Many consumers are again opting to save time in lieu of money, according to, “The Checkout,” a new study from marketing firms, The Integer Group and M/A/R/C. The research found that by mid year, 28 percent of shoppers describe themselves as, “preferring to spend more if it saves them time.” This compares with just 23 percent who said so in spring 2009. In addition, the 28 percent of consumers who responded that, “saving money by shopping around,” was their top preference, fell from 33 percent in the prior survey.
This shift in consumer shopping habits may be good news for convenience stores, said Randy Wahl, EVP of M/A/R/C. “Convenience stores have an opportunity to draw a larger number of shoppers if they focus on a few of the fundamental factors.” These include providing a clean store and improving the overall shopping experience. The report, which surveyed 1,200 adults, also found that consumers are now more comfortable with using credit cards than in recent months. More than a quarter said they preferred to buy on credit instead of waiting to purchase later. This is an increase from 23 percent in the earlier report.
When asked about their top criteria for selecting a store, “accepts my credit or bank cards,” increased four percent, compared to the previous month. Other criteria related to convenience, such as, “is easy for me to find the things I need,” and, “checkout is quick,” saw notable increases when compared to earlier results.