Tesco Media today unveils Moving Mindsets, a landmark behavioural study about how shoppers think, feel, and make decisions in grocery environments. It reveals that most purchasing isn’t in fact habitual – with only one in four (24%) products bought on a routine basis – whereas seven in ten shoppers (71%) enjoy discovering new brands during their shop. That means the majority of the basket is open to influence, underlining the opportunity for brands to inspire people while they shop.
The study – conducted in partnership with independent consultancy MTM and analysing more than 7,000 Tesco shoppers – identifies seven distinct shopper mindsets. It uncovers that nearly half of the grocery journey is spent in an emotionally open, constant inspiration ecosystem.
Not creatures of habit
The study shows that shoppers are immersed in a ‘Constant Inspiration Ecosystem’. Ideas come from everywhere – social feeds, family and friends, retailer emails, Tesco.com browsing, in-store cues – and shape decisions long before a shopper reaches the shelf. Over 50% of shoppers discover new products before they even begin a shop, while a similar number do so during their shopping mission.
The research makes clear that most grocery purchasing isn’t habitual, but that shopping is more of a fluid, mindset-driven journey, rather than a linear funnel. Only one in four (24%) products are bought on a routine basis, while 7 in 10 shoppers (71%) enjoy discovering new brands during their shop.
Shoppers enjoy discovering new brands, and the final decision on what to buy overwhelmingly happens in the moment, with 71% saying they make most of their choices during the shop itself.
Changing moods and mindsets
The study shows that people move fluidly through different moods and mindsets during their shopping, with 78% changing mindsets at least once, experiencing 2.5 mindsets on average. Half (51%) switch from ‘functional’ to ‘emotive’ mindsets at some stage during their shop – proving that even the most focused shoppers can be inspired to try new products. This creates real opportunities for brand inspiration, consideration and influence across the entire shopping experience from sofa to store.
Moving Mindsets opens up significant brand-building opportunities, not just for FMCG but for non-endemic advertisers too. The study shows that 78% of shoppers are open to contextually relevant advertising from non-endemic brands – those that cannot be bought in a grocery store – including financial services, entertainment, travel and healthcare. Advertisers are well placed to leverage these insights to intentionally guide shoppers from functional thinking into more open, discovery-led modes through digital priming, onsite content, in-store displays and value-led cues.
By layering these findings on top of Clubcard insights, brands can understand not just who their customers are, but why they buy and when they are most receptive to inspiration and therefore when and where to invest.
Stacy Gratz, Sales and Marketing Director at Tesco Media, said: “The supermarket isn’t just a place where decisions are finalised; it’s a place where they are formed. Moving Mindsets contradicts the popular assumption that people walk into a supermarket with their minds made up and a list ready to tick off. Instead, this research shows that shoppers are curious, eager to discover new products, and open to inspiration throughout their journey.
Brands need to be part of the Constant Inspiration Ecosystem that influences buyer behaviour, before and during the shop, weaving in off-site touchpoints to prime and prompt ahead of the shopping mission. And our studies show when brands show up with the right message, at the right moment, they can shift shoppers into a more open, discovery-led mindset.”
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