Dads take over the grocery aisle

July 2, 2012

A new survey of 1,000 parents of kids 17 and under, conducted by Cone Communications reports that 52 percent of fathers now identify themselves as the primary grocery store shopper, reports Marketing Daily. And while dads say they are doing more, moms acknowledge the change, as well. Some 35 percent of the moms who responded agree that over the past few years, dad has taken on more shopping.

A new survey of 1,000 parents of kids 17 and under, conducted by Cone Communications reports that 52 percent of fathers now identify themselves as the primary grocery store shopper, reports Marketing Daily. And while dads say they are doing more, moms acknowledge the change, as well. Some 35 percent of the moms who responded agree that over the past few years, dad has taken on more shopping.

"For marketers, the big news here is that these fathers are taking their role as shoppers very seriously, and there's an earnestness about this," Bill Fleishman, president of Cone Communications. "They aren't just shopping more, they are spending more time talking with mothers and other family members about what to buy. They're very open, and that's exciting." In fact, he says, "this image of Dad as some right-brained being running in and out of the store, completely distracted by point-of-sale displays, is really outdated. Instead of there being a 'She' marketing plan and a 'He' marketing plan, there needs to be a 'They' plan. This research shows us that families are now viewing grocery shopping and spending as a shared responsibility." Dads who are primarily responsible for grocery shopping are more than twice as likely as moms to get a lot of input from other members in their household (34 percent vs. 12 percent).

The survey also found that dads are a little more time-pressured when shopping and are somewhat less distracted then women. More than half of dads collect coupons, and while dads are slightly less likely to make a detailed shopping list  (63 percent vs. 65 percent of moms), collect coupons or read circulars (56 percent vs. 62 percent), they are more likely to plan meals for the week ahead of time (52 percent vs. 46 percent).

And dads are significantly more inclined to do background research on grocery products (24 percent vs. 11 percent of moms). Their top three channels for gathering information are in-store promotions (57 percent), advertising (50 percent) and traditional media like newspapers, magazines and television (40 percent). These even outrank word of mouth from friends and family (38 percent).

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