Dive Brief:
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A deep-dive consumer survey from Midan Marketing found that meat buyers can be categorized in six different groups: voracious carnivores, wavering budgeteers, premium players, aging idealists, selective foodies and urban eclectics, according to The Shelby Report. Midan Marketing also analyzed the demographics and tactics of each group, identifying aspects like the average age, income, region that represents each segment.
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Voracious carnivores are the largest group, and make up 14% of the general population. These consumers eat 6.3% more different types of protein than the other segments, but don't shop often — they prefer to buy in bulk and freeze their meat. About 46% of this group look for coupons or promotions and 22% go online to learn about products and prices.
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Wavering budgeteers represent 13% of consumers. About 44% say they want to see more information about meat in-store, as well as more meat that comes from sustainable farms. Premium players also make up 13%, and are more interested in ethnic flavors and healthy options than they are about price — only 30% know what protein they will buy when they shop.
Dive Insight:
Even as consumer health trends stir a growing distrust of meat-based proteins in general, there is still a sizable number of shoppers that buy meat — and often. That doesn’t mean that grocers shouldn’t change how they promote the meat case or the specific proteins they sell, however.
Many of today's consumers are hungry for mission-based, healthy and flavorful food offerings. It may be wise for grocers to offer a wider variety of ethnic meat products to gauge how these offerings impact sales. In-store signage, cooking demonstrations and recipe examples can help lure the younger consumers interested in but unfamiliar with premium meats to the meat case, as well as older shoppers who don't often stray from their usual purchases.
Grocers shouldn't focus too much on the trends of these younger demographics, however. Sixty-three percent of the voracious carnivore category are baby boomers and seniors, and 77% are white. Midan Marketing suggests that grocers should "maintain and defend" this shopper demographic by offering items in bulk, pushing in-store promotions and offering a variety of meat options. Retailers should also strive to find the marketing tactics that best appeal to this group in order to encourage shoppers to visit the store more often.