STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Despite a significant increase in the number of convenience store visits in 2011, stores saw a lower conversion of the visitors into buyers, according to VideoMining Corp.'s National C-Store Shopper Insights (CSI) program. C-store shoppers spent less time in the stores and spend lower amount per trip, although overall same-store sales trended up, it said.
VideoMining a leading provider of in-store intelligence for retailers and consumer product manufacturers.
The research was conducted using a sample of 48 c-stores from major retailers in 11 U.S. markets. It employed VideoMining's in-store measurement and analytics technology to quantitatively analyze shopping behavior of millions of shoppers over the same periods in 2011 and 2010 to uncover the trends. It integrated the large behavioral data set with transaction data to provide visibility into the path-to-purchase of c-store shoppers and factors that impact purchase decisions.
There were also many shifts in behavior for different demographics, especially for younger age groups and Hispanic shoppers in specific categories such as candy and beer.
"We expected changes, but were quite surprised by the magnitude of shifts in shopping pattern within a year," said Dr. Rajeev Sharma, CEO of VideoMining, "Understanding and responding to these trends is important for both the retailers and manufacturers in this dynamic channel."
The results of VideoMining's C-store Shopper Insights program are available in over two dozen in-depth research reports--including overall channel trend as well as "deep dives" into all major product categories and special topics, such as foodservice, beverages, snacks and Hispanic shoppers.
Now in its fourth year of the tracking program, VideoMining plans to expand the panel to 120 stores in 2012 by including more markets, retailers and store formats. The expanded program will analyze tens of millions of convenience trips including longitudinal tracking to understand seasonal trends and impact of holidays on convenience trips.
Sharma will be presenting highlights from the findings at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) State of Industry Summit in Chicago on April 4, 2012.
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