ECR-IPSOS 2011 Research sur on perception of promotions

Executive summary

« Do consumers still believe in promotion?»

As part of general thinking on future types of promotions for Mass Market products, ECR entrusted Ipsos Marketing with the task of producing an in-depth study of consumer perceptions, behaviours and expectations in relation to promotions.

Studies combining various techniques (home interviews, “accompanied shopping trips”, consumer forums….) ending with 1000 interviews with a representative sample of people responsible for purchases in Hypermarkets and Supermarkets.

The findings are severe while presenting hope.

Severe since it highlights to what extent promotions, like all the other marketing techniques currently implemented by distributors and manufacturers, are – primarily – viewed through a prism of defiance, by consumers increasingly looking to control and “adjust” their consumption.

Indeed, 78% of the people questioned have at least one reason to view promotions with suspicion. A suspicion mainly caused by the difficulty in deciphering the many promotional mechanisms offered to them. Consequently the benefit most unanimously associated to promotions (by 83% of the people questioned) namely drop in price, is less clear and legible to consumers.

And that’s where the shortcoming lies: there are many promotions and the mechanisms used are numerous and sophisticated, and yet, they are failing at present to be viewed as anything other than a way of dressing up price drops.

Obviously these price drops are appreciated and used but – besides not always being clearly deciphered, which is detrimental to the efficiency of operations – they lead distributors and manufacturers into an infinite, deflationist spiral. They thus help to anchor in consumers’ minds the idea that price is a vague and fluctuating element which makes the value of the proposed products undecipherable.

Does this promotion, which potentially destroys value, really correspond to consumer expectations?

If we type consumer attitudes and behaviours in relation to promotions, we observe that its current “game” only really corresponds to 20% of French people: the promotion chasers.

For the latter, who are buyers of both national brands and private labels, the promotion is a means to profit from the system, and this becomes a game, a treasure hunt, enabling them to really take back power. The promotion becomes an everyday habit in which every promotion is deciphered.

The remaining 80% expressed different attitudes that are lagging in relation to the current game.

  • The price sensitives’ (27%) main objective is to bring down the price of their shopping basket. These tend to be buyers of private labels and one discount buyer looking for “Everyday low prices”. The promotion is thus just a means to make the most of national brands at a lower cost… for certain product categories. Their approach is primarily rational.
  • The qualitativists (24%) try to optimise the quality of their basket. They are buyers of national brands and of Organics and, for them, the promotion is about “getting better for the same price”, a means to move up-range that sometimes causes them to doubt the quality.
  • The impulsives (28%) allow themselves to be tempted and love to discover new things. They have a preference for national brands, which are a gage of quality. For them, the promotion is one stimulus among others at the service of novelty, pleasure. They reject restrictive mechanisms and act without premeditation. They are looking for freedom, simplicity and surprise.

The “price at any price” rationale thus seems to have reached its limits. Today, consumers expect something differentto what promotions currently offer, and there seems to be a need for everyone to move away from the price spiral.

Firstly, the urgency lies in simplifying the promotional mechanisms so that it is restored to its initial function: an adjustment tool. Promotions that would regain clarity, transparency and simplicity, offering consumers an impression of control.

Medium term, promotions can take on other roles, another function: consumers are aspiring to greater personalisation, a closer connection and freedom of choice of promotional mechanisms, but they are also looking for modernity, surprise.

Indeed, 9 ideas for promotional offers emerged strongly, heavily underlining these high expectations.

  • A fuel jackpot system
  • Personalised promotions for categories bought regularly
  • Personalised promotions based on information stored on the loyalty card
  • A shopping cart screen indicating promotions in the aisle and displaying discount vouchers
  • Lots that you can put together yourself
  • A shopping cart screen indicating promotions in the aisle with the possibility of inserting your loyalty card
  • The purchase of discount vouchers
  • A shopping list on the Internet offering a discount voucher and promotions on the shopping list
  • The possibility of receiving discount vouchers during TV ads

The adjustment can thus also be made in relation to other criteria so that promotions (once again)can play the role of creating connections, bringing magic back into everyday life.

Informations et contact

ECR France:Xavier Hua () ou Emilie Chalvignac ()

IPSOS: Dominique Levy () et Solweig Dop ()

ACCARESEARCH: Françoise Acca ()

ECR France – 14 rue Magellan - 75008 PARIS

Téléphone : 01.56.89.89.30 - Télécopie : 01.56.89.89.33 - E-mail : - Site Internet :

CODE APE : 9499Z, N°SIRET : 413 957 143 00022