoppers tend to get more information from their friends across social media such as Face book, twitter, Instagram and other social networks. However, supermarkets that lack official websites tend to have fewer customers than those supermarkets with online websites. This helps in disseminating and distributing information on new offers, new prices, and new goods available in the stores. For example, Waitrose supermarket was in the information business. The supermarket was aware of their products. Their customers knew less about their products. However, Waitrose supermarket used this chance to obtain more profits. In the current world, customers have information from all sources, which helps them to make right choices on shopping centers, shopping prices and supermarket preferences. Transparency rules the technical choice of any customer since they get clear pictures on goods. Additionally, they prefer supermarkets that know how to think and make right decisions. One supermarket that embraces this is a Marks & Spencer supermarket which has a score index of 49.53. The supermarket provided an online strategy of providing strengths and weaknesses of several products offered in the supermarket. This gives customers a chance to re-evaluate what they need and think of the side effects. Any visitor can click on any product offered in the supermarket, and its details. Companies That Care As well known, good customer service enables more customer visitations, which in turn increases sales. However, customer service needs values such as kindness, patience, empathy, understanding and good communication skills. Customers tend to visit supermarkets that care about their well-being, feelings and what they buy. This may be through customer service and information distribution. At Sainsbury’s supermarket, many service attendees are conversant with different languages to influence good communication with different customers from different countries. Additionally, new customers are shown around the supermarket to show them where various goods are located. This attracts more customers, which in turn increases sales and profit margin (Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News 2003). Supermarket shoppers are of different ages, gender, and different social status. Some customers want to be with specialty. These customers may include customers with disabilities and old aged customers. When such groups of people are in a special manner that satisfies them, they will definitely come back for their shopping. For example the Morrison’s supermarket, which a scoring index of 26.69, has employed technical staff that aims at helping customers with special needs to tour around and making shopping easier for them. The notion that the supermarket cares for every customer matters a lot to the esteemed and new customers of the supermarket (Gilbert and Jackaria, 2002). While visiting supermarkets, shoppers will always look out on how the supermarket treats them. If the supermarket cares for them ranging from prices, services information and other special needs, then supermarket acts as the best for shopping. Supermarkets should then care about their impact on communities and strive for better ways to make everything right, just like Marks & Spencer supermarket, Sainsbury’s supermarket, the Morrison’s supermarket, and Waitrose supermarket. Investing in customers is the best step in selling to customers. This is because generosity identifies a specific network that provides access to several offers of the supermarket, which creates a better future for customers. However, the vanguard supermarkets have a better understanding that consumers’ expectations are changing, and they must strive hard to satisfy the new needs. Since kindness and generosity is a competitive advantage (UK supermarkets adopt anti-bacterial additive 1997). References Food & Drink Weekly (1999) (uk), "UK supermarket probe to end first phase in January." November 8, Free, Clinton (2008). "Walking the talk? Supply chain accounting and trust among UK supermarkets and suppliers." Accounting, Organizations and Society 33, no. 6: 629-662. Gilbert, D. and Jackaria, N. (2002). The efficacy of sales promotions in UK supermarkets: a consumer view. International Journal of Retail \& Distribution Management, 30(6), pp.315-322. HARDGROVE, AMY (2001). "FUTURE SHOP." 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