Winning Shoppers In Turbulent Times
Show Consumers That Meat Is Essential
It's no secret that the economy is affecting many aspects of your customers' lives. Keep your thinking fresh and creative in order to continue attracting shoppers to your meat department. Recent research reveals shoppers don't plan to sacrifice quality and brand loyalty when it comes to purchasing fresh meat. 
Fear and uncertainty about the economy are the current motivators behind customer shopping approaches. More than 43% of U.S. primary shoppers say that they feel worse off economically than they felt one year ago. In response, more than 30% are eating at home more and eating out less as one way to save money.
While an overwhelming 93% of consumers worry about rising food prices, the fresh meat and seafood category demonstrates a loyalty rate of more than 98%, indicating that customers won't stop purchasing fresh meat, even during tough times. More than 72% are ready to reduce spending, and while consumers agree that meat is one of the categories they may reduce spending in, it falls to the bottom of the list.
The savings tactics that customers use will vary significantly from category to category within the store. The tactics used to save money on meat may include purchasing less expensive cuts to substitute in recipes, while other categories, such as cookies and snacks, may be cut completely out of a customer's shopping budget.
How Can You Make This Work For You?
Your customers may shift from spur-of-the-moment shoppers to "proactive planners" – those who search store circulars and buy coupon items or items that are on special. These are also the customers who make a detailed list and try to stick to it.
- Be sure that you are advertising your specials so that customers can see them. Your ads will be getting more exposure to customers who may not be familiar with your case; give them incentive to come in and shop.
- Mention in your ads, without specifics, that you are holding "in-store only" specials. Perhaps change them daily or weekly, to reward customers who shop regularly. This way, customers are encouraged to come into your store, and your department, to see what the unadvertised specials are. They may also end up purchasing items that are on sale "in-store," even if they didn't intend to, simply because it is such a great deal.
- Include pre-made shopping lists in your ads that include a beef item on special, other sale items around the store, and some blank spaces. This creates a complete list for your customers; they will appreciate the convenience of only needing to add a few items.
Customers are looking for "whole meal values." They don't want to buy individual items without knowing how they fit into meal-planning.
- Work with other departments to cross promote and advertise whole meal solutions for different days of the week. Try creating a "Weekly Meal Planner" section in your ad or in your department – use larger roasts and other cuts that work great as leftover meals. Provide meal recipes that use fresh beef, and also include recipes using leftover cooked beef from a previous meal.
Shoppers are loyal to their meat; 91-100% of shoppers won't switch to private label for fresh meat/seafood.
- Keep brands prominent, even if they're the highest priced in their category. People perceive value in brands they have spent time and money to find and are willing to pay a premium for it.
- Offer larger economy packs of beef. Emphasize the Beef Value Cuts using slogans like "Stockpile and Save!"
Ease your customers' feelings of fear.
- Advertise in-store sampling events and cooking demonstrations to help your customers become comfortable with cuts and preparations they may not be familiar with.
- Easy Fresh Cooking® labels help customers see value in cuts they may not know how to cook, and photography shows them how the finished product should turn out.
Above all else, think like your customer. We're all experiencing a pinch, but with a little creativity and some clever advertising, neither your meat case nor your customers need to suffer.
SOURCE: Unilever 2008 Winning Shoppers in Turbulent Times study