While recent studies show dads having more influence on grocery shopping, a new one found that they're also demonstrating a lot more forethought and preparation than moms.
The 2012 Cone Communications' Year of the Dad Trend Tracker found that dads are nearly three times as likely as moms to get a lot of input from other members in their household (34 percent vs. 12 percent). Dads also show a higher propensity for performing background research on grocery products versus moms (24 percent versus 11 percent) and planning meals for the week ahead of time (52 percent versus 46 percent).
On the other hand, moms are busier coupon cutters, with 62 percent collecting coupons or reading circulars versus 56 percent for dads. Also, 62 percent of moms create a detailed shopping list, slightly above the 56 percent for dads.
The survey lent more support for the dad-goes-shopping trend. Thirty-five percent of moms admit dads have had more influence on grocery store purchases over the last few years while 52 percent of dads now say they are the primary grocery shopper in the household.
Other findings around dad's grocery shopping habits:
- After price and quality, dads' number one purchase influence is a coupon (37 percent), ahead of product benefits (20 percent) or brand name (14 percent).
- Dads' top three channels for gathering product and other grocery-related information are: in-store promotions (57 percent), advertising (50 percent) and traditional media like newspapers, magazines and television (40 percent). Word of mouth from friends and family rated only 38 percent.
- Thirty-eight percent of dads say they walk up and down each aisle to look at all their options or comparison shop.
Still, purchase influences and information sources were said to be similar between genders. Moms were slightly more swayed by coupons (44 percent) and also more influenced by in-store promotions (69 percent) and traditional media (49 percent).
"Roles may be shifting within the household, but we're finding that dads are not acting so differently from moms in their approach to grocery shopping," said Bill Fleishman, president of Cone Communications, in a statement. "This is good news for marketers because it means we don't have to rewrite the playbook. By understanding the nuances between them, we can actually use the same strategies to reach the primary grocery shopper in the household, whether it's mom or dad."
The results came from an online survey conducted May 15 to 21 by ORC International among a sample of 1,000 adult parents who currently have children 17 years old or younger.