Mushroom Quality Internet Survey Results

1
Mushroom Quality Internet Survey Results

• Report prepared for
• December, 2003

2
Table of Contents

• Page
• Overview 2
• Objectives 3
• Approach 4
• Executive Summary 5
• Sliced White Mushroom Findings 10
• Whole White Mushroom Findings 17
• Respondent Profile 24

3
Overview
4
Objectives

• Research objectives for the online consumer
  research are as follows
• Measure consumer perception of mushroom quality
  encountered in grocery stores.
• Gauge consumer perception of mushroom quality by
  presenting photos of whole and sliced mushrooms
  at various quality levels.
• Determine correlation of consumer perception of
  quality and purchase behavior.

5
Approach

• In order to deliver against the objectives, the
  Perishables Group (PG)
• Worked with the Mushroom Council staff and
  researchers at Penn State University to create a
  series of photographs representing a quality
  range of sliced and whole white mushrooms from
  very good to poor. Five photos were selected for
  both sliced and whole white mushrooms.
• Developed a targeted Internet consumer interview
  questionnaire to probe consumer reaction to each
  individual mushroom photo.
• Conducted 244 online interviews across the five
  regions of the country
• West WA, OR, ID, MT, ND, CA, NV. AZ
• Midsouth SD, WY, UT, CO, NE, KS, NM, OK, TX, LA
• Southeast AR, MS, AL, TN, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA
• Midwest MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, IN, MI, KY, OH, WV
• Northeast ME, NH, VT, NY, PA, MA, CT, RI, NJ,
  DE, MD
• Ensured that at least 20 respondents (spread
  across the regions) saw each of the 10 mushroom
  photos.

6
Executive Summary

• More consumers (59) report purchasing mushrooms
  only when needed for a specific use or recipe.
  40 report that they buy mushrooms to have on
  hand to use as needed.
• Three out of four consumers said in the last year
  a planned mushroom purchase has been postponed
  due to quality concerns at the supermarket.
• Most consumers say they sort through supermarket
  mushroom displays. 71 of respondents indicate
  that they often or sometimes must sort through
  the displays to find the right quality. Only 28
  report that they are generally satisfied with
  the mushrooms on display at the supermarket.
• Almost all consumers eventually find mushrooms
  with the quality they desire (although more than
  one shopping trip may be required) as only 1
  report that they cannot find the quality they are
  looking to purchase.
• Not surprisingly, when shown product photos
  consumer purchase intent was linked to superior
  quality factors. For both sliced and whole,
  whiter, cleaner mushrooms were strongly
  associated with higher purchase intent.
  Conversely, older, browner mushrooms generated
  much lower purchase intent scores from consumers.

7
Executive Summary

• For both sliced and whole mushrooms, consumers
  indicated that the mushrooms depicted in the top
  two photos are generally better than what is
  available in their supermarket.
• For both sliced and whole, photo 3 seems to best
  capture the mushroom quality level consumers
  believe they generally see at the store level,
  while photos four and five are slightly worse.
• With sliced mushrooms in particular, color and
  cleanliness captures consumer attention. For the
  top two photos, consumers indicated the product
  was significantly higher in quality, better than
  what they normally see in their supermarket and
  reported a much higher likelihood to buy.
• With whole mushrooms, whiter mushroom photos
  rated better with consumers. However, consumers
  were generally accepted more browning as all
  photos were deemed by consumers to have
  acceptable quality. Only photo five was viewed
  by consumers as having quality worse than what is
  generally available in the supermarket.
• At lower quality levels, significant numbers of
  consumers indicate that they will probably or
  definitely not purchase mushrooms.

8
Internet Survey Findings
9
Internet Survey Findings

• White Mushroom Purchase Reasons
• Most consumers (59) surveyed said they only buy
  white mushrooms for a specific reason, while 41
  said they buy mushrooms to have on hand as the
  need arises.

10
Internet Survey Findings

• White Mushroom Lost Sales
• Three-fourths of respondents said that on at
  least one occasion in the past year, they have
  not purchased white mushrooms due to poor
  quality, even though they were planning to buy
  mushrooms when entering the store.

11
Internet Survey Findings

• White Mushroom Shopping Behavior
• While 28 of respondents said they are often
  satisfied with mushroom quality, 32 of consumers
  say they must often sort through displays to find
  acceptable quality mushrooms.

12
Sliced White Mushrooms
13
Sliced Mushroom Photo Legend

• The following nomenclature and corresponding
  photos are used throughout the Sliced White
  Mushroom results

14
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Purchase Likelihood
• Consumers said they were most likely to buy the
  mushrooms shown in Sliced 1, 2, and 3 photos.
  There is a large drop off in Sliced 4 and 5
  likelihood of purchase.

How Likely Are You To Purchase These Sliced White
Mushrooms?
15
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Quality
• Consumers said the mushrooms shown in Sliced 1
  and 2, photos were good quality. The Sliced 5
  photo averaged the lowest quality, as rated by
  respondents.

Sliced White Mushroom Quality
16
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Quality Comparison
• Consumers said that the mushrooms shown in Sliced
  1 and 2 photos are better than the quality of
  mushrooms they usually find in their grocery
  stores, while the mushrooms in the Sliced 4 and 5
  photos are of worse quality.

How Similar is the Quality of These Sliced White
Mushrooms to the Sliced White Mushrooms You
Usually See In Your Grocery Store?
17
Sliced White Mushroom Quality

• Based on consumer response to the five photos,
  this picture (3) best depicts the quality that
  consumers see in their supermarket. It was
  ranked by consumers as having average to good
  quality.

18
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Purchase Triggers
  Definitely/Probably Buy
• Color and cleanliness are the primary purchase
  drivers. However, this slide illustrates that
  as the quality slides to Level 4, over 50 of
  consumers drop out of the likely to buy
  segment. At Level 5, nearly 80 abandon
  purchase intent.

Multiple Responses Allowed
19
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Purchase Triggers
  Probably/Definitely Not Buy
• At low quality levels, the general mushroom
  appearance drives very low consumer purchase
  intent. At Level 5, two thirds of consumers said
  they would probably/definitely not buy the
  mushrooms.

Multiple Responses Allowed
20
Whole White Mushrooms
21
Whole Mushroom Photo Legend

• The following nomenclature and corresponding
  photos are used throughout the Whole White
  Mushroom results

22
Internet Survey Findings

• Whole White Mushroom Purchase Likelihood
• Consumers said they were most likely to buy the
  mushrooms shown in photo Whole 1. Interestingly,
  respondents were slightly more willing to
  purchase the mushrooms in photo Whole 5 than
  photo Whole 4.

How Likely Are You To Purchase These Whole White
Mushrooms?
23
Internet Survey Findings

• Whole White Mushroom Quality
• Consumers said the mushrooms shown in photo Whole
  1, were between good and top quality. Again,
  respondents perceived the mushrooms in photo
  Whole 5 as having a higher quality than the
  mushrooms in photo Whole 4.

Whole White Mushroom Quality
24
Internet Survey Findings

• Whole White Mushroom Quality Comparison
• Consumers said that the mushrooms shown in Whole
  1 and 2 photos are better than the quality of
  mushrooms they usually find in their grocery
  stores, while the mushrooms in the Whole 4 photo
  are of worse quality.

How Similar is the Quality of These Whole White
Mushrooms to the Whole White Mushrooms You
Usually See In Your Grocery Store?
25
Whole Mushroom Quality

• Based on consumer response to the five photos,
  these
• pictures best depict the quality that
  consumers see in their
• supermarket when shopping for whole
  mushrooms.

26
Internet Survey Findings

• Whole White Mushroom Purchase Triggers
  Definitely/Probably Buy
• Like sliced mushrooms, consumer response to
  purchase intent was linked to color and
  cleanliness. In addition, between Level 3-4,
  likely purchase intent drops to less than 50.

Multiple Responses Allowed
27
Internet Survey Findings

• Sliced White Mushroom Purchase Triggers
  Probably/Definitely Not Buy
• With higher quality (Levels 1-3) nearly all
  consumers indicate that quality is acceptable.
  At Level 4, over 25 of consumers are not likely
  to make a purchase.

Multiple Responses Allowed
28
Internet Survey Respondent Profile
29
Internet Respondent Profile

• PG completed 244 total consumer intercepts
• Typical Respondent Overall
• Age 25-44 Years Old
• Household Size Two adults with no children
• Household Income 25,001 - 50,000
• Ethnicity Caucasian
• Gender Female

30
Internet Respondent Profile
While the majority of respondents had no
children, 37 had between 1 and 2 children in the
household.

31
Internet Respondent Profile
Respondents represented a wide range of ages with
the largest group two groups (28) being 25-34
years old and 35-44 years old.

32
Internet Respondent Profile
Respondents represented a wide range of income
groups with the largest group (43) earning
25,001 - 50,000.

33
Internet Respondent Profile
Respondents represented a range of ethnic groups
with the largest group (87) being Caucasian.

34
Internet Respondent Profile
Respondents represented both gender groups with
the largest group (88) being female.

35
Internet Respondent Profile
Respondents represented a range of marital status
with the largest group (57) being married.