Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) conducted a 24-week in-field BehaviorScan study of the introduction of card acceptance in Econofoods stores. In the test, IRI measured the impact of an aggressively marketed, value-driven credit acceptance programme.

What the study revealed
The impact of card promotion on sales
IRI research methodology

The test used an aggressively marketed credit program as its mode, and tracked actual product purchase and store shopping pattern behaviour from over 2,100 households at 16 central Iowa supermarkets, which comprise the BehaviorScan test panel. Results reported here are from two Econofoods stores representing 25% of market ACV.

As is normal with BehaviorScan methodology, consumer and non-participant retail panellists were unaware of the test. The test used a pre-test/post-test control design, with non-Econofoods stores as the control group, aggregated to mask specific competitive chain identity.

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• More than three-quarters of new card usage was due to promotion and in-store merchandising of promotions. Advertising of acceptance - even with a value message dominant - does not by itself generate trial of credit.
• Advertised and merchandised promotions generated the highest levels of incremental sales as customers stock up on sale items.
• Promoted categories and products moved with greater velocity during credit promotional periods than during non-promoted acceptance periods.
• Once consumers used credit at a supermarket, 57% continued to use it on a significant share of their shopping visits, indicating strong satisfaction with the benefits of credit.

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The test used an aggressively marketed credit programme as its mode, and tracked actual product purchase and store shopping pattern behaviour from over 2,100 households AT 16 central Iowa supermarkets, which comprise the BehaviorScan test panel. Results reported here are from two Econofoods stores representing 25% of market ACV.

As is normal with BehaviorScan methodology, consumer and non-participant retail panellists were unaware of the test. The test used a pre-test/post-test control design, with non-Econofoods stores as the control group, aggregated to mask specific competitive chain identity.

Back to top