Shopper Study Reveals Top Consumer Trends

BrandSpark International, along with Better Homes and Gardens, released the top shopper trends from the third annual Best New Product Award (BNPA) American Shopper Study, which surveyed more than 63,000 Americans from coast to coast, and touched on diverse topics including food, health and beauty, and mobile shopping. Highlights from this year's survey include:

FOOD & HEALTH:

• 8 in 10 consumers are looking for products that are healthy.
• 5 in 10 Americans consider themselves to be overweight.
• 7 in 10 consumers are trying to reduce their consumption of processed foods.
• 6 in 10 consumers are looking for food products that can reduce the risk of major health issues.
• 7 in 10 consumers are concerned about the amount of fat in their diet.

PRIVATE LABEL VS. BRAND NAMES and RETAIL BEHAVIORS

• 6 in 10 consumers consider private label over-the-counter health products as good as brand name, but only 4 in 10 believe the same for beauty products.
• 5 in 10 shoppers believe the best new innovations come from brand name products and 4 in 10 also still consider themselves loyal to brand names.
• 66 percent of shoppers believe private label products are usually extremely good value, while 66 percent also prefer purchasing brand name products when they are on sale rather than private label products.

Retailers should be mindful that the Top 3 factors for consumers when shopping are: the products shoppers always need are in stock, the retailer has the freshest products and the shelves are clean and well organized.

WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND INFLUENCE OF WORD OF MOUTH

• The likelihood to try new products differs by category: more than 8 in 10 consumers will try new food products without having received a recommendation, but only 5 in 10 tend to be first to purchase new beauty products.  
• 8 in 10 American shoppers will tell friends and family when they get a deal on something, while 6 in 10 shoppers are likely to buy a product that is recommended by others.  
• The importance of a trusted brand is high for all categories including Food, Health and Beauty and Household products. The influence of the consumer's mother or grandmother is paramount in establishing that connection with brands.  

MOBILE SHOPPING HABITS

• 1 in 3 American shoppers currently own smart phones. Making or storing shopping lists and downloading coupons are the most common shopping tasks performed on these devices.
• 1 in 4 shoppers are likely to use coupons sent to their mobile device, including 40 percent of those 18 to 34 years.  

The study also announced winners of Best New Product Awards, which will appear in the June issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Exactly 63,664 voted on the best new product innovations in grocery, health, beauty and household categories. Top winners include:

• Best in Food & Beverage Category and Best in Show: Morey's Fish Creations Prepared Seafood
• Best in Health & Beauty Category: Olay Professional Pro X Intensive Firming Treatment
• Best in Household Products Category: Febreze Destination Collection Air Freshener

For a complete list of all 42 winning products, representing a field of 139 products from more than 55 manufacturers, visit www.BestNewProductAwards.com.