July 27, 2005

US pork study shows surprising consumer trends
 

US consumers choose pork for freshness, not price, according to the country's National Pork Promotion & Research Board, which published earlier this month its second study on factors affecting consumers pork-buying decisions.

The study was conducted September and October last year in five geographically distinct markets, with consumers observed when shopping and interviewed about their decision-making after that. In three markets, consumers were also accompanied and interviewed when walking through the stores.

This study follows up on a 2001 project, which found that consumers spend four minutes making general meat purchases.

Karen Boillot, retail marketing director for the board, said US shoppers looked for quality by inspecting the meat through the packaging.

Nearly 80 percent of shoppers examined at least one or more packages of meat before selecting one. They also read cooking instructions and labels. Light pork users needed two minutes and 11 seconds to make a pork selection.

Pork consumers also make loyal shoppers as they are not price-driven, Boillot said. Only 39 percent mentioned price as a factor when making their purchase, with only 28 percent able to remember the price of the pork product they had just picked up.

Meat is part of almost every major meal in the US and is selected based on convenience and familiarity. Almost 30 percent of shoppers went for a specific cut or product that they already knew how to cook or use.

The study also reveals that consumers are interested in meat variety, with almost 10 percent of fresh pork purchasers also buying processed pork product. Chops are the most-purchased pork product, followed by tenderloins, ribs and roasts.

However, pork is found to be more of an impulse purchase than beef or chicken, due to consumers' discomfort in using pork as a main course in everyday meals.