Symrise study reveals why consumers are driven to perimeter of stores

20 Nov 2017 --- Symrise Flavors has released the findings of a comprehensive study, Perimeter of the Store, which analyzes the factors that drive consumers to store perimeters. These findings are helping to drive the development of new products at Symrise and the findings are being made available to customers.

Perimeter of the Store suggests that consumer movement to the perimeter is largely driven by interest in the healthy, fresh and real foods that are sold beyond the center aisles. The positioning of cash registers and products such as fresh bread, frozen fruits and vegetables, dairy, eggs, meat, poultry, seafood, deli products and fresh fruits and vegetables are the draw. Popular categories including chilled ready meals, refrigerated soups, dips, salsas and dressings are also found in the perimeters while center aisle items such as high fiber cereal, natural peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit and canned beans are less frequently sought after.

Dylan Thompson, Marketing Consumer Insight Specialist with Symrise’s Marketing, Sensory and Consumer Insights Group, said the Perimeter of the Store study identified convenience, healthy, specialized, ethnic and authentic characteristics as top trends in the Chilled Ready Meals category. In the Refrigerated Soup category, healthy, homemade, vegetarian and nutrient-dense items are preferred. Fresh dips and salsa, hummus, craft and natural and latin inspired products are trending while refrigerated dressing is in decline.

Thompson explains: “The perimeter of the store is currently growing at five times the rate of the center of the store. This anticipated growth requires a careful, ongoing study of the factors that motivate purchases. We have identified product purchase influences that include the Health Halo effect; the Changing American Family; the Millennial Influence and the impact of digital devices such as the internet, smartphones and food programming on network and cable television sources such as Netflix.”

The Symrise report identifies Millennials as the main influencers with the older segment of this group, 30 to 37-year olds, keeping an eye out for “natural” labeling – a factor of less interest to those on the older and younger end of the spectrum. The report also reveals the Millennial approach to diets and ways of eating, citing vegetarian and gluten-free diets, their preference for natural ingredients and the avoidance of artificial ingredients. The use of juice cleansing with a growing interest in detox methods was additionally noted.