New research by him! international has revealed that around one in five Irish shoppers are on a snack mission when they visit convenience stores, with nearly a third looking for an evening meal that they don’t need to pre-prepare anything for.
The results come from a new report focused on understanding the Irish convenience store shopper, based on 5,500 responses from shoppers of retailers such as Costcutter, Londis, Spar, Tesco Express, Centra, Topaz, Applegreen, Mace, Gala and Maxol.
It also found that 80% of the Irish population visit a convenience store every month, with convenience ranking as the most visited retail channel after supermarkets and discounters. Irish convenience store shoppers are more likely to be female, of a higher social class, and living in a city.
While half of Irish shoppers perceive convenience stores as offering fresh quality products, two thirds of shoppers do not believe their local store provides enough healthy options.
The research also revealed that almost one third of shoppers would go elsewhere after finding their product out of stock on two occasions or less, proving that availability is fundamental in driving loyalty with shoppers in convenience.
Aidan Duffy, client development manager at him! international commented on the report’s findings, "The Irish convenience store landscape has changed dramatically in recent years and with it its shoppers; previously guaranteed customer store loyalty has now shifted to loyalty to a compelling offer, for example; innovative and healthier ranges.
"Irish c-store retailers must offer true value by meeting the demands of customers in a competitive retail environment."
© 2016 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
