July 28, 2010
77% of shoppers report holding some kind of customer loyalty card, but only 40% report using store-issued credit cards. FGI Research asks: why the discrepancy?
We have all had the experience of checking out at the grocery store, pharmacy, or bookstore, and having the cashier ask whether we are part of the store’s customer rewards program. If we answer “no,” the next question is, inevitably, whether we want to join. New data from an FGI Research study indicate that over three-quarters of consumers say “yes” to this second question: that’s how many respondents report that they hold some kind of customer loyalty card, whether or not they also use a store-issued credit card.
And it’s no wonder that so many do. More and more companies offer rewards for customer loyalty. Not only retail outlets but hotels, restaurants and airlines use rewards as a way of promoting business and retaining customers. There are even online applications, like SCVNGR, which encourage consumers to build their own rewards programs.
July 25, 2010
FGI Research investigates who shops online, which options they use (whether home-delivery or in-store pickup), how much they spend, and why shoppers have or have not adopted the service.
July 19, 2010
FGI Research announces innovative updates to its online research community, the FGI SmartPanelTM Community.
July 7, 2010
Who are these shoppers, and what do their choices reveal about the grocery industry overall?
When you hear the words “online shopping,” you typically think of consumers buying items like books, clothing and electronics. “Groceries” probably does not appear on that list, but survey data from FGI Research suggests that perhaps it should. A number of consumers are buying their milk and bananas online, whether they get their order shipped to them or pick it up in-store.
This reflects a broader trend in retail: the growth of online shopping, which has revolutionized the industry and the way people shop. In 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that e-commerce represented 44.6% of all retail sales, bringing in approximately $89 million. The stage is set for growth in Internet retail, and consumers are making a habit of buying goods online. As the options for buying groceries expand, it follows that more consumers will make that purchase online too.
