For a start, says Packaged Facts - which draws on data from a 2012 Experian Simmons National Consumer Survey of more than 25,000 US adults - people in a household with an income of more than $75,000 represent more than 50% of Super Target shoppers versus 35% of Walmart shoppers.
Conversely, people in a household with a very low income (less than $25,000) represent just 13% of Super Target shoppers versus 21% of Walmart shoppers.
But while Super Target attracts a bigger share of more affluent shoppers, it also attracts more bargain hunters, with Super Target shoppers much more likely to agree with the statement ‘I shop around a lot to take advantage of specials or bargains’ than shoppers at Walmart, Fred Meyer and Meijer, says Packaged Facts.
“It’s interesting to note that SuperTarget shoppers are the most likely to shop around for the best specials or bargains on products they want, as they border on being significantly more likely than average to do so (119).”
SuperTarget shoppers over-index on several health related questions
SuperTarget shoppers also over-index on several health related questions, including the tendency to count calories, looking for organic or natural foods, preferring to know as much as possible about the ingredients in their foods, and being among the first to try new health foods and nutritional products.
They are also far more likely than Walmart shoppers to agree with the statement, ‘I am a vegetarian’, indexing at 131 for this compared with Walmart at just 95. However, other supercenter shoppers also overindex on this question with Fred Meyer at 153 and Meijer at 123.
Similarly, Super Target shoppers (123) are also more likely than Walmart shoppers (100) to agree with the statements ‘The kitchen is the most important room in my home’ and ‘I usually refer to recipes when cooking’, while Fred Meyer shoppers are the biggest fans of frozen dinners.
SuperTarget shoppers appear to be particularly fond of celebrity endorsed foodproducts
Finally, when it comes to a tendency to be swayed by celebrities (Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis etc) when purchasing products, Super Target shoppers are also ahead of the pack indexing at 144 versus 124 for Meijer, 110 for Walmart, says Packaged Facts.
“SuperTarget shoppers appear to be particularly fond of celebrity endorsed food products, as many stores have a rather large section of products endorsed by the likes of Giada De Laurentiis, including soup starter mixes, pasta sauces, and gourmet dipping sauces.”
Target’s Archer Farms private label brand is wooing Latinos, Asians, and Foodies
As for private label, several supercenter operators have invested heavily in this area in recent years, said Packaged Facts publisher David Sprinkle.
"Supercenters have upped the ante in terms of the breadth of private label products offered, the type of product information displayed on packaging, and the level of premiumization of these products.
“When it comes to cultivating a large and loyal base of multicultural consumers, few retail outlets can compete with the efforts of Target.
“Target’s expansion of its Archer Farms private label brand into a variety of premium internationally-inspired products has made it even more popular with several highly influential grocery shopper segments: Latinos, Asians, and Foodies.”
For more information on the Packaged Facts report, The Supercenter Grocery Shopper: US Consumer Patterns at Walmart, Target, Meijer, and Fred Meyer, click here.