Consumer behavior in point of sale on the market with
candies
Spotřebitelské chování v místě prodeje na trhu balených
cukrovinek
Bc. Denis Drexler, Bc. Kristýna Kocourková, Bc. Veronika Machálková,
Ing. Martin Souček, Ph.D., Ústav marketingu a obchodu, Provozně
ekonomická fakulta MENDELU v Brně, [email protected] ,
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected]
Abstrakt
Tato práce se zabývá popisem metodického řešení skupinového projektu, který je financován
Interní grantovou agenturou v akademickém roce 2013/2014. Cílem tohoto projektu je zjistit a
popsat spotřebitelské chování v místě prodeje na trhu balených cukrovinek. Výsledky tohoto
projektu budou sloužit především jako doporučení pro prodejce, jejichž sortiment zahrnuje i
cukrovinky, tj. supermarkety či menší samoobsluhy. Tato práce se skládá ze dvou částí. V
první z nich jsou detailně popsány jednotlivé výzkumné metody, jak je plánují výzkumníci
použít. V druhé, jsou shrnuta dosavadní sekundární data, která byla získána prostřednictvím
orientační analýzy a budou sloužit k porovnání dat získaných primárním výzkumem. Mezi
výzkumné metody patří Focus groups, dotazníkové šetření a nyní velmi populární metody
Neuromarketingu.
Klíčová slova
Balené cukroviny, spotřebitel, Neuromarketing, Point of sale, Point of purchase, Focus groups
Abstract
This paper deals with description of methodology which is used in group project which is
founded by Interní grantová agentura in academic year 2013/2014. The aim of this project is
to find a describe consumer behavior in point of sale on the market with candies. Results of
this project will serve mainly as a recommendation for sellers whose assortment is consists
also of candies, like supermarkets or small shops with food. This paper is composed of two
parts. In first one there are all the used methods describe in detail, and also how researches
want to use them. In the second part there are all secondary data which were gain by tentative
analysis collect together. This data will be used in comparison with primary data which will
be soon. There are used various research methods as Focus groups, Questionnaire, and now
very popular methods of Neuromarketing.
Key words
Candies, consumer, Neuromarketing, Point of sale, Point of purchase, Focus groups
Introduction
Food is one of the most necessary things on the world. Everybody has to eat every day but
also everyone has his or her own eating habits and like something different. Different people
prefer different kind of brands, flavors or shapes, especially in a field of candies. Customers
usually have something what they like the most but many times they decide about the
purchase of candies directly in the store.
Customers go to buy every week general food for their households and within this purchase
they usually buy candies – mainly if they have children. On the other hand they also usually
buy candies when some good thing happens, when they celebrate or feel happy. But it is the
same, usually they go to the supermarket to buy something sweet and they decide in point of
sale which exact brand they will buy.
This marketing tool – point of sale can be everything what should catch consumers´ attention
in a store during the purchase. It can be posters close to the shelves, convenient packaging
(3 + 1 for free), special shelves, marks on the floor etc. Basically it is everything what can
change consumer mind in a shop. Mainly with expensive things like electronics consumers
do not change their minds when they are in a store, they go to buy with already made
decision about the purchase. Situation is different with small things like candies because
consumers often decide when they are purchasing.
Objective and Methodology
The main objective of this paper is to deliver a report about methodology methods which are
used in a project which deals with consumer behavior in point of sale. There will be used
very different kinds of research and after that the data will be compared between each other
and with previous data about this issue. The main goal of the project is to recognize and
describe consumer behavior in point of sale on the market with candies.
The methodology is composed of qualitative and quantitative research, and tools of neuromarketing like bio feedback and eye tracker. All the methods were chosen after reading all
the important literature.
Focus Groups
Focus groups are depth interviews with group from eight to ten people. It has to be people
who are not able to influence each other. Everyone should have the various opinions on the
main topic. The group will be lead by a moderator and it will take about 1.5 – 2 hours. It is
really important that everyone in the group tells her or his opinion on particular questions.
The moderator will take notes to his or her notebook during the interviews. There will be
other recording media as a digital camera and a dictaphone. It is necessary to realize three or
four different focus groups to compare the results. Researchers should focus on verbal
communication
and nonverbal
communication
as well.
Sometimes is
nonverbal
communication more useful during final conclusion. This is the reason why digital camera is
important as a recording media.
Analysis of Focus groups is by coding and researcher use one Focus group as a one unit. It is
not about opinion of every person who was involved in Focus group but it is about the main
opinion of the group. Research compares these three of four Focus groups. (Krueger, 2000)
Eye Tracking
Eye tracking is fairly new method of research especially in the Czech Republic. It is used in
research where is needed to know what attracts consumers. Participant of the research looks
through marketing materials like flysheets or goes through store and watches shelves and
products inside of them. There is a small box in a particular distance of the participant which
measures his pupils and their movements. This gadget is able to recognize where exactly
consumer let his or her attention and what attracts him/her. Instead of questionnaire this
method really measure what people attracts in real time. In questionnaire respondents only
answer question and sometimes is not 100 % the truth. Via Eye Tracker we are able to
recognize more and can point what really catch interest and attention of consumers.
Specialists recommend to use Eye tracking with another method of research, mainly with
qualitative research (Focus groups, Deep interviews).
One of the main disadvantages is that although consumer is attracted by cover it does not
mean that he or she wants to buy the product. Eye tracking only measures what consumer
sees but not what he or she feels. (www.prsresearch.com)
Biofeedback
Firstly authors wanted to use psycho-galvanometer which measure conduction of the skin
which is dependent on different impulses. After consultations with various specialists,
authors realized that using psycho-galvanometer is not useful and they have decided to use
other gadget. The main problem was that galvanometer is old and vague device. Incorrect
measuring is mainly because various reaction in conduction of the skin of various subjects of
the survey.
There was chosen another device called biofeedback. This device can deliver results in exact
time and these results are not incorrect because of various conduction of skin.
Biofeedback is mainly used in medicine. This gadget is able to scan the reactions of the brain
and in other modifications it can be actions of heart, lungs, muscles or skin temperature.
(www.eeginstitut.cz, 2010)
Questionnaire
This is one of the most popular methods of measuring data which is used in a research.
Authors will use it mainly for support of collected data from Focus groups and
neuromarketing studies. Questionnaire will be delivered to the target market by online
laboratory UMBRELA in the last two weeks of October and after the data will be executed in
program STATISTICA 10. The researches require at least 500 respondents – approximately
half men, half women.
Results
Target group is young people who are financially independent and they decide about
purchase in their households. Another term is that they have to buy candies at least once in
month and their age is between 25 and 40. Mainly results will compare the opinions of men
and women. Also there will be comparison between participants who study and work
together and between them who work for full time. This target group will be used for all of
the methods of the research.
Neuromarketing
In this area of research there will be used Eye tracker which will be able for using in
November this year. Authors want to create model of a real shelf as in the supermarket and
participant will look at it like in normal situation in the store. This model will be used for
Focus groups as well. It will prove where consumers watch first or what catches his or her
attention. After this there will be a deep interview with every single participant which will
take about 1 – 1.5 hour. There will be a study about feelings from the positioning in the shelf
and why consumer looked there and there not. Authors expect to start with 3 or 4 different
eye tracking studies. They want to learn everything about how it works and prepare
themselves for next researches where this gadget can be used.
Second advice of neuromarketing which will be used is biofeedback. At first there will be
measure of biometric data by biofeedback. Main attention will be given to emotional reaction
of participants on stimulus which will be held on purchasing behavior in point of sale. There
will be stimulus like covers of products, marketing tools (for sales etc.) and positioning of
products on shelves. The authors hypothesize that after combination of this and deep
interviews they will be able to review efficiency of particular stimulus on purchase behavior
in point of sale.
This device will be delivered in the beginning of November and all researches will be
educated how to use it and interpret the results. There is a plan to reuse this device for
researches in other years for similar issues.
Focus Groups
Focus groups are used because they were used in the same kind of project last year and they
proved that they are valid a lot. Researches are more skilful now about managing group
discussion and evaluation of data taken from Focus groups because they will do it for the
second time. They are edified from the mistakes from last year and these mistakes will not
happen anymore.
This year Focus groups will be aimed on consumer behavior in point of sale. There will be
three or four different group discussions with different people. In every group will be half
amount of women and half amount of men. Within Focus group researches want to try some
experiments. Researches have prepared script for Focus groups mainly they want to know
their opinions about purchasing of candies in point of sale.
Principal goals for Focus groups are:

Identification of frequency of purchases of candies in stores.

Identification of the moment when consumers decide about buying candies.

Identification of main communication tools within in-store marketing activities which
significantly involve consumer behavior. Mainly we are talking about tools like:
o
Banners ,eye-catchers.
o
Covers of the products.
o
Positioning in the shelves.
o
Favorite brands.
o
Recommendation.
o
Price.
o
Tasting.
o
Aspects which involve senses of smell and hearing (songs, smell etc.).
Script for Focus groups
1. Invitation questions

Who is the one in your household who takes care about buying food?

In which store you like buying food the most?

What kind of food do you buy frequently (concretely)?

How often do you purchase? Do you do either bigger purchases every week or smaller
ones almost every day?

What is your general opinion about candies?

Which kind of candies do you buy frequently?

Who in your household does decide about purchases of candies?

How often during your normal purchases do you buy candies? Do you do either planned
purchases of it or rather spontaneous?

Which amount of candies do you normally have in your purchase? Is it a small amount
or you cannot stand it without them?
2. Developing questions

Imagine that you are going to the shop. What is your typical purchase?

Are you aware of marketing banners in store or sneaks for the sale?

Are you involved by these in-store activities to buy concrete product?

Imagine that you are going to the section of candies. How do you behave in this section?
What does catch your attention first (the most)?

What does discourage you to buy candies?

Do you buy candies spontaneously? That means that you put products into your basket
randomly without a lot of thinking (what you simply like in that situation)?

Do you like samples for free?

Are you involved by behavior of other consumers in the store?

Do you aware of changes in prices of your favorite candies? Do the changes involve you?

Do you prefer concrete brands? Can you tell which brands you prefer? Why do you
prefer them?

Do you change your behavior during the purchase? That means if you go back from the
cash desk to the section of candies.
3. The experiment
The researches will show them various covers of many candies and participant will have to
say what they like and what they do not like about every of them. What they feel during the
time when they watch it and whether they will buy it or not.
The first main goal of the experiment is to get known which kinds of covers consumers
prefer – shape, color, material etc. Second one is to recognize where consumers look at first
when they see the shelf or what attracts them the most.
Questions of the experiment:

Try to tell how these covers attract you – positively or negatively and why.

Do you like this cover, why?

If you have the possibility to choose among these products which would you choose?
In the second part of the experiment researches will create a model of the store shelf and
participants will have to say what attracts them for the first time/the most.

What attracts you the most in this shelf and why?

Which products would you choose?
Previous researches
Consumers in the Czech Republic decide more and more about purchase in point of sale and
their purchase behavior is changing according to what they see when they go through
shelves especially in buying food. (www.strategie.e15.cz).
Products can be given in normal shelves and consumer picks them in compliance with where
exactly they are. That means that consumers look through shelves and mostly they pick up
what they see first. Not everyone looks to the same parts of the shelf. These days a lot of
companies are trying to catch consumers´ attention by secondary exposition of products.
This means that products are not in regular shelves but merchants put them into one
particular shelf witch is apart from the regular one and consumers can watch products
easily.
According to marketers from Nestlé Česko secondary exposition works better and better in
the Czech Republic, especially within candies. Previous researches have shown that more
than 70 % purchases are realized in point of sale. This secondary exposition is very useful in
launching new products. Comparison of sales of products shown in this secondary
exposition and sales of products in normal shelves can outline the importance of this
marketing tool. Sales of products in secondary exposition are much higher (more then 54 %).
(www.mistoprodeje.cz)
Research which was accomplished by world association POPAI on the USA market has
shown that more than 76 % of consumers are making decisions about purchases in a store. It
is 6 % increase in comparison with the year 1995. The research dealt with various kinds of
purchases as planed purchases, purchases planed commonly, unplanned purchases, replace
of product or brand. That shows to companies that they should pay more attention in instore marketing. If there is POP or POS activities every sixth purchase will be realized
because of these activities.
Researches also asked participants if they were able to remember POP/POS activities in store
and 56 % of there could remember something what they saw. (www.popai.cz, 2012)
From the other side of companies which sell products in the stores there is 88 % of them who
uses POP/POS communication with the consumers. Also costs which companies sacrifice for
this type of communication are increasing. In 2009 it was 25.2 % of all costs and in 2012 it
was more than 31 %. Researches also expose that among merchants advertising in point of
sale is the second most important communication with consumers (First one was
advertisement in TV). The most effective POP/POS are flysheets and notifications about
sales. Conversely signs on the floor or digital projections were not popular so much.
Another measure criteria in this research was how much money merchants give to various
kinds of POP/POS. The top one with 29 % was tasting, flysheets, gifts, competitions and
games. The last one with less than 2 % was POP Digital signage. Researches account for this
because small awareness about this tool among companies and consumers too.
(www.mistoprodeje.cz)
Discussion
This paper deals with an issue of consumer behavior in point of sale on the market with
candies. Mainly this paper is only about description of methodology and collection of
secondary data. This was because there has not been realized any research yet. All the
researches are planned to accomplish in three weeks. Main reason is that authors still do not
have gadgets for conduction experiments.
First Focus groups will be realized in two weeks (in a week from 28th of October). Authors
can take up audience on the conference with results from them via presentation.
Conclusion
The topic “Consumer behavior in point of sale on the market with candies” is very actual
topic. In modern society of consumption purchase is becoming a hobby of some consumers.
Current consumer is besides his purchase behavior surrounded by much stimulus which
involves his decision and behavior. With more and more competition on the market
consumer becomes to be more resistant to some traditional tools of marketing
communication. Conversely there are new creative solution of point of sale which should
persuade consumers. There is a need to explore efficiency of current and new elements of
point of sale all the time. It is because the modern consumers and modern environment want
new things all the time.
The basic method of every marketing research is quantitative research via questionnaire.
Questionnaire is compared to another research methods the easiest which brings needed
amount of results in relatively short time and the researcher does not use so much effort. We
can say that questionnaire is typical research method which has to be present in every
research. Recognition and understanding of modern consumer behavior asks not only for
using of traditional methods but also using of something new and fresh. Among modern
methods we can class qualitative research and one of the newest is Neuromarketing.
Quantitative research has also a huge validity. It is a convenient method for testing
ascertained hypothesis from qualitative research.
Qualitative research methods need more time for preparation and the are relatively hard for
realization in a short time. Also a researcher has to prepared very well. Plentifully used
qualitative method is a group discussion called Focus group. The most important thing in
this method is a capability of the moderator to lead a discussion with more subjects together.
There is a possibility to find data via 1.5h to 2h long group discussion which will be more
valid than data get by questionnaire.
We can say that one of the most modern method of research is Neuromarketing. In the Czech
Republic Neuromarketing is meantime at the beginning of his potential. Biofeedback and
Eye Tracking are two methods of Neuromarketing. Biofeedback is able to discover in detail
behavior of a person based on biometric data which are produced by his body. Against
group discussions or questionnaire biofeedback can recognize contexts which participant
does not want to admit. This method requires the biggest preparation for the researcher
because is needed to understand clearly and interpret the results in a good way. Eye tracking
represents the method of tracking a movement of eye pupils. Also this method uncovers
facts which are often made unconsciously or these which participant does not want to
confess. Eye tracking is used in survey of positioning in shelves or visage of communication
materials like flysheets in trade.
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