Impulse shopping? Not so much. That's the conclusion of new research by NPD Group, which finds that the overwhelming majority of consumers are going off to food stores with shopping lists and coupons in hand.
According to NPD's Before the Store report, 94 percent of U.S. households prepare a written shopping list before they head out and 72 percent never or only occasionally deviate from their planned purchases.
NPD also found that most households have a primary person, usually but not always a woman, responsible for handling the grocery shopping. Interestingly, the development of the shopping list appears to include various family members. Kids, for example, contribute to 40 percent of the lists made up by family households.
"For food and beverage manufacturers and retailers, it's all about getting on the list," said Ann Hanson, executive director of product development at NPD Group and author of the report, in a press release.
"With so many purchasing decisions being made at home where meals are being planned and shopping lists assembled, it's important to focus on the consumer at home before they leave for the store," she added.
Among those who buy off the household shopping list, there are several explanations. Mentioned most often is the fact that they saw it on promotion (80 percent). Reason number two mentioned by 67 percent is that they realized they forgot to put an item on the list. A smaller number, 37 percent, chose to buy something that "looked like a good meal or snack solution."
Discussion Questions: Do you think there is more or less impulse purchasing taking place today than in the past? How do retailers get consumers to buy additional food and beverage products when so few are purchasing items not on their shopping list?