More Kiwis Eat Tinned Rather Than Fresh Food

17 November 2011

More Kiwis Eat Tinned Rather Than Fresh Food

New Zealanders are eating more tinned food to save money as the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables continues to rise, according to the findings of a survey of supermarkets.

The survey by Canstar Blue revealed the impact of the rising cost of buying fresh fruit and vegetables, with 30% of those surveyed stating they have increased the amount of tinned food they buy. Shoppers in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin are the most likely to have increased the amount of canned food they buy, to counter the rising cost of purchasing fresh goods.

Derek Bonnar CANSTAR CANNEX - New Zealand National Manager said the survey also rated how satisfied consumers were with their local supermarket. The survey asked shoppers to rate their satisfaction with their supermarket on price, range offered and customer service. Supermarkets included in the ratings were: PAK'n SAVE, Countdown and New World. Kiwis rated PAK'n SAVE top for price. It received a five star rating. Competitor Countdown secured the top award for range receiving five stars. New World was awarded a five star rating for service.

"The survey clearly showed how shoppers are driven by one of three main factors: getting the best price, having the best range to select from or great customer service. This clearly impacts where they choose to shop," says Derek.

Twenty nine percent of those surveyed admit they are loyal to one supermarket brand. Shoppers living in Christchurch are most likely to stick with the supermarket they know best, with Dunedin residents more likely to shop around than those in the North.

"Perhaps surprisingly, the numbers of kiwis who shop online for groceries was pretty low at 2% overall. This is interesting, given how strongly we have embraced other forms of online shopping. Aucklanders were the most likely, at 3% to shop online.

"Less surprising was who is most likely to do the shopping. Seventy four percent of women surveyed said they were the primary grocery shopper in the household. Only 50% of men take ownership of the weekly shop and 11% of them resent having the job!" says Derek.

Amongst those surveyed the most common gripes about supermarkets include:

• Limited range of brands and products
• Layout of store, including the width of the aisles, and having to manoeuvre around shelf packers during shopping hours
• Service, especially having enough people at the checkouts.

Canstar Blue commissions Colmar Brunton Australia to survey 2,500 New Zealand consumers every few months to measure their satisfaction across a range of products and services. The outcomes reported are the results from supermarket shoppers within the survey group - in this case, 1163 people. To qualify, the customer has to have shopped in a supermarket within the last 12 months. Supermarket brands must receive at least 30 responses to be included.

Canstar Blue is the new division of financial research and ratings company, CANSTAR CANNEX which has been operating in New Zealand for nearly a decade.

Canstar Blue provides New Zealanders with the latest customer satisfaction ratings on products and services free of charge via the website www.canstarblueco.nz.

"Consumers will undoubtedly feel more confident about a purchase if hundreds of other Kiwis rate it highly," said Derek.

To view the full results of the Canstar Blue survey go to www.canstarblue.co.nz

ENDS

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