University of Surrey | Consumer Behaviour | Factors influencing students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’ | | Thomas Partridge (6166777) | 4/22/2013 |

A focus groups, face-to-face interviews, and in-store observation of a shopping will be used to investigate the factors affecting purchasing behaviour of students. A Comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three data collection methods. Suggestion of ways in which marketing managers could use your findings on shopping/purchase determinants to improve business performance |

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Fieldwork Results

2.1. Price

2.2. Quality

2.3. Discounts

2.4. Personal Preference and taste

2.5. Brand Reputation

2.6. Other peoples reviews

3. Analysis of data Collection Method

3.1. Advantage and disadvantages of collection methods

3.2. Summary of the three research methods

4. Practical implications of findings

5. Appendix

A. Focus Group

B. Interview 1

C. Interview 2

D. Observational shop 1

E. Observational shop 2

1. Introduction
Within this report explores the factors influencing students choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping through a three types of data collection methods, which are a Focus Group, two Face-to-face- interviews and two observational shops. After analysing the findings the advantages and disadvantages of the research methods are discussed. Finally there will be summary of how a manager of a store can use the results to their benefit.

2. Fieldwork Results
Consumer behaviour is defined as “activities people undertake when obtaining, consuming, and disposing of products and services” (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel, 2006).

Throughout the research there were key themes that were discussion more regularly than other as a factor that influence brand choice within the student population. Some of the themes affecting student choices price, discounts and offers, Quality and others, which is will now explored into more detail.

3.1. Price
The majority of students rely on the student loans as their main source of income; therefore they have limited funds for higher branded products, which tend to have a price premium, making price a major factor that influences purchasing decisions. Contrary to this, the students from the focus group still tended to go out of there way to purchase branded product despite the price premium due to brand loyalty, as the consensus from the majority of the group was that even if they had a higher disposable income they would still buy the branded products they currently buy and would travel further to get the them. This was more prominent within the females in the group rather than the male as our males agreed that they “only really buy own brand” and they would “just go to the nearest store, purely because of convenience” (Focus Group). Davis and Bell (1991) study showed that men’s expenditure was higher per minute than women’s, which coincided with the view that men rarely compare prices.

By doing the observation shop it was clear that price was a key influence in the decisions of the student as at almost every item purchased the shopper of looking or offers for a lower prices item although still of a good quality. Although quality alone can explain only 20 per cent of the prices consumers are willing to pay for different packaged food products (Anselmsson and Johansson, 2005)

3.2. Quality

How customers perceive brands and what motivates them to pay price premium is an important theme in research on consumer behaviour. It was interesting to find that all research showed that price influenced their decisions although general feedback from the focus group was that they would be willing to spend the extra for mostly branded grocery and luxury goods as they perceive it to be of better quality, participant 2 mentioned she would “go for branded because of the quality aspect” (Focus Group). This was evident in the observational shop as both participants tended to buy branded products and even though most were on offer still they were more expensive than the non-branded products.

During the research and in-particular the observation shop it was clear that quality was an influence in brand choice especially when looking at fruit and veg. Many people as well as the people being observed liked to study the quality of the product before making the decision to purchase; this can be done by using different senses (touch, smell, feel, sight)

3.3. Discounts

Discount increases the perceived value of the product for the purchaser; therefore it is a factor that influences the student’s decisions. During the focus group many of the participants said they are not that influenced by discounts as they will still stay loyal to their brands and products rather than trying new ones that are on offer. Although the observation shop and interview was very much to the contrary to this as respondents from these sources of research shop main from what is on offer and will always try and find goods on discounts.

From all the research it evident that discounts persuade the majority of students as they are attract by the lower prices on a branded good which resembles quality to them. Different discounts are seen in different way such as price promotions are framed as “reduced losses” and extra free product promotions are framed as “segregated gains”( Diamond and Campbell,1989)

3.4. Personal preference and taste

“Preference represents attitudes towards one object in relation to another.” (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel, 2001) Everyone has different tastes and preferences and will purchase different product in accordance to their own preferences, this was obvious during the Focus group. The Focus group gave an understanding that students are loyal to specific brands and would buy that particular product every time (regardless of price), especially participant 5 that say even with a higher disposable income “I really like the brands that I buy, so I wouldn’t probably upgrade my brand choice”.

3.5. Brand reputation

Throughout the research it was found out that brand reputation was not a big factor in influencing students in grocery shopping while student may purchase the same brand each time it wasn’t because of the reputation of the brand. Although many of the student where concerned with ethical issues and what goes into the food they buy, and would try and avoid as much as possible as long as the cost is sufficient (Focus Group).

3.6. Other people reviews

The increase of technological communication mean the world has seen a huge growth of purchasing decisions being made due to other peoples review whether that being family or online review from blogs and forums. As Participant 3 said “If I was to buying a new product, I would base it on other people’s experiences or reviews and possibly online reviews”. Participant 3 also said that “I would choose Oral B first as Holly Willoughby is in the advert and that why I would want to use it,” providing evidence that using respectable figure heads in adverts can persuade customers to purchase certain products. to prove my point Research and experience show that consumers will be more comfortable, and ready to spend, when celebrities endorse things that relate to their desired image (Internet World, 2001)

3. Analysis of data Collection Method

4.7. Advantage and disadvantages of collection methods
Focus groups, face-to-face interview and observation shop are commonly used tools to collect data but they have advantages and disadvantages which are highlighted in the table below:

| Advantages | Disadvantages | Focus Group | * “Good for brain storming, immediate surface-level emotional and verbal input, and sensing what’s the social norms” (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel, 2006) also unusual behaviour can be openly discussed. * Both the majority and minority opinions can be captured if there is a variety of attitudes, upbringings and culture within the group assuming they are still within the relevant target market. * The participants can be “probed in depth in very specific aspects of how consumers prepare and decide to purchase products” (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel, 2006) | * “Participants may not express what they really think – they may be inhibited or they may be showing off” (Rice 1997) such as they may say they spend more on branded product than they actually do, just to impress others. * There can be a strong dominating character or two that can have a undue influence on the rest of the group, which construes the data recorded. | Face-to-face interview | * “Qualitative interviewing allows people to tell their own stories in their own word” (Chrazanowska, 2002), which will all allow the interview to understand the person they are interview a bit more. * They allow for more in-depth, probing questions which can give a more complete answer and therefore gain the information needed. * An interview “can build upon knowledge, ideas and hypothesis from the past, which allow for full exploration of the issue.” (Chrazanowska, 2002) | * “The social context of interviewing leaves the respondent open to influences from the interviewer” (Chrazanowska, 2002) which may distort the results. * Face-to-face interviews can only reach a limited amount of people therefore you get a low percentage of the population views and opinions. | Observational shop | * Data can be more reliable as it is seen first-hand. * Observational research also sits well with a more behaviourist, rather than cognitivist, perspective of consumer behaviour (Foxall 1992) * observational research can gathers data in instances where the respondent is unable or unwilling to report past behaviour (Dillon, Madden et al. 1993) | * “Observing people may cause them to behave abnormally” (Rice, 1997) which has been proven by the Hawthorne experiment. * There is an issue of biasness as if the observer is looking for something particular they might see I a lot more than I is actually happening. * The participant may act differently each time they shop depending on the environment, such as the time of day the will there will be a change in the number of people in the shop therefore influencing different behaviour. | 4.8. Summary of the three research methods
Depending on what the research is being carried out, different methods of gathering data is better although for this particular project I found the observation shop most valuable. This is because in the interview and focus group the “The respondent’s self-image may not match the reality of their behaviour, or may have a blind shot which influences behaviour, but in a manner unseen by the respondent,” (Chrazanowska, 2002) making their opinions about themselves invalid at times. Therefore Unlike interviews, “observation overcomes the discrepancy between what people say they have done or will do, and what they actually did” (Robson 1993) 4. Practical implications of findings
From the analysis from section one there a manager of a grocery store can learn a lot in order to enhance their knowledge of what influences student choices of branded groceries. It is important to know that while discount and promotion are a great way to encourage people to try new products it doesn’t always pay off for the store as “price promotion may only shift demand from one time period to another, or from one brand to another without actually increasing store’s total sales” (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel, 2001). Therefore Although promotion do attract student they are not always the best method to use to influence brand choice as it doesn’t not benefit the store. Therefore promotions are best used when introducing a new product or to gain a high awareness of a certain brand.
Store manager can use the fact that men and women shop differently to their advance as Polegato and Zaichkowsky (1994) identified that men did not compare prices or stick to a defined budget as much as women do. Therefore large supermarkets have to be able to cater for both types of shopping behaviours in order to get the most out of their customers.
Obviously Quality of products is vital in order to attract customers as well as good value for money; good quality is recognised when the product is linked to a recognised brand. In the retail grocery industry, price is and likely will remain the predominant basis for cross-chain competition (Garry, 1994) although Waitrose and M&S have shown us that good quality can be a basis of competition. Therefore store manager have to make sure there products are of good quality especially the fresh food which can be viewed, felt and smelt as the observation shop showed us that fresh food is well inspected before purchased.
In order to stay an effect store it’s important that manager measure the price premium on their product as it is a good indication of brand equity on products (Aaker, 1996). While student have limited budget they still tend to go for branded products because they are a sign of quality although the price premium has to be within reason otherwise they will not purchase those brands, an example of this could be during the focus group when choosing what toothpaste they would use, the majority said they would not use Oral B toothpaste because the price premium was too high compared to the other brands even though they all admitted that it would be better quality.

A low store-price image is a common priority among grocery firms (Cox and Cox, 1990)

Cox, Anthony D. and Dena Cox (1990), "Competing on Price: The Role of Retail Price Advertisements in Shaping Store-Price Image," Journal of Retailing, 66 (Winter), 428-45.

5. Appendix
Transcript Colour coding Key

* Quality

* Price

* Emotional

* Opinions and personal insights

* Other peoples review

* Personal preference and taste

* Discount

* Brand reputation or brand influence

* Convenience

Transcript Colour coding Key

* Quality

* Price

* Emotional

* Opinions and personal insights

* Other peoples review

* Personal preference and taste

* Discount

* Brand reputation or brand influence

* Convenience

FOCUS GROUP 12/02/2013
‘Factors influencing students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’
Group composition: 6 Students; 2 Male (Numbers 1 and 6), 4 Female (numbers 2,3,4 and 5). Country of origin; UK: 6
Time: 2pm
Moderator: Barnaby Shiner
Assistant Moderator: Thomas Partridge
[Please note that students have been allocated a number from 1-6 throughout the recording of this focus group. This is to enable a stronger understanding of who is making comments, thus making this focus group easier to analyse.]
Moderator: Welcome and thank you for attending this focus group. It will last for a maximum of 40 minutes and will consist of 12 questions whereby we hope you can all participate in each question. This session is on the topic of what ‘factors influence students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’. Everything mentioned in this session will be confidential and will only be used for the purpose of this research.
We will not disclose who actually participated in this focus group nor will our final report make any attributions for quotes. We hope this encourages you (if you need encouragement) to speak freely.
Any questions before we start?
[No questions from participants]
Can we please start this off with introductions, so please state you name, number allocated to you and what is your average budget each week for grocery shopping?
Please state your number every time you start speaking to avoid any confusion with the recording.
[Individuals introduced themselves and their country of origin]
No.1 : I have a £25 budget each week.
No.2 : I have £30 to shop with each week.
No.3 : I can’t say that I’d normally give myself a budget, but I would normally give myself between £25-30.
No.4 : I spend about £20 per week.
No.5 : Same as what No.3 said.
No.6 : I spend around £25-30 per week.
Moderator: What’s your favourite grocery brand? Does price influence the purchase of these products? If not, why?
No.3 : One of my favourite brands is Cravendale milk. I always have it at home and price does not influence me at all. I would always buy it because of the taste, and would not buy any milk at all if Cravendale wasn’t available. That’s how passionate I am towards the brand.
No.5 : I think that in different areas of shopping, I have certain favourite brands, For example with milk, ‘Flora proactive’ would be the only milk I buy, similar to what number 3 said. Butter for example I would only choose Lurpack due to the taste and quality. For toothpaste I would only choose Colgate due to knowing that it is a trusted quality brand.
No 6: when it comes to food I’d usually go for the own brand stuff as it tends to be cheaper but for certain things such as cereal I would buy special K which is pretty expensive but I am prepared to pay for it because I perceive it as good quality, but when it comes to everyday food items I tend to go for the own brand.
No 1: I only really buy own brand
No 2: I’m like number 5 I have different brands for each little category but for groceries I do buy own brand stuff if it like toiletries, so I don’t really have a favourite.

Moderator: How far out of your way would you go to get you favourite/ ideal Brand? Such as if your local store closed down would go make the effort to go to a further store that has your favourite brands or just go to your next nearest store.
No 5: I’d find a shop that had my brands in it. Even if that meant going further.
No 4: I’d just go to the closest, even if the Tesco I shop at closed down there is always going to be another shop relatively nearby such as co-op. So I if there wasn’t a Tesco nearby, I would just shop at co-op as it local.
No 2: I’d probably go to the one that has my favourite brands. As I like them, I want to get them.
No 3: I’d make sure they had my favourite brand, and if they didn’t then I would probably go online but generally most well-known brands you can get in most shops even at the small co-operatives.
No 1: I’d just go to the nearest, purely because of convenience.
No 6: I agree with number one.

Moderator: What factors discourage your purchasing decision on a brand? E.g. price, ethical issues, value for money and service.
No 4: There are certain brands that I wouldn’t buy because they have been in the news for ethical issues and things like that, but the majority of the time it’s based on price which is why I tend to buy own brand. If I’m going to buy a branded product I’m going to pay a little bit more because it’s going to be a treat for myself, or a gift for someone else.
No 5: Deciding what brand to buy usually depends on if I know someone that has bought before me, so I know it good. Normally, it sounds a bit silly, but I ring up my mum and ask her if it’s an ok product to buy if I’m not sure, such as meat I rang her to check it was a good quality and the healthiness of the meat is alright.
No 2: I think price is the main factor of it. Ethical issues also come into it such as eggs, I would never buy cages eggs, and I would only buy free range, and should be British. So ethical issues do play factor but it’s mostly price.
No 3: If I was to buying a new product, I would base it on other people’s experiences or reviews and possibly online reviews but if I want to buy cereal bars and I already decided I wanted branded, it would depend on what deals were there on the day and the price. Ethical issues are more or less important depending on the product, so for fresh foods there is more influence from what you hear on the news as is it like animal welfare.
No 1: I don’t really care, as long as it cheap.
No 6: It’s definitely price in this situation. I don’t like spending much on groceries as it is, and would definitely not like to spend more on branded products. Moderator: Would you choose a popular brand (Kellogg’s) over a comparative grocery store brand, If the prices are the same? Why?

No 4: If the prices where the same I would probably buy the branded product as it more likely to be better quality unless I tasted it before and just happened to like the taste of the own branded product. But ye, more than likely if the prices were the same or similar I would go for the branded product.
No 2: I agree. I go for branded because of the quality aspect and if it the same price I might as well go for it.
No 5: I agree with No 2 and No 4
No 3: I go for branded as well but unless I’ve already tried the non-branded one and it was really good.
No 1: If it’s the same price I go for branded.
No 6: It would be silly not to go for the branded product as it’s a chance to experience better quality for the same price! No brainer. Unless I know for a fact that I prefer the own branded to that particular brand.

Moderator: Would promotions such as BOGOF offers affect your regular purchasing decisions?
No 2: Ye I’d always look at promotion first, especially with toothpaste and stuff I’d have a look to see if there is a better deal, then obviously I would go for the deal, if I don’t like that brand I would bother.
No 3: Promotions would only have an effect on the things I would buy normally. So I’d normally make a list. If I was going to by butter, then if there was a promotion on that then I would buy more because I know it would last. But if there were promotions on things I know I don’t want, then that won’t affect me at all.
No 4: Like what number 3 said, if it was on something that I know I’m going to buy, then the promotion would probably affect it. But there are certain things that I buy on a weekly basis such as orange on apple juice, but I’m not really fussed about the brand, it’s whatever is on offer.
No 5: Promotions would only affect me on, like, products that I don’t really have a favourite brand for. So, stuff like deodorant I’m not really that bothered on, so if there was like a ‘2 for 1’, then I would buy that one, but like I said stuff like milk, if there was ‘2 for 1’ offer on milk, I would still go for my favourite brand on milk.
No1: If it would work out to be cheaper in the long run, and if it was sensations, then I would definitely buy the sensations.
No 6: I would only buy branded products if there was an offer for it which accumulates to be a similar price to what I would normally buy, which is generally own branded groceries because they are cheaper.
Moderator: If you had a higher disposable income, would you spend more on higher branded products, or stick with the products you buy now?
No 6: I would definitely buy more expensive food, as currently I only buy cheap food due to the budget I’m on, being a student and all [giggle].
No 2: I would probably go for the higher branded, if I had more money, again because of the quality. However if I really like a certain brand then it probably wouldn’t affect me. Like, things that I would buy as a student, I would buy the products just because they are cheaper. But if I had more money then maybe I would.
No 4: I think that the majority of the stuff that I buy now, I enjoy eating anyway, so even if I had more money, I would use that money for other things rather than getting better brands in my grocery shopping, because I think that a lot of the own brand stuff is pretty much the same. So, I would rather, if I had more money, be spending it on other stuff, rather than making my grocery shop more branded.
No 3: Err, I do buy branded grocery products now anyway, so if I had a higher income then I would probably buy more. On some items I would buy own branded but, I would probably go to another shop such as the co-op. If I had a higher income, then I wouldn’t even think about choosing a different shop and just buy everything branded in one shop.
No 5: Like what number 4 said, I really like the brands that I buy, so I wouldn’t probably upgrade my brand choice, I would probably just buy more food.
No 1: I use a lot of tomatoes when cooking so I’d just buy Tesco value tinned tomatoes. But with tuna and stuff, I would probably buy more expensive tuna.
No 3: Another point I would make is that I would probably also change supermarket to Waitrose and instead as I view that supermarket chain as much higher quality, as well as more expensive.
Moderator: Do ethical issues affect your purchasing decision? Such as the current case of horsemeat found in burgers and animal welfare?
No2: It does affect me because if there is like a massive debacle about horse in meat, you know, I’m not really a fan of that; and obviously cages eggs I don’t have, and British meat I like. So yeah it definitely does affect it.
No:4 If it is something that is in the news and that has been proven then it is something that I would avoid. But most of the time, you don’t really know whether there are any bad ethical issues going on.
Assistant Moderator: But if you knew about it?
No 4: Yeah if I knew about it then it would, but it would also depend on the ethical issue, because things like the horse burgers I don’t really agree with and also what number 2 said about the eggs, I try to buy free range eggs as much as possible. So there are ethical issues which people think are really bad, whereas I’m not that fussed about them.
No 3: I think it depends on the type of product. So fresh meat and fresh eggs and stuff, errm, that’s a lot more apparent. So I think it’s more about avoiding unethical things and choosing to buy ethical products. For example, if you buy fair trade chocolate, that could be more expensive than chocolate that isn’t, I think it is easier to avoid things that are bad, than to choose things that are very ethical.
No 4: Yeah, I agree, people say that organic food is better to buy, but I would still just go with the normal stuff, because they are not doing anything wrong, they are just not being as good as the others if that makes sense?
No 5: Yeah I would rather buy British meat just because I think it is better. I buy free range eggs because I don’t agree with caged chickens. And the horsemeat thing, that’s disgusting. So personally I wouldn’t ever buy a mince based ready meal anyway just because I don’t trust it. So the ethical reasons do come into it, but the whole organic, non-organic thing is so much of an issue.
No 3: I think what also influences your choices is how close the ethical issue is to the product. So, if it’s meat, then it’s what’s actually in the product. Whereas if it’s a chocolate company that’s chopping down trees, which means animals can’t live there; that’s a more disconnected from the actual product so I think it’s harder to judge and things like that
No 1: Ethical issues don’t really have an effect on what I buy, as long as it tastes good then I don’t care really. So I would happily buy own brand, regardless of the ethical issues.
No 6: I am pretty laid back about ethical issues. I would only avoid products if I see that they have made the news for really bad unethical issues.
Moderator: When buying luxury products such as chocolate or alcohol, what product price range would you go for? ( ranges from good value for money, to vintage) No 4: With chocolate it depend on what I am using the chocolate for, if I was just eating the chocolate I would usually go for branded like Cadburys or something along those lines. if I’m using it for cooking and adding it to a cake or something then I would just buy the cheapest going as once it in a recipe it doesn’t really matter, you can’t really tell the difference. And with alcohol it depend on the purpose, if I’m drinking to enjoy it then I would buy more expensive stuff then if I was buy it to get drunk the I would go for the cheapest.
No 2: I agree with what number 4 said.
No 5: I’d always buy branded chocolate regardless for what I was using it for and the same with alcohol such as vodka I would always buy Smirnoff regardless for what I was drinking for. I would choose Smirnoff Vodka because I know it good quality and you hear about all those stories about Tesco value having bleach in it so I would never drink anything like that.
No 3: If I was buy a luxury or treat product I would always buy branded otherwise I would consider it to be a treat. I use quite a lot of branded product for everyday food anyway so if I want a treat and bought non-branded I wouldn’t view it to be a treat.
No 1: With a treat, it depend on the quantity that I buy it in. Such as if I want six bars of chocolate I am more likely to go for the cheaper range like the Tesco everyday value although I just buy one bar I am more likely to buy a branded bar like Cadbury’s. With alcohol whisky or Vodka I am more like you spend the extra money on a more expensive brand as it important as the cheap stuff taste like shite. [Small giggle from group]

Picture: Toothpaste
Moderator: Here, we have a selection of toothpastes which range in price and quality. Please arrange them in order from top to bottom, in which products you would buy. Top being product you are most likely to buy, and bottom being the product you are least likely to buy and explain why.
No 1: (1,2,3,4) Because you put in in your mouth you don’t put crap in your mouth. I go for that one because I always use Colgate anyway. Number 2 is quite expensive so would probably use that as a second option but would only use the other ones if it was the last resort.
No 2: (1,3,2,4) I properly put Colgate first because I used it and know it good and not expensive but if they didn’t have that, then I would go for the Tesco one. Although the Oral B one is good it like £3 so would never buy if for that price and I would never buy the everyday value for 25p and I would imaging it’s disgusting.
No 3: (2,1,3,4) I would choose Oral B first as Holly Willoughby is in the advert and that why I would want to use it. I am a bit obsessed with teeth health so I want the best. Then I would probably use Colgate as it a trusted brand. If I had to rank them I use Tesco original then Tesco every day even though I would never buy them because from advert and expert opinion on advert, I just trust the other two a lot more.
No 4: (1,3,4,2) I choose Colgate first because it what I use, then I’d choose the Tesco branded just for a backup it they didn’t have Colgate. Then I put Tesco value next even though I would never buy it I would still never pay that much for Oral B toothpaste. Although I would buy these two.
No 5: (1,2,3,4) I do it that way because I always use Colgate so would buy that one first although if they didn’t have Colgate I would definitely go for another branded toothpaste. Even if Oral B was the last option of branded toothpaste I would still choose it regardless of price. I would rank these two this way even though I would never ever buy either of them.
No 6: (1,2,3,4) I would do it this way purely on brand reputation, as when using toothpaste you would want the best quality and with brands like Colgate and Oral B this shows quality and a good reputation.
Picture: Chocolate
Moderator: Here, we have a selection of chocolates which range in price and quality. Please arrange them in order from top to bottom, in which products you would buy. Top being product you are most likely to buy, and bottom being the product you are least likely to buy and explain why.
No 1: (4,5,1,2,3) They are ridiculously expensive and for what you get for what you get it pretty pointless. There too small. At the minuet I would choose these two solely on price and value for money.
No 2: (1,4,2,5,3) OK, Cadbury’s first as I know it is a well trusted brand and I eat it quite a lot. Then I would go for the Tesco’s Chocolate as it the closest one and even though it £2.49 it’s not too bad. I would probably then do this one that is £6 even though it expensive. I would probably then go for the everyday milk chocolate even though it cheap I probably still wouldn’t eat it well it depend what I am using it for such as for a treat or to go into a cake or something. Then ferrero rocher is a waste of money for £8 and would never buy it unless it was a present.
No 3: (1,3,4,2,5) To be honest I wouldn’t buy any of these brands, I would probably maybe buy galaxy or Malteser chocolate bunnies. I prefer chocolate that is a bit smaller like buttons or milky way bars for stuff like that. If I had to choose I would choose Cadbury’s first as it a trust brand and I know it will taste good. Then, ferrero rocher because I know they taste nice as well then Tesco milk chocolate, Tesco’s finest then everyday value although I would buy any of those as I don’t associate Tesco being good at chocolate or them being a treat.
No 4: (1,4,5,2,3) I choose Cadbury first as I my favourite chocolate and When I do buy chocolate it is usually for a treat unless I am cooking then it would be the cheapest one. And then it would be the Tesco chocolate then the everyday as it is going down I quality. I wouldn’t buy either of these because when I buy chocolate it would usually be a bar and when I buy a box there are usually three flavour that I don’t really like as I don’t like nuts so when I do buy chocolate it would be a bar. And I don’t like ferrero rocher at all so would never buy it and even if I did like it it’s still too expensive so I would only buy it for a present for someone like my mum as she likes it.
No 5: (1,4,5,3,2) sorry for ruining for system but I am going to do in two lines, OK, as number 4 said I would never buy a box of chocolates but if I did, I’d buy branded first every time, then Tesco finest. I would always buy bars of chocolate so I would go for Cadbury’s or Galaxy because they are my favourite brands, then I would go for the Tesco milk chocolate just because it looks slightly better than the everyday value milk chocolate but normally I wouldn’t buy either of these anyway.
No 3: Can I just say that I don’t know why Tesco make boxes of chocolate because if someone gave me a box of Tesco’s chocolates I would be quite annoyed because there are so many other brands. People usually give boxes of chocolate as a gift so why would you give Tesco when there are so many other brands that do little chocolate.
No 2: Ye I also agree, you wouldn’t go, “oh I won’t a chocolate lets buy a box and have four or five out of the eight chocolates that there are.

Picture: Cheese
Moderator : Here, we have a selection of cheese which range in price and quality. Please arrange them in order from top to bottom, in which products you would buy. Top being product you are most likely to buy, and bottom being the product you are least likely to buy and explain why.
No 1: (2,3,4,1) I would quite simple rank it like that for price because its only cheese.
No 2: (3,4,1,2) Right, I would go with the simple mature cheddar because I have it and I don’t have that much cheese, it still taste like cheese plus it’s not too expensive for what it is. Then I would go on to Tesco finest because it cheaper than cathedral city. Even though cathedral city is a bit of a rip off I would never go for everyday value because it would be like rubber, I presume.
No 3: (4,1,3,2) I would put Tesco finest on top as if this is just an example of which branding you would use then I would kind of trust that they would source them a bit better than the massive companies like cathedral city, so that might influence my choice. I haven’t even looked at price to be honest. I would then choose cathedral city as it’s a well-known brand and for the same reasons as number 2 the standard Tesco brand and the everyday value would be at the bottom because that’s based on taste.
No 4: (1,3,2,4) I would choose cathedral city first because it really nice cheese and I am quite fussy when I comes to mature cheese and they do a mature yet mellow so it really good. Next it would be Tesco’s as it not quite like Tesco value so it not so rubbery and it quite a decent cheese. Next it would be value just because of the price. I would never buy finest cheese as if I was going to buy a decent cheese I would probably buy branded anyway or if it’s a different kind of cheese like brie then its kind of the same where you get it, it’s like cheese. Whereas everyday value is quite processed but when you get to the middley range then cheese is much the same not matter what brand you buy.
No 5: (1/3, 4,2) just because I don’t like cheese, I would do it this way. Well I sort of like cheese. It would be a tossup of these two because I have that one at home so I know I would eat it and I have had this one before so would have to have a long think about it. Then I would go that way and I would never buy that anyway.
No 3: Sorry, can I just add, I think it depend on what you are using the cheese for like for a recipe you might just buy run of the mill because it going into a recipe and you might buy other things that may depend on quality. Whereas if you were doing a cheese board or something then I would probably go to the actual counter.
No 4: ye I agree with that, if it a cheese board you’ve got to go all out.
Moderator: Thank you for your participation in this focus group you have been very helpful
Interview 1 05/03/2013
‘Factors influencing students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’
Time: 2pm
Interviewer name: Barnaby Shiner
Respondent name: Thomas Partridge
Interviewer: Welcome and thank you for attending this interview. It will last for a maximum of 25 minutes and will consist of different questions on the topic of what ‘factors influence students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’. Everything mentioned in this session will be confidential and will only be used for the purpose of this research.
We will not disclose who actually participated in this interview nor will our final report make any attributions for quotes. We hope this encourages you to speak freely.
Any questions before we start?
[No questions from respondent]

Interviewer: Which store do you carry out your grocery shop?
Respondent: I mainly shop at Tesco when at university although at home my family shop at Waitrose
Interviewer: Is there any particular reason why you shop there?
Respondent Convenience it the main reason, I mean I am not going to travel all the way into town when I live so close to Tesco plus the prices in Tesco are the best in the local area for groceries.
Interviewer: How often do you shop for groceries?
Respondent: As I live just behind Tesco and we live in a house of four with a very small fridge we are unable to store much fresh food so I usually go to Tesco most days to get what every I want for tea and sometime I get my breakfast on the way to university in the morning. Although last year when I lived further away from Tesco I done grocery shopping on average twice a week.
Interviewer: What would be your average spending budget when grocery shopping?
Respondent: As I doing my shopping every day, I find it hard to keep to a budget or keep track of what I am spending but I would say on average I pay 40 to 50 pounds a weeks on grocery shopping.
Interviewer: Do you use a shopping list? If YES,Why do you use one?

Respondent: I don’t really use a shopping list I am very much a spontaneous buyer so I will buy whatever is on offer, I know I will never keep to a shopping list if I made one.
Interviewer: Do you stick to it? If not then what convinces you otherwise?
Respondent: I never stick to a shopping list as I always find offer which I feel I must have, I do love a good offer.
Interviewer: Do you enjoy shopping? YES/NO? Why?
Respondent: Ye, On the whole I do actually quite enjoy shopping although I hate the big wait at the end when you have to queue up and pay for the products at the end, it always shocks me how much I have to pay. Although I do enjoy walking round looking for stuff that I can have for tea as I enjoy trying new food and will look for new products to buy.
Interviewer: Do you go looking for promotional offers? If so why?
Respondent: As I tend not to keep to a list and don’t have particular brands that I am loyal to. I will look for offers as they tend to be on branded product that are usually good quality. I won’t often buy products that aren’t on offer as Tesco have hundreds of offers on, I would find it silly not to buy product that are not on offer especially as I’m a student and have to be careful what I spend my money on.
Interviewer: When you see a promotional offer, what tends to be your reaction?
Respondent: I do love an offer, they are attracted to my eyes immediately especially with the yellow price tags they use in Tesco on the shelves. I then look how much saving I will actually make and then look at the other product prices to see if it is actually a worthwhile deal.
Interviewer: Can promotional offers affect your purchasing decisions?
Respondent: Yes promotions always affect my purchasing decision as I only shop by looking for promotions so if I see a great deal I will buy it without a doubt.
Interviewer: Do TV adverts/billboards etc.; influence you to try/buy the products advertised?
Respondent: In someway I would say yes, they do influence my purchasing decision as after seeing the advert on TV about the chocolate flavoured Philadelphia I really wanted to try it as I was intrigued to whether it would actually taste nice or not. But on the whole I would say adverts don’t really influence my decision they just make me aware of new products.
Interviewer: How do you define quality in grocery products?
Respondent: I perceive good quality as being a good, recognised brand. I like to think if there is a good brand on the products packaging then the quality of the product inside will be good. I think quality of groceries is in the taste although some people may perceive it to be what actual ingredient are in the product.
Interviewer: When it comes to groceries, which product types would you prefer quality over price? Why?
Respondent: I very much like the taste of food and I like eating nice food so I will go for quality products that may be a bit higher in price in general but the same things I will buy better quality over price would be sauces like tomato ketchup, pasta sauces and curry sauces just because I can not stand the own branded stuff. I will also buy higher priced alcohol, chocolate as I have favourite brands for them which I will try to buy every time.
Interviewer: Which product types would you prefer to price over quality? Why?
Respondent: The products I perceive to be the same whatever price category you buy I would always go for the cheapest such as eggs and veg.
Interviewer: Do you distinguish branded products as better quality than own branded products?
Respondent: Yes always, I will always choose a branded product over an own branded product as long as the prices were reasonable.
Interviewer: Does price have an influence on your purchase decisions on certain products? If YES, How?
Respondent: I will always look at the most reasonable priced product, I won’t often go for the cheapest as I never think it will taste good although I look for the best value for money product, as being a student I need to look after my money I can’t be galloping around spending money willy-nilly in Tesco
Interviewer: Do other peoples (Friends and family) positive reviews on products influence your purchasing decisions?
Respondent: Ye I would say people views and opinions would influence my decision as I always like trying new food and are open to people views. There are certain things I won’t try no matter how much a friend my rave about it although on average I will try something if people recommend it to me.
Interviewer: Do you have a favourite brand for certain product categories? Can you give an example and explain why?
Respondent: Ye I would do have some categories that have favourite brands although I would buy them every time as they tend to be quite expensive if they are not on offer. Chocolate my favourite brand is Cadbury’s by far as I think it taste better than any other chocolate.
Interviewer: On average, how much as a percentage of your grocery shop is branded products?
Respondent: I would say about 70/80% of my grocery is branded as they are the products that tend to be on offer own branded stuff isn’t on offer as much.
Interviewer: Do believe in ethical sourcing of groceries? If not then why?
Respondent: I do believe in fair trade, I think it’s important that the farmers in the poor countries get what they deserve as they work hard and they don’t get paid much. Although when I come to animal welfare I am a lot more relaxed like I will buy caged chicken eggs over the free range eggs.
Interviewer: Would you choose cheap products over ethical products?
Respondent: As a student I do tend to go for the cheapest product over ethical products although if I had more money I would definitely consider buying more ethical products a I think it is important.
Interviewer: Do you choose healthy or unhealthy products generally? Why?
Respondent: Well I don’t really look at the healthiness of the products as I seem to be one of those annoying people that don’t gain weight no matter how much I eat, although this will probably change in a couple of years and I would like to think I would change my diet and eat more healthier.
Interviewer: If you had a higher income that you do currently, what would be different to the way you shop compared to how you shop now?
Respondent: Ye I think I wouldn’t continually shop looking for offers so much, I would just buy what I liked rather have and enjoy. I might also buy higher branded products or shop at a different shop such as Waitrose.

Interview 2 05/03/2013
‘Factors influencing students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’
Time: 2.30pm
Interviewer name: Thomas Partridge
Respondent name: Barnaby Shiner
Interviewer: Welcome and thank you for attending this interview. It will last for a maximum of 25 minutes and will consist of different questions on the topic of what ‘factors influence students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’. Everything mentioned in this session will be confidential and will only be used for the purpose of this research.
We will not disclose who actually participated in this interview nor will our final report make any attributions for quotes. We hope this encourages you to speak freely.
Any questions before we start?
[No questions from respondent]

Interviewer: Where do you shop?
Respondent: I shop at Tesco to do my weekly grocery shop.
Interviewer: Why do you shop there rather than anywhere else?
Respondent: I do shop in other food stores, however most of the time I just go to Tesco because it is the closest and easiest to get to. The parking of Tesco is very handy as I have a car. [giggle]
Interviewer: Would you shop elsewhere if you have more disposable income?
Respondent: I would stick to the easiest store to travel to with a high price range of products. For example, I would keep shopping at Tesco but just buy more expensive food. I would rather not put myself through the misery of walking further or sitting in traffic just to get to a Waitrose or M&S.
Interviewer: Do you write a shopping list before you go?
Respondent: I would only write a shopping list if there were essential items that I actually need, such as toilet paper, essential cooking ingredients etc. Normally I just wonder around the isles and see if there is anything I need as I go. Sometimes this can benefit me as I would spot something that I didn’t know I wanted until I see it.
Interviewer: Would you say you’re a quite impulsive buyer, so if you see an offer you would buy it?
Respondent: I would say that yes, I tend to pick out the essential items that I need first before I walk down the centre isle of Tesco where all the offers are. If I see something that is normally really expensive, but in this case cheap, then I would then consider buying it.
Interviewer: Roughly how much do you spend each week on grocery shopping?
Respondent: I probably spend around £30 a week on food. It can be more than this when I go to the gym, which means I buy meats, which are expensive!
Interviewer: Do you buy mostly branded products? Why
Respondent: I do buy mostly branded products, but only when they are on offer. It would be BOGOF or half price deals I go for, so whatever branded product it is on offer, I would probably get. I also prefer to get the branded products as I have this perception in my head that they will be better quality. Probably because of the brand image of the product, and of course, the way the product is packaged. A well packaged product would attract my eye to it much more that the supermarket own-brand equivalent. The better packaged the product is, then the more I think that more money had been spent into getting the end product, insinuating that it might have had more quality.
Interviewer: Do you perceive branded products to be better quality?
Respondent: There have been times where I have compared supermarket own-branded and the branded equivalent, and have been surprised at how similar they are. If I knew that there was a cheaper alternative to a product I really liked, which satisfied me in terms of quality, then it’s a no brainer for me, Especially because I am a student also. This then saves me money.
Interviewer: How do you perceive quality when it comes to groceries?
Respondent: I perceive quality to be products which have had more input put into the way they are manufactured and sold. A lot of the time, I would judge the quality of a product, purely on its packaging. Well, that’s if I don’t know the brand of that product… But yeah I would also perceive quality with the products with good or the best ingredients. I see good quality groceries as things to enjoy generally.
Interviewer: As a student do you tend to go for cheap product over quality? If not why
Respondent: Yes I do; I haven’t got a huge amount of money to spend. I have a car to run, and rent to pay, so I would try and get a cheap product. However if the cheap product is the same price as a promotional offer on a branded product, then I would go for that, and the quality is a bonus!
Interviewer: Does price influence for purchasing decision? If it does or doesn’t why is this?
Respondent: Yes it does, if there are products I don’t think are worth the money for what they are then I wouldn’t even think twice about moving on. Sometimes I do buy luxury items such as alcohol, and so I buy wine and beer, which are never bad quality. I hate cheap alcohol, I think it’s horrible.
Interviewer: Do you enjoy food shopping? if yes or no Why?
Respondent: Not really, I find the queues a lot of effort and people always bump into me when they are shopping which pisses me off a bit. If I am with a friend, then it’s less dull.
Interviewer: Would you say other people influence your purchasing decisions? Such as if a friend told you to buy a certain product because it was really good?
Respondent: If a friend suggested a product to me, then I will buy it if it is not too expensive as I would be interested to see what it would be like. When I see my housemates cook in my kitchen and they start preparing something which appeals to me then I would go out and consider buying it.
Interviewer: Do you have favourite brands and are loyal to them and would buy any other brand? Why is his?
Respondent: I am not loyal to any brand. The way I see it, I would walk into the supermarket, Tesco in this case, and buy whatever brand of the same product is cheaper. There are some exceptions when it comes to the luxury items however, such as chocolate and alcohol. I am loyal to buying Bells or Famous Grouse whiskey, however if there is another good brand of whiskey on offer, then I would definitely give it a go, as generally I love trying new things.
Interviewer: Do offers affect you purchasing decision?
Respondent: Yes they do, I would be persuaded quite often with promotional offers. This is normally when I see value for money which will benefit me in the long term. I do always look out for offers though, and would go up and see what they are and if they are worth putting in my basket, or trolley or whatever…
Interviewer: Would you say advertising on TV would affect your purchasing decision? Such as if you saw an advert for a new kind of crisp would you won’t to then go any try it? Why?
Respondent: If the advert was on all the time then I would be more likely to go and look for it. If it was on every so often, I would often spot the product amongst the product types I look at, and would then consider buying it. The advert would have to be on often enough to stick within my memory for this to affect my purchase decisions.
Interviewer: Do you think you still eat the same kind of food as you did as when you lived at home? Why?
Respondent: The food I eat a home is generally more quality, and there is much more of a variety of foods, as within my family there are many different tastes. But the quality is probably the same to be honest with the amount of branded products I buy because they are on offer.
Interviewer: Would ethical issues effect you purchasing decision? Why?
Respondent: Yes, but only really with meats and other animal products. Caged hens put me off eating them and the eggs they produce, as I believe that if I do buy them, I would be supporting the manufacturers who bring suffering to these animals. Fair trade products I would try and buy but are sometimes just too expensive at the time. But I try to be as ethical as I can.
Interviewer: What do you think about the current issue with Tesco and the Horse burgers?
Respondent: I think that it’s a repulsive thought, but I never buy Tesco everyday value anyway, just in case something as sick as this gets discovered.
Interviewer: Would you choose and product that is cheap or ethical?
Respondent: Ethical unless I really didn’t have that much money and had no option. I believe that everyone should buy ethical products.
Interviewer: Do you care much about the healthiness of the food that you eat? Why?
Respondent: Yes, I do lots of exercise and so try to look after my body. I do sometimes pig out as I know that the exercise compensates for it [giggle]. I know that I have a fast metabolism so I know I won’t become too unfit.
Interviewer: At certain supermarkets they have small sections where you can taste the food before you purchase it such as free cheese samples, would you think this a good idea and would this effect you particular shopping habits?
Respondent: I think it’s a good idea, however I would always take a sample and then not buy the product. Most often because I just don’t need the products on offer and they can be quite expensive generally. I don’t think it does effect my decisions.

Observation 1 05/03/2013
‘Factors influencing students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’
Time: 2.30pm
Interviewer name: Barnaby Shiner
Respondent name: Thomas Partridge
Interviewer: Welcome and thank you for attending this observational shop. It will last for a maximum of 35 minutes and will consist of a pre and post interview and an observation shop where I will follow you round a shop looking at you behaviour and habits. the topic of this is on ‘factors influence students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’. Everything mentioned in this session will be confidential and will only be used for the purpose of this research.
We will not disclose who actually participated in this observation nor will our final report make any attributions for quotes. We hope this encourages you to act freely naturally.
Any questions before we start?
[No questions from respondent]

Pre-shop interview
Interviewer: How are you feeling?
Respondent: I feel quite tied as it been a long day and just want to get some shopping so I can go home and have tea.
Interviewer: Are you felling hungry?
Respondent: yes
Interviewer: How much are you willing to spend?
Respondent: I don’t have a particular budget just going to buy food and alcohol for Friday.
Interviewer: What are the main products you are going to buy?
Respondent: I intend on buy Bread, eggs, bacon stuff for next week lunch and tea
Interviewer: Have you written a list?
Respondent: no, I have a made a mental note of what I need.

Observational shop Name: Thomas Partridge | Gender: Male | Nationality: British | Time: 10pm | Date: 21/03/2013 | Shop: Tesco | Order of products | Product | Was the product it on offer? | Price? | Is it branded? If so what brand? | How many people were around you | Time to make the decision to purchase | 1 | Mushrooms | No | 85p | Tesco everyday value | 0 | 45sec | 2 | Pack of 3 Peppers | No | £1.50 | Tesco everyday value | 1 | 20 sec | 3 | 2 loaves of Bread | Yes(Buy 2 for £2) | £2 | Kingsmill | 3 | 40 sec | 4 | Bake rolls | No | £1.78 | Tesco | 1 | 5 sec | 5 | Eggs x6 | No | 90p | Tesco everyday value | 2 | 5 sec | 6 | Butter | Yes (half price) | £1 | Clover | 4 | 45 sec | 7 | Salami | No | £1.10 | Tesco | 3 | 1.30 min | 8 | Fajita pack | Yes (3 for the price of 2) | £4 | Old El Paso | 0 | 45 sec | 9 | Bacon | Yes (2 packs for £4.50) | £4.50 | Tesco | 2 | 2 min | 10 | Sausages | Yes (3 packs for £5) | £5 | Butchers choice | 2 | 1 min | 11 | Chicken breasts | No | £3 | Tesco | 1 | 2 min | 12 | Vodka | No | £13.80 | Eristoff | 3 | 1 min | 13 | Lemonade | Yes | 65p | Tesco | 0 | 10 sec | 14 | Blackcurrant squash | Yes (2 for £5) | £5 | Robinsons | 0 | 20 sec | 15 | Crisps | Yes (more than half price) | 99p | Tyrell’s | 1 | 5 sec | 16 | Biscuits | No | 65p | Tesco | 3 | 1 min | Totals Deals and price: 7/16 deals - £41.72 | Queue time: 5 min | Length of shop: 30min |

Shopping Description
The shopper’s chose to use a trolley to collect his shopping, with the expectation to buy a lot of food. He quickly moved straight to the mushroom section on the far right side on the shop, and started looking at all the closed cut mushrooms punnets, picking them up and seeing the difference in the size and quality on the mushrooms. Then he started comparing price with the grams in his head, trying to figure out which would be the best value for money, then choosing the cheapest, “everyday day value” ones.
The shopper then moved swiftly to the other side of the aisle to the peppers where again he checks out the size of the different peppers and the quality of them by picking them up and having a good look then putting them down to try and find better ones. Again he chose the cheapest option of three peppers in a bag.
He then moved slowly down the aisle looking at the other kind of fruit and vegetable they have although he does not pick any up to have a better look he just moves on and pushes his trolley around the crates that have been put out to restock the shelves to the bread section, where he takes a step back from the shelf and takes a good look at all the different product although he had a disappointed look on his face when he couldn’t see his usual brand of bread. He then moves closer to the area of the shelf where there are lots of yellow price tags showing the offer, then he quickly chooses the two for £2 offer on Kingsmill medium slice white bread.
After choosing his bread he quickly walks back an aisle to the section with bake you own bread and quickly picks up a Tesco bake your own roll with no hesitation or even taking a second look.
The shopper then moves to the egg section were without hesitation again chooses his eggs and puts them in the trolley, with no emotion on his face just the look of tiredness. The eggs were six everyday value, caged eggs.
Moving to the butter section he accidently bumped into someone then quickly moved to the fridge section where there were a few more people. The shopper had a good look along the shelf and then saw an offer and picked it up and then had another look along the self to see if he could get a better deal, then decided to put in in the trolley and move on to the cooked meat section where he had a very good look at all the different product, ham, salami, peperoni, pastrami and others before choosing the salami which was one of the cheapest product that he picked up although it was not on offer.
Moving to the world food section he was getting frustrated with the fact he had to move the large trolleys, for restocking the shelves, out of the way so he could push his trolley through the gap to get to the fajita section at the end of the aisle. When looking at the packs of fajitas he had a thoughtful face, as he was thinking would it be worthwhile spending the extra on getting the offer and getting more of just purchase one. In the end he was enticed by the offer and bought three for the price of two.
He then looks down some other aisles like the canned food aisle, and the sauces aisle but chooses not to buy or purchasing anything. He then strolls to the meat fridges and takes a long time looking at the deals on bacon weight up the price to the number of rashes and contemplating is it worth spending the extra on the offer to get more for your money. Although he was only looking at the middle of the range bacon he did not take a second look at the everyday value. After a while contemplating he then chose the offer for 2 packs for £4.50.the shopper then does much the same for sausage by looking at the middle of the range and looking at the offer, then finally purchasing the butchers choice sausages which are three for £5.
When choosing the chicken he looked at all the different kinds of chicken pieces they have such as diced, thighs, breasts and legs but after looking at the quality of the products on the self he chose chicken breasts, which were one of the more expensive items he looked at although for the amount of grams it has it was one of the best value for money.
Moving swiftly to the spirits section of the alcohol area he goes down the beer aisle browsing although does have better look at anything. When he is looking at the vodka he was contemplating on whether to buy a bigger bottle or just an average 75cl bottle and at one point he actually put the litre bottle of vodka in the trolley although removed it a chose the slightly small bottle. He then moves to the fizzy drinks aisle and looks at the different lemonade but quickly chooses the cloudy lemonade with the yellow price tag saying it was 65p.
Then walking to the next aisle he does the same with the squash and takes a quick look but quickly chooses the deal for 2 large, double concentrated, Robinsons blackcurrant squash bottle for £5.
Walking down the crisps aisle he is looking left and right to search out the yellow price tag, displaying the offers, he then spots an offer on the Tyrell brand where they are more than half price and only 99p a bag he quickly chooses his flavour and moves on to the biscuit sections and looks at all the different kinds and seeing what is on offer and actually reaching out for the bourbons but finally choosing the large pack of Tesco custard crèmes which is not on offer.
After this he does another lap of the shop looking for any else he may want or having another look to see if there are any outstanding offers that he thought might be worth buying although he doesn’t purchase anything else and goes to the cashers and queues for 5mins then pays looking very worried when the final figure comes up for how much he has actually spent.
He then leaves the shop after paying by card.

Post-shopping interview
Interviewer: Were you enticed by any offers?
Respondent: Yes, as always a saw an offer and though I needed it. Crisps were one of my spontaneous buys.
Interviewer: How many products did you buy?
Respondent: err, I’m not sure but I know I spent quite a lot and will probably still have to come back in the next few days.
Interviewer: How much did you spend?
Respondent: about 40 quid
Interviewer: Did other people effect you shop?
Respondent: They didn’t really affect me although the big trollies they get out when they are about the restack the shelves kept getting in my way which was annoying.
Interviewer: Did you find everything that you wanted?
Respondent: Yes, I think so but will probably get home and think “oh no, I’ve forgotten so and so”
Interviewer: thank you very much for taking part in this observation

Observation 1 05/03/2013
‘Factors influencing students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’
Time: 2.30pm
Interviewer name: Barnaby Shiner
Respondent name: Thomas Partridge
Interviewer: Welcome and thank you for attending this observational shop. It will last for a maximum of 35 minutes and will consist of a pre and post interview and an observation shop where I will follow you round a shop looking at you behaviour and habits. the topic of this is on ‘factors influence students’ choices of branded grocery products when grocery shopping’. Everything mentioned in this session will be confidential and will only be used for the purpose of this research.
We will not disclose who actually participated in this observation nor will our final report make any attributions for quotes. We hope this encourages you to act freely naturally.
Any questions before we start?
[No questions from respondent]

Pre-shop interview ?
Interviewer: How are you feeling?
Respondent: It’s around 5 o’clock in the evening, and I have been busy all day with university work as well as organising clothes so I feel pretty tired. I need to buy some food for the next few days before the weekend starts, which is when I will be going home for Easter.
Interviewer: Are you felling hungry?
Respondent: As it’s around an hour before I normally eat dinner, I am feeling pretty hungry.
Interviewer: How much are you willing to spend?
Respondent: I think I will be willing to spend around £30, as I feel like choosing some treats before I go back.
Interviewer: What are the main products you are going to buy?
Respondent: The minimum amount that I will buy is going to buy a couple of ready meals for the evenings, fresh milk and bread.
Interviewer: Have you written a list?
Respondent: No, I normally make a mental list of what I need which seems to work for me.
Observation shop: Name: Barnaby Shiner | Gender: Male | Nationality: British | Time: 18:10 | Date: 25/03/2013 | Shop: Sainsbury’s | Order of products | Product | Was the product it on offer? | Price? | Is it branded? If so what brand? | How many people were around you | Time to make the decision to purchase | 1 | Classic Cottage Pie, 450g | no | £2.30 | no | 2 | 3mins | 2 | Semi Skimmed milk 4pts | No | £1.29 | no | 1 | 30secs | 3 | Hovis, seed sensations, 7 seed, 400g | no | £0.80 | Yes, Hovis | 1 | 1min | 4 | Mcvitties golden syrup cake | yes | £1 | Yes, Mcvitties | 3 | 3 | 5 | Mixed salad 200g | yes | £1 from £1.38 | Yes, Florrette | 1 | 2 | 6 | Cheddar Cheese 350g | YesHalf Price | £2.19 | Cathedral City | 2 | 1 | 7 | Actimel yogurt drink. 12x100g | Yes Half price | £1.92 | Danone | 2 | 1 | 8 | Classic American pepperoni pizza 8” | Half price | £2.25 | Pizza Express | 1 | 2 | 9 | Belgian Chocolate log | Yes, save £1 | £2.50 | No, But taste the difference | 0 | 1.5 mins | 10 | Crumpets, 8 pack, X2 | Yes | 2 for £1.20, 69p each | no | 1 | 1 | 11 | Strawberry Jam 454g | No | £0.80 | No | 4 | 2 | 12 | Squash 1L | Yes | £1 | Robinsons | 7 | 30 secs | 13 | Pom Bears 6x19g PACK | yes | £1 | Pom-Bear | 3 | 4 | 14 | Schweppes original lemonade 2L | yes | £1 from £1.29 | Schweppes | 4 | 3 | 15 | Honey Roasted jumbo penuts | No | £1.29 | No | 0 | 5 | Totals Deals and price: 10/15 deals - £21.54 | Queue time: Max 30 seconds | Length of shop: 34 mins |
Shopping description:
The shopper enters Sainsbury’s at around 6pm, picks up a basket instead of a trolley. The first place he heads towards is the ready meal section and picks up a 450g Sainsbury’s cottage pie after a several minutes of deciding which ready meal to have. First of all he looked at the available options as if he was looking for any offers, and weighs up the options to come to the final decision. He then makes his way directly to the milk section, where he almost immediately picks up a 4 pint bottle of semi skimmed milk as if he already knows what to buy. With little hesitation, he then makes his way quickly to the bread section, and looks at all of the bread, in particular the wholemeal section. He picks up the Hovis 7-seed sensations and inspects in for how fresh it feels, and quickly decides it is appropriate and adds it to the basket.
He looks behind him, and seems to be attracted to offers in the cake and biscuit section which are in the same aisle, especially to the area where both syrup cake and ginger cake are on offer for £1, which is clearly stated. After about 3 minutes of looking at all the ranges of cake and biscuits, he picks up the Mcvitties golden syrup cake and briefly looks at it before dropping it into the basket. After standing up, he hesitates on where to go next throughout the store, and decided to start from the entrance of the store where the fruit and veg are.
From there, he stands at the salad section for around a minute just looking at all the available options, possibly looking to see if there any offers. He picks up the everyday value salad, but then drops it for a bigger bag with more inside called Florrette Mixed salad which had 40 pence off and showed a very obvious price tag of £1. He walks to the end of the fruit and veg aisle, looking right and left at any other products which may take his fancy. From there, he heads straight along the back of the supermarket, looking directly at the offers shown at the end of each aisle. One particular aisle catches his eye, which had a variety of products at half price displayed with big banners at the end. He picks up Cathedral City cheese and drops it in his basket almost immediately as if it’s a no-brainer. He then contemplates a pack of Actimel which is also half price, but hesitates for around a minute or so before putting it in the basket. He starts to move on when he spots within the same aisle, half price Pizza Express pizza which he then spend another couple of minutes deciding on what flavour. He seems to be pleased with what he has found, with a positive facial expression.
Just behind him was the refrigerated desert section, which caught his eye with the “£1 OFF” banner displayed on the shelf. He goes to see what products are under this promotional offer, and picks up a taste the difference chocolate log. Whilst holding it, he was looking at the other options, but eventually drops it into the basket.
He heads towards the bakery section of the supermarket to find himself attracted to the un-branded crumpets which are on a promotional offer. He picks up 2 packs of 8 as he sees that it is “2 for £1.20”and quickly decides to put them in the basket. A few metres along from the crumpets is where he spots the jam section. First, he looks to see if there are any offers, and in the end chooses to pick up the reasonably priced Sainsbury’s own branded strawberry jam for 80p. It took him twice as long to decide on the jam, than the crumpets, probably due to the wide selection of flavours.
Moving back towards to back end of the shop, he moves down slowly, looking in all directions at whatever catches his eye. There seemed to be around 7 people crowded round one particular aisle where Robinson’s fruit squash was on offer for just £1 a litre. It seems as if he chose to impulse buy a bottle of squash quickly and moved onto the crisp aisle. Here he spend around 4-5 minutes just looking to see which multipack he should choose, eventually choosing a ‘Pom-Bear’ pack of 6 for £1. It seems like much thought went into making that decision, as he was constantly looking up and down the aisle to make sure that he hadn’t overlooked any offers that he may actually want.
The next aisle he chooses to go down is the aisle next to him, which was the non-alcoholic drinks section. His actions were almost identical to when he was deciding upon which crisps to get. Spotting an offer for Schweppes lemonade for £1 reduced from £1.29, he finally chooses to add one bottle to his basket before moving on. Going back on himself, the nut section catches his eye, and spends a further 5 minutes choosing what nuts he should add to his basket. It seems that if there are not many offers in this section, which could be a reason why the decision took so long to finally choose a £1.29 bag of Sainsbury’s own brand honey roasted jumbo peanuts.
He then slowly walks in the direction of the checkout and decided to choose the self-service option. There was almost no queue for the self-service checkout, and decided to pay by cash, before leaving the store.
Post-shop interview
Interviewer: Were you enticed by any offers?
Respondent: Throughout the shop I found myself going to see all of the offers first before I make decisions on products that I didn’t need. Some products which I needed were on offer, which is a bonus.
Interviewer: How many products did you buy?
Respondent: I bought around 15 products overall I think.
Interviewer: How much did you spend?
Respondent: Just over £20 I think
Interviewer: Did other people effect you shop?
Respondent: Whenever I shop, I would feel an attraction towards groups of people huddled around a product to see what all the fuss is about. As it was quiet today, I didn’t really see many people crowded round products, and so just carried on looking for products I need.
Interviewer: Did you find everything that you wanted?
Respondent: I did, and also bought more that I was expecting to buy, not in terms of price but with the types of product, which have attracted me through the use of promotions throughout the store.

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