Shoppers at the frozen pizza display appeared to be more motivated to buy than in frozen desserts, the only other frozen category we have examined in Shoppers’ Eye. Loyalty to particular brands and variants was high among frozen pizza consumers.
Over half bought branded products, with the vast majority buying for their children, although fathers were mentioned as well.
Children are the key influencers in this market, dictating to their parents which one they like and want.
Just over half the shoppers were adamant that they bought the same variant but the remainder said they had different choices and were influenced by what was on offer and available. Offers were important and encouraged some shoppers to stock up for the following week.
However, shoppers felt packaging differentiation was quite limited and brand names were rather similar.
“I am always unsure that I’ve picked up the ones the children want if they are not with me to choose,” said one customer.
But the pack shapes of the microwaveable pizzas did help them considerably. These pizzas were seen as “a snack for the children when they come in from school”.
Some of the more recent launches had also helped the shoppers to differentiate.
Despite the introduction of more luxurious specialist pizzas, the category was viewed as a commodity and formed part of the week’s meals for most of the shoppers we interviewed. This is positive from a regular purchase pattern point of view but may have an impact on the likelihood of new products being seen and tried.
A third of shoppers bought frozen pizzas once a week and 12% who made a purchase had not intended to do so when entering the store. Their decision to buy was mainly offer-driven.
However, more worryingly for retailers, two-thirds of those who walked out of the store without a frozen pizza had come into the store intending to buy. The main reason for non-purchase was not having the right flavour.
Of those who did make a purchase, 82% would have chosen another brand or variety rather than leave the store empty-handed.
The shoppers who had not intended to buy were at the display for various reasons. These included one shopper who had just started the WeightWatchers diet and was exploring the different foods. She liked to see which ones had points on the front. Another was looking for ideas for food for the week.
The display did little to convert shoppers like this into buyers. Non-buyers invested the bare minimum of time at the freezers - they appeared to have decided not to buy very early on in the process. The display looked complex and shoppers could not find the effort to invest time and energy in looking for an item.
When asked, they could not describe what was missing or what they would like to see, aside from saying choice was fairly limited. Possibly with the introduction of some point of purchase material, their attention could be drawn to more recent launches while their desire for choice might be satisfied by greater clarity and visibility of the brands.
Over half bought branded products, with the vast majority buying for their children, although fathers were mentioned as well.
Children are the key influencers in this market, dictating to their parents which one they like and want.
Just over half the shoppers were adamant that they bought the same variant but the remainder said they had different choices and were influenced by what was on offer and available. Offers were important and encouraged some shoppers to stock up for the following week.
However, shoppers felt packaging differentiation was quite limited and brand names were rather similar.
“I am always unsure that I’ve picked up the ones the children want if they are not with me to choose,” said one customer.
But the pack shapes of the microwaveable pizzas did help them considerably. These pizzas were seen as “a snack for the children when they come in from school”.
Some of the more recent launches had also helped the shoppers to differentiate.
Despite the introduction of more luxurious specialist pizzas, the category was viewed as a commodity and formed part of the week’s meals for most of the shoppers we interviewed. This is positive from a regular purchase pattern point of view but may have an impact on the likelihood of new products being seen and tried.
A third of shoppers bought frozen pizzas once a week and 12% who made a purchase had not intended to do so when entering the store. Their decision to buy was mainly offer-driven.
However, more worryingly for retailers, two-thirds of those who walked out of the store without a frozen pizza had come into the store intending to buy. The main reason for non-purchase was not having the right flavour.
Of those who did make a purchase, 82% would have chosen another brand or variety rather than leave the store empty-handed.
The shoppers who had not intended to buy were at the display for various reasons. These included one shopper who had just started the WeightWatchers diet and was exploring the different foods. She liked to see which ones had points on the front. Another was looking for ideas for food for the week.
The display did little to convert shoppers like this into buyers. Non-buyers invested the bare minimum of time at the freezers - they appeared to have decided not to buy very early on in the process. The display looked complex and shoppers could not find the effort to invest time and energy in looking for an item.
When asked, they could not describe what was missing or what they would like to see, aside from saying choice was fairly limited. Possibly with the introduction of some point of purchase material, their attention could be drawn to more recent launches while their desire for choice might be satisfied by greater clarity and visibility of the brands.
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