Shopping Organically: I Wish I Could Be a California Girl

I left my husband and an Ohio snowstorm behind for this view...

About a year ago, I had the opportunity to visit Santa Monica for a few days with my sister. Given that I had never been west of the Grand Canyon – as well as the fact that this meant abandoning Ohio in the middle of January – this trip was quite the treat. Aside from the fantastic shopping, one of the other key memories I retain from our four day excursion was this city’s focus on healthy living. The walking, the biking, the running, the surfing, the oceanside weight lifting, the Pinkberry…and that fantastic Third Street Promenade Farmer’s Market.

When we polled consumers on Organic Products for our February survey, I got to wondering if the impression of the healthier lifestyle I got in Santa Monica was a marketplace reality. So, is any one census region more likely than the others to embrace Organic Products (and the [arguably] greater health benefits that come along with them)?

According to this month’s survey, two in five Adults 18+ (60.0%) indicate that they regularly or occasionally purchase Organic Products. This figure increases to nearly seven in ten adults living out West, the highest among the four Census Regions [see chart]. So appears that there is at least some truth to the rumor that I have been spreading in this very blog. Northeasterners are about average when it comes to buy Organic, Southerners are slightly below, and we Midwesterners are the least likely to shop the big O [“O” as in Organic…of course].

The Western states are also home to more consumers who are committed Organic buyers; 14.1% of these residents purchase these products “regularly.” In fact, this figure is 60%+ higher than those in the Midwest who buy “regularly” (8.6%). In the South and Northeast, shoppers are more likely to trend along the nationwide average of about 12%.

Interestingly, the Organic products actually purchased don’t vary too widely among the census regions. Shoppers across the U.S. are most likely to purchase Organic Produce, followed by Dairy Products, Breads, Meat & Poultry, Juices, and Cereals. Though given the more regional nature of the grocery industry, the retailers preferred for Organics do vary across our country’s four quadrants. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are shopped most often in the West and Northeast, while Walmart and Kroger are favorites in the Midwest and South:

For more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey – FEB-12 (N = 8716, 2/1 – 2/8/12)

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

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One in Four McDonald’s Customers Unhappy with Their Health

Is there a sad-faced clown behind Ronald McDonald’s smiling veneer? According to new analysis by BIGinsight™ of fast food restaurant customers*, McDonald’s patrons are the unhappiest** with their health. Conversely, Chick-fil-A diners reported being the happiest, followed by Subway and Arby’s.

McDonald’s, though, doesn’t stand alone when it comes to customers at odds with their wellbeing. More than one in five Taco Bell, Wendy’s, and Burger King diners also indicated they were “totally unhappy” or “unhappy” with their health.

While McDonald’s and other burger-and-fries eateries are often lambasted for fueling America’s problems with obesity, this may not just be a case of “you are what you eat.” After all, Chick-fil-A does serve up fried chicken and those tasty waffle fries which I love to dip in mayo. Many sandwich offerings at Arby’s tip the scales at 500+ calories apiece, and at Subway, that $5 footlong will cost you much more in fat and calories when you add bacon, double cheese, and extra mayo [OK, maybe I have a mayo problem.]

The difference between fast food customers who are happier with their health, though, is that away from the drive-thru, these people are more prone to exercise [see chart], count their calories, focus on fat intake, and watch their health in general. So, waffle-fries-with-mayo is probably more like a guilty pleasure than the lunchtime norm to these patrons.

Need more evidence? About three in ten McDonald’s customers say they don’t do anything with regard to their health (such as exercising; watching calories, carbs, salt or fat intake; buying organic; etc.) Burger King connoisseurs aren’t far behind with this sentiment.

For more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

* McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, Burger King, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, Arby’s, and KFC customers were analyzed for this report. “Customers” are defined as those who eat most often at a given fast food restaurant (an unaided, write-in response).

** Respondents were posed with this question: On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being “Totally Unhappy,” and 5 being “Totally Happy,” how would you rate your happiness level with your Health?

Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey – FEB-12 (N = 8716, 2/1 – 2/8/12)

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

The Help, War Horse, The Artist are Consumers’ Best Picture Picks

If consumers had the vote on OSCAR® night, they’d select The Help for the top prize at the upcoming ceremony. This is all, of course, according to the nearly 9,000 respondents in our February Consumer Survey.  One in four (25.2%) are predicting that the bestseller will translate to Best Picture, while War Horse (17.5%) and The Artist (16.5%) are consumers’ other top contenders.

Although decidedly not the typical “click flick,” support for The Help grows among females. More than a third of ladies 18 to 34 (34.9%) deem it OSCAR®-worthy, while nearly as many women 35+ (32.0%) say the same. Young Men (18 to 34) are calling a much tighter race among the top three flicks: War Horse (15.7%), The Help (15.6%), The Artist (14.9%). Men 35+ are more likely to place odds on War Horse (22.4%) or The Artist (18.6%), rather than The Help (17.7%).

Among the other nominees for Best Picture, consumers place The Tree of Life, Midnight in Paris ­(although an excellent non-Woody-Allen Woody Allen flick), and Hugo as the least likely contenders to win the Academy’s top award.

Interestingly, when asked to select their favorite movies of the Best Picture contenders (as opposed to the movie they predict will win), Moneyball enters the game. The Brad-Pitt-helmed flick scores a home run with Men 18-34 and bats second among guys over 35 (behind War Horse). Two in five women in both the 18-34 and 35+ age brackets say The Help is their favorite…#nocontesthere

Truth be told, I’m rooting for the Red Carpet telecast.

For more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey – FEB-12 (N = 8716, 2/1 – 2/8/12)

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp