Australian Supermarket Seafood...
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Transcript of Australian Supermarket Seafood...
Australian Supermarket Seafood Retailing
Australian supermarket sector is very concentrated
• two retailers account for over 74% of all grocery sales (Nenycz-Theil 2011)
Consumers switching from fishmongers to supermarkets (Danenberg
& Mueller 2011)
Seafood supermarkets
• traditionally, fresh seafood sold unpackaged behind glass in delicatessen section
• however, chilled pre-packaged seafood - second fastest growing grocery category, although awareness and regular purchase is low (Kenny et al. 2010).
Key Drivers and Barriers to Seafood Consumption in Australia
Drivers
• Health
• Taste
• Convenience
• Diet variety
Barriers
• Price
• Concerns regarding
• origin
• freshness
• Difficulty in evaluating seafood quality
• Not liking the taste or texture of fish
(Birch, Lawley & Hamblin 2012)
Lack of Knowledge
Australian consumers generally
lack knowledge about seafood
(Birch & Lawley 2012)
Retailers and manufacturers lack knowledge about
consumer requirements in this
category (Kenny et al. 2010)
Australian Seafood Market: Opportunities for Growth
The Retail Transformation Project (ASCRC, University of the Sunshine Coast & Colmar Brunton Pty Ltd)
Explore opportunity for further growth of the chilled pre-
packaged seafood category in Australian supermarkets
Clear understanding of consumer behaviour and requirements in
the chilled pre-packaged seafood category
Clear direction on the development of pre-packaged chilled seafood product ranges
and effective marketing strategies.
Multi-Method Research Design
Stage 4: Ten consumer focus groups across five Australian states (n = 60)
Stage 3: Accompanied consumer shops (n = 5)
Stage 2: National online consumer survey (n = 1815)
Stage 1: Scoping workshop with syndicate members
Respondent Profile: Online Survey
Acknowledgement: Colmar Brunton Pty Ltd
Accompanied Consumer Shops
Aim: Understand current seafood shopping behaviours and path to purchase for the chilled pre-packaged
seafood category
Acknowledgement: Colmar Brunton Pty Ltd
Focus Groups
Main grocery buyer with future propensity to purchase chilled pre-packaged seafood from the supermarket
Acknowledgement: Colmar Brunton Pty Ltd
Findings
Three Key
Issues
Trust
Transparency
Freshness
• Locally sourced products
• Transparent packaging
• Clear use by dates
• Fresh products
Australian consumers want
Lack of Trust in the Category: Major Issue
Is it fresh? Do I need to eat it straight away?
Has it been frozen?
Lack of knowledge regarding logistics and
time from catch to plate
Freshness is Critical
Sensory purchase
Reassurance of freshness
• clearly see the product
• smell is important
Fresh means many things - fresh looking,
fresh from the sea, never been frozen
Purchasing Preferences
Format
1%
2%
3%
5%
6%
7%
19%
57%
0% 20% 40% 60%
Skilleted
Marinated
Other
Smoked fish
Wrapped/Prepa…
Whole fish
Battered/Crumb…
Filleted fish
Packaging
1%
7%
11%
13%
18%
50%
0% 20% 40% 60%
Other
Bag
Vacuum-packed
Sealed tray
Box
Unpackaged
Issues Related to the Supermarket Delicatessen Section
Is it fresh?
Has it been frozen?
Can I have what is not on display?
Is there any cross-contamination?
Positive Perceptions of Independent Displays: Seafood Express Barge
It’s clean and on it’s own.
But, it’s still conveniently near the meat section.
I don’t like it in with the meat, I like
the separate barge. I don’t like the idea
of blood mixed with
seafood.
Frozen Seafood Cabinet
Convenient
No waiting
Quick and easy meal
Good to have on hand
Mixed Perceptions of
European Market-Style
Formats
Unfamiliar approach
Concerns
• Flies
• Hygiene
• Contamination
• Freshness
Variety and innovation
• “something different”
Convenience
• “grab it and bung it in the oven”
Knowledgeable supermarket staff
Australian Consumers
Want…
What disturbs me the most is the people selling in the
deli section. They often don’t know about the
products at all. So they can’t tell you anything.
Findings: Fresh
Chilled Seafood Category
Where do you purchase fresh/chilled
seafood?
Supermarket deli (63%)
Fishmonger (48%)
Freezer section of supermarket
(45%)
Chilled section of supermarket
(44%)
Butcher (19%) Fish and chip shop (14%)
11%
14%
14%
18%
20%
21%
22%
24%
28%
29%
32%
49%
51%
51%
58%
61%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Support for local fishermen
Already prepared for me
Special Occasion
Good recipes to use
Know what's in it
Like variety available
Dietary requirements
On special/promotion
Readily available
Price
Meal variety
Quick/easy to prepare
Like the flavour
Fresh
Low in fat
High in Omega 3
Triggers for Fresh/Chilled Seafood (n=1205)
Benefits of Pre-Packaged Fresh Chilled Seafood
Convenience – no waiting at
the deli counter Portion sizes
Knowledge of price per portion
Use by dates
Country of origin
information
Nutritional information
You don't have to wait if there is a big queue at the
deli counter.
3%
10%
11%
12%
13%
13%
16%
16%
33%
35%
46%
53%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Don't like flavour/texture
Don't trust hygiene
Limited species available
Poor in-store display
Don't know how to prepare
Don’t like/can't prepare
Bones
Good seafood not available
Concerms about freshness
Can't tell if it is good quality
Origin concerns
Too expensive
Barriers to Fresh/Chilled Seafood (n=103)
Preferences in a Pre-packaged Range
Simple, natural products
• plain fillet of fish
• at most simple, familiar marinades – garlic, lemon and herbs, Asian style
Natural and authentic product
• not too uniform looking or processed
Packaging which allows them to clearly see the
product
Highly Sensory Involved Category
Freshness is critical
• keep it clean
• correct temperature
• look fresh and smell fresh
Use by dates
• quick sale is not trusted
Keep seafood separate from meat or pet food
Do not like the seafood positioned along side meat, chicken or pet food
I am surprised to see this in amongst
the meat. I wouldn’t normally put seafood in with
the meat. It’s interesting because it’s right next to the
dog food also. Which is a bit yuck!
Concept Test: The Fridge
Compared fridge to vending machine or cigarette machine
• Too big, too bright
Unrealistic for seafood category
• Too perfect, too uniform, too structured and neat
• Too upright
• Open-door – how will it stay cold?
Eye catching - stop and browse
Gondola Position
Not an appropriate location for chilled
seafood
Not normally where you would
find seafood
Unexpected location – would be
hard to find
In-category Positioning
Meal solution area
• More realistic
• More acceptable
• Too upright
I don’t like the fish standing on
the side. The juices are going
to go into it.
Concept Test: The Range
Natural
Ready-to-Eat
Ready-to-Cook
Special Occasion
11%
36%
34%
12%
7%
Purchase Intentions
Definitely
Probably
Unsure
Probably not
Definitely not
n = 1815
Natural Range What does natural mean?
Naked, unprocessed, completely raw, nothing
added.
More convenient for freezing
Use-by-date useful
Greatest suitability: Whitefish fillets
Ready-to-Cook Range
May appeal to less experienced cooks
• some liked the idea of sauce on the side
Did not appeal to experienced cooks
• more inclined toward the natural range
• prefer to marinate seafood themselves
Lower levels of appeal
Ready-to-Eat Range Pick up at the
supermarket for lunch
Peel it open and eat it straight from the
container
Greatest Suitability:
Australian prawns and Australian
smoked salmon
You can peel the
cellophane off and you’re ready to go.
Special Occasion Range
The term ‘Special Occasion’ limits scope
Younger consumers offended
• ‘Who decides if it’s a special occasion?’
• ‘What if my partner and I just want to eat it ourselves?’
Black packaging infers a premium offer
Greater Suitability:
Easter Australian Prawns or Xmas Seafood Appetisers
10%
12%
15%
16%
20%
21%
21%
31%
32%
42%
45%
48%
52%
54%
54%
56%
67%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Looks local
Good prices
Like the low price
Good for my partner
Use for a special occasion
Good for my familiy/children
Use with my recipes
Like flavours/varieties available
Good to eat by myself
Already prepared for me
Readily available
Looks healthy
Good variety
Looks fresh
Can tell what's in it
Quick/easy to prepare
Convenience
What appeals about the range? (n = 860)
5%
6%
6%
6%
7%
9%
10%
13%
14%
18%
24%
34%
35%
37%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Usually has bones
Does not last long enough
Don't like handling/preparing it
Too messy/smelly
Don't like the smell
Don't like the flavour
Unsure how to prepare it
Limited species available
Does not appeal to whole family
Mostly non-Australian species
Don't know what is in it
Concerns about freshness
Concerns about origin
Too expensive
What are the barriers to the range? (n = 955)
What appeals about the packaging?
Clear and uncluttered
Labelling does not obscure the product
• I can see what is in it
• Fresh looking product
Clear use by date
BUT must have clear pricing information
Most Valued Pack Attributes
(10 point scale)
Clear window (7.7) Australian made
logo (7.5)
Fresh, never frozen (7.4)
Nutritional information (6.9)
Heart smart tick (6.9)
Sustainable seafood (6.7)
Serving suggestions/recipes
(6.6)
Recyclable packaging (6.5)
Wild-caught (6.1) Celebrity chef (4.6) Serving suggestions and recipes on
the back of the pack
Labelling Elements
Important labelling elements
• use by dates
• country of origin
• price per portion information
Less important elements
• serving suggestions and recipes housed on the back of the package
Less concerned about the sustainability of seafood
In Conclusion…
Australians are very convenience oriented and
quite price sensitive.
Not very interested in pre-prepared seafood. Prefer
unpackaged seafood.
Natural Australian seafood (fillet of fresh fish or
prawns) with at most a light familiar marinade or sauce
on the side.
Main appeals of pre-packaged fresh chilled seafood products are convenience, ease of preparation, price per
portion and use by dates.
Main barriers of pre-packaged fresh chilled seafood include price,
concerns about origin and freshness.
At this point in time, Australian consumers are
not very knowledgeable nor too concerned about
sustainability.
Australian Supermarket Seafood Retailing
Coles
Consumer education
Sustainability
• World Wildlife Fund
• But can the average consumer afford it?
• Flathead fillets at $48 per kg!!!
Curtis Stone
‘Surfing the menu’
Whether Curtis Stone tells me to
eat it or not I don’t
really care.
References
Note: This work formed part of a project of the Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre, and received funds from the Australian Government’s CRCs
Programme, the Fisheries R&D Corporation and other CRC Participants.
• Birch, D., Lawley, M. and Hamblin, D. 2012. Drivers and barriers to seafood consumption in Australia, Journal of Consumer Marketing, 29(2), Spring/Summer.
• Birch, D. and Lawley, M. 2012, Buying seafood: Understanding barriers to purchase. Food Quality and Preference, 24(1), 12-21.
• Danenberg, N. and Mueller, S. 2011. Omnibus consumer research findings - Wave 2. Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre and the UniSA Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science.
• Kenny, P., Hamblin, D., Douglass, B. and DeVincentis, M. 2010. Retail Transformation Project. Colmar Brunton Pty Ltd.
• Nenycz-Theil. M. 2011. Private labels in Australia: A case where retailer concentration does not predicate private labels share. The Journal of Brand Management, 18(8), 624-633.
The Retail Transformation Project
Syndicate: 15 members including associations, processors and manufacturers
• Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre
• University of the Sunshine Coast
• Colmar Brunton Pty Ltd
• Funding: AUD450,000
