Consumer behaviorMale Consumer Project

Ivy Schaaf & Nicholas Vogelmeier

October 25, 2016We gained a better understanding of the nature and motivation of male shoppers by interviewing 2 participants separately and analyzing behaviors at the grocery store.

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………….2

Introduction - Blaine McFerrin………………………………………………………..3

Field Analysis………………………………………………………………………….4-5

Introduction - Adam Piotrowicz………………………………………………………6

Field Analysis………………………………………………………………………….7-8

Themes & Comparing Analysis……………………………………………………9-12

Appendices

Appendix A: Interview Transcription – Blaine McFerrin………………………..13-21

Appendix B: Interview Transcription – Adam Piotrowicz………………………22-30

Personal Reflection - Interview and Video………………………………………31-32

**Inserted:

Field Notes

USB:

Interview

Shopping GoPro Video

YouTube Link to Blaine’s Field Analysis

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Executive Summary

Our objective was to conduct our own consumer research at a retail store by

observing our two male participant’s shopping behaviors. We interviewed them

separately about their experiences and shopping habits to gain a better

understanding of what influences them to buy. We used a GoPro to prove our

field analysis for Blaine McFerrin and show how one consumer makes his way

throughout the grocery store with a child. We also used a GoPro in both

interviews to show comfort and power status. We researched and analyzed five

themes: brand loyalty, how shopping has changed throughout their lifetime, how

shopping has changed since they have had children, how their shopping habits

as a parent differs from their parents, and their views on shopping lists.

Throughout this project you will see many similarities and differences between

the two participants, but both interesting views on the same topic.

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Introduction:

Blaine McFerrin:

Blaine McFerrin is a 38-year-old married man that has two children. He works

full-time as the Assistant Coach for Western Michigan University’s Baseball

team. Since Blaine doesn’t have the “standard” work schedule, going shopping

differs from week to week. His children are also important factors in when he can

shop. Blaine prefers grocery shopping at the Meijer in Portage, MI because of it’s

geographical location. It is the most convenient place for him and he knows how

to get around quickly. Before having kids, Blaine would barely go grocery

shopping. He would rather just spend the money on going out to eat when it is

just two of them. Since having kids, Blaine goes grocery shopping more

frequently.

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Field Analysis

Blaine McFerrin

We decided to video record our shopping trip with Blaine because he

brought his child and wanted to prove if shopping with a child would influence

any decision-making. Would Blaine buy products he wouldn’t buy if he were to go

to the store by himself?

Blaine McFerrin always chooses the Meijer in Portage, MI because it is

close to home and convenient. He brought his son, Sullivan, on this trip to the

grocery store because his wife was busy at home. Blaine stated that Sundays

were the worst time to go to the grocery store because that is when everyone

else is trying to get it done. He also stated that, “he goes when his kids allow

him”.

Blaine always starts out in the produce section. He did not have a

shopping list, because he thinks lists are for women only. He would rather go up

and down every aisle than stick to a list “like his wife”.  However, in the interview

he states, “my pre-shopping plan usually begins right before I leave the house.

Telling my wife, can you text me a shopping list. That’s usually my plan, it’s, I

typically when I go to the store I don’t like having a list, because usually if you

leave something off a list you can only go by the list.” He went through the entire

produce section and bought a variety of different fruits and vegetables. After, he

started walking towards the refrigerated section and asked his son, Sullivan, if he

wanted hot dogs (his favorite food) and Sullivan got super excited. Blaine handed

his son the hot dogs and that kept him occupied for the rest of the trip.

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It was interesting to see the impulse buys that Blaine had. He would walk

up and down every aisle and when we walked down the candy aisle he grabbed

3 packs of gum and said, “this is why we go up and down every aisle”. We

noticed that he bought off-brand cinnamon toast crunch and the can mandarins,

which was interesting because in the interview he didn’t have exactly positive

thoughts on off-brand cereal. He stated, “if I had to think of there are a couple

cereals that you know you’re not going to make a concession by buying the

cheap brand. You’re going to get that cereal. Like with MiniWheat’s you’re going

to get I think it’s Kellogg, I’d be impressed if it was Kellogg. But you’re going to

buy MiniWheat’s, you’re not going to buy the cheap brand because the cheap

brand really sucks.”

He then bought the cheaper fat free gallon of milk and 2 dozens of eggs

that he explained were “essential”. He picked up 2 bags of animal crackers and

let his son hold them because he was getting fussy. His son threw them to the

ground and Blaine said, “Are we all done?”

We walked past the produce section on the way out and Blaine noticed

that they restocked bananas and he switched out his bananas for the newer

ones. He then picked up 2 packs of blueberries and stated, “alright we’re done”

and walked towards the checkout aisle. Another impulse buy of rotisserie chicken

took place and then we made it to the checkout. Blaine stated, “the worse thing

about grocery shopping is the lines”. He would much rather go at night around

10:00 or 11:00p.m to avoid them.

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Introduction:

Adam Piotrowicz:

Adam Piotrowicz is a 30-year-old married man with one child. We chose to do

Adam because he had a child around the same age as Blaine McFerrin and we

thought it would be a good comparison. Adam Piotrowicz is the assistant

coach/recruiting coordinator for Western Michigan University’s baseball team. He

doesn’t have the ‘typical’ work schedule because the time

demands vary (just like Blaine). Adam prefers grocery

shopping at Costco in Kalamazoo, MI because of the free

samples and the geographic location. We were not able to

video him in the store. Adam doesn’t typically do the

shopping; he goes for himself maybe once a month. He will

go with his wife to help out once or twice during the month

as well. She typically does all of the shopping because he

doesn’t want to mess up.

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Field Analysis

Adam Piotrowicz:

Adam chose his favorite shopping place, which is Costco. He told us that

he loves Costco for the free samples and it is a cheap way to eat lunch and do

something productive. Adam was able to go because his wife and his child were

at his mother-in-law’s house.

The first thing that we did as soon as we walked in the door is go to the

electronics section. We then went and looked at the televisions because there

was a game on that Adam was interested in. After walking through the

electronics section, we saw our first sample. Adam stopped and ate it. Then we

slowly started making our way around the store trying to hit as many samples on

the way.

After checking the store for samples, we proceeded to grocery shop. We went to

the ‘bulky bakery section’. We picked up cinnamon bread. We went and got more

samples by this section. Then went to the frozen section and tried to find frozen

pizzas. In the same aisle as the frozen section, he found milk and eggs. Adam

picked up a couple of 2 liters for a get together later in the week he was having.

Adam picked up nutria-bars to go with his lunch everyday.

After picking up the nutria-bars, he headed and got a case of water. He

looked at the prices and got the most amounts for the cheapest price. He ended

up not getting diapers because they didn’t supply the right style for his child,

Hunter. But we did get the formula that the pediatrician recommended. He went

over to the toy section because he was reminded of his son after being in the

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children's section. He didn’t end up buying any toys because Hunter already had

all of the new toys that Costco had out.

Adam had a list that he does try to follow but if the price or the quality of

the food doesn’t look right, then he crosses it off the list. If he gets what he wants

for the right price, he buys it and puts a checkmark next to the items on the list.   

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Themes & Comparison Analysis

Brand loyalty

Brand loyalty was a common topic between both Blaine and Adam. Blaine liked

Meijer brands because he believes they are comparable to regular named

brands. He compared Meijer, Target, and Wal-Mart brands. He said Wal-Mart

there are huge differences between Wal-Mart brands and the comparable

brands, he had a negative perspective on them. He thought Target was the top-

notch retail store because they are high-end and most expensive, and he

believed that Meijer was right in the middle. We thought it was interesting

because in the interview he talked about buying name brands of cereals but in

the store he bought off-brand Cinnamon Toast Crunch. They both agreed on the

Wal-Mart vs Target or Meijer brands and how Wal-Mart off-brands aren’t

necessarily as comparable to each other. Blaine and Adam both had negative

views towards Wal-Mart and their off-brands.

How shopping has changed throughout their lifetime

Blaine believes that shopping has changed throughout his lifetime in the sense

that people are now more health conscious and pay more attention to what they

are putting into their bodies. The FDA has put more regulations on foods and

people are doing more research. Adam looked at this question as more of him

and his wife compared to his parents. Adam stated, “I think my parents were

more likely to buy a lot more stuff where my wife and I kind of just stick to what

we, stick to our plan and go with it and where I know my parents would go in with

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a plan and then they would always end up getting more than what they bargained

for or more than what they planned on getting.” So what he is trying to say is that

he goes in with a plan and does it best to stick to it. When we went to the store

with him it was interesting to see the accomplishment on his face every time he

crossed something off of the shopping list his wife gave him.

How shopping has changed since they have children

Blaine does more research now on what he buys, especially when he buys food

for the whole family to eat. Having kids has made him more aware, and apt to

buy healthier for the sake of his family. Blaine also stated, “before it was pretty

much just not a big deal, um, you know when we had - before kids. It was, we

didn’t really go grocery shopping that much other than for the general items.”

Blaine and his wife used to eat out way more often when it was just the two of

them. Blaine said it was overall cheaper, and quicker. Blaine believes that getting

the kids ready, making sure they are changed, you have a bottle and diaper bags

ready is a pre-shopping ritual now. Adam believes that you have to work and

plan around your child. Such as, how long you are going to be in there and what

times will he will be “allowed” to go. Adam is more brand loyal to a type of baby

formula and trusts the pediatrician when it comes to what to feed your child.  

Views on different superstores

Blaine was more loyal to Meijer because of the geographic location, while

Blaine’s wife would rather shop at a Target because that is her favorite store.

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That didn’t seem to change Blaine’s outlook however. Blaine believes that a

Meijer or Target has much better name brands than Wal-Mart. He believes you

don’t get what you pay for when you buy the Wal-Mart brand. However, he has

negative views on going shopping no matter where he is. It seems more as a

burden to him and something he has to do, not wants to do.

Adam was more loyal to Costco because of the samples. He doesn’t mind the

shopping experience as much. He also prefers Meijer and Target over Wal-Mart

because of the poor Wal-Mart products. He refuses to buy meat there because of

an incident that happened that his wife heard about while she was working there.

He also believes you don’t get what you pay for.

Views on shopping lists

Blaine stated, “My pre-shopping plan usually begins right before I leave the

house. Telling my wife, can you text me a shopping list. That’s usually my plan,

it’s, I typically when I go to the store I don’t like having a list, because usually if

you leave something off a list you can only go by the list. If I forget something, I

might as well forget it while at the store even when I go up and down every aisle.”

At the store, Blaine didn’t use a list and stated, “Lists are for women” then

proceeded to go down every aisle.

Adam stated, “Umm, when I’m by myself, I’m easier influenced to grab something

that’s not on the list because my wife usually makes the list and umm, but when

I’m with her and or when we shop together, or if my wife goes she’s, she is a

Nazi with that list like everything, she's got it planned out she's got coupons

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planned out, she's super organized she's kind of OCD, which I'm the complete

opposite of that so kind of balances everything out I guess you could say but

yeah I’m more prone to definitely go off the list if she's not around cause I’m like

ahh, we need this too she just wasn’t thinking about it.” Adam used a list while

shopping and stuck to it pretty well. The only thing he did that we noticed that

was off the list is eat every sample that he walked by.

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Appendix A

Blaine McFerrin Interview

October 18th, 2016

I: Ivy Schaaf         N: Nick Vogelmeier       B: Blaine McFerrin

I: Okay so please state your name and age.

B: Blaine McFerrin and I am 38 years old.

I: Awesome. Please describe the ideal shopping trip for you.

B: The ideal shopping trip for me would be one that begins and ends quickly. Um,

I think it changes a little bit when you have kids, it’s all about getting in and out as

fast as possible. Um so, ideally go in, grab the items, go to the checkout, get

through the checkout in a timely manner.

I: Okay, how often do you go grocery shopping?

B: Um me personally it, in our family it is typically once a week probably, maybe if

we stock up on a lot of things once every two weeks. Um but it really kind of

depends on the back and forth between my wife and kids. I might go one week

and she might go the next week, um she does the majority of it. But, if we can get

away without taking both kids to the grocery store that would be awesome. But,

so uh family wise once a week, individually maybe once every couple of weeks.

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I: Okay. Um, tell us if there is a store you are loyal to? If so, tell us about it.

B: Um, loyalty would probably go as far as geographic location. Um, Meijer is the

easiest one for us to get to that’s why we are loyal to it I guess. In all honestly,

we would probably rather chop off our little toes than go to Meijer. (Laughter) Um,

we can’t stand Meijer, we can’t stand the bigger stores. We like the littler stores

to be honest with you because they are simpler to navigate through um and plus

the clientele is always very interesting at the larger stores. Um you never know

what you’re going to run into so we typically like the smaller ones but I guess I’m

the big stores culture has got you right now. Everything’s there all in one stop

and it has more variety. Because the more variety it is a little cheaper. That’s the

way it goes.

I: What does a trip to the grocery store mean to you?

B: Stress. (Laughter) Stress and oh my gosh, do we have to do this already? Do

we have to go to the store already? Um yeah, it just seems like one extra thing

you know, that we need to do. My wife and I joke around sometimes at how

awesome it would be if we lived in a bigger city. They have got these services

now to where a lot of the grocery stores will have grocery drivers now um to

where they order it online for a minimal feel like $20. Um and we joke around at

how awesome it would be to have this type of service.

I: Like curbside service you’re talking about?

B: Oh no, you order it online and the store has drivers that deliver it to you. Oh

it’s phenomenal. Most of that is in the bigger cities, and some of those drivers are

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a third party. Their not exactly the stores. But anyway, that for me is - we have so

many things going on between I don’t exactly have the typical job, so the time

demands are a little different but uh and then my wife’s at home with two kids

and it’s pretty much just chaos all the time so a trip to the store is just almost like

oh my gosh who’s going to do it this week I guess I will so.

I: That kind of answers my next question with uh please tell me your

general impressions of grocery shopping, negative, positive? More like the

negative side you think?

B: Before it was pretty much just not a big deal, um, you know when we had -

before kids. It was, we didn’t really go grocery shopping that much other than for

the general items. When I say general items I mean - you know a case of water,

laundry detergent things like that. Food items were minimal only because trying

to cook for two people sucks and you might as well spend the money for two

people to go out because you could find a place that was just as cheap anyway.

But now it's a little different um we have to go to the store we have to get diapers

we have to get baby food and we can now cook for four and it's cheaper. So it's a

little bit different now than it was. And general impressions, I don’t think it has

every been positive, I don’t think, YEAH it's time to go to Meijer that’s awesome.

But its negative only because of time demands.

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I: Okay so tell me about do you have a pre-shopping plan? Like everything

that occurs before the grocery store?

B: My pre-shopping plan usually begins right before I leave the house. Telling my

wife, can you text me a shopping list. That’s usually my plan, it’s, I typically when

I go to the store I don’t like having a list, because usually if you leave something

off a list you can only go by the list. If I forget something, I might as well forget it

while at the store even when I go up and down every aisle. Not really, um I would

say pretty much now more than ever the pre-shopping plan is nothing anything

different than your typical plan of when you go to leave the house with kids. Is

you know get the kids ready, make sure their changed, you have a bottle, get the

diaper bags ready and it’s just more of a claim more than anything.

I: Right. Tell me about the overall shopping experience from the moment

you walk in until you pay for your purchases.

B: I don’t mind the shopping experience, just because I am kind of a people

watcher anyway and you know when you go to Meijer or Wal-Mart typically there

is an abundance of interesting people to say the least. Um, you know the worst

part of it is trying to get out of the store getting in and out is usually typically a

mess especially if you go at a wrong time. Which for us typically the best time to

go is after the kids go to bed so it’s a little bit later at night. So even if your going

around 10, 11 at night it's awesome because there’s not as many people there

but there is more workers there that have things all over the place and space

between aisles and when you go to checkout it’s um mostly just self checkout

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lanes and the people working those lanes instead of being backup up forever.

Um but for the most part, the overall experience is what to be expected. You

already know what’s gonna happen when you go in. If I’m sayin’ an overall

experience - average.

N: So tell us some brands you're loyal to? And the history behind it?

B: Brands I’m loyal to um. I typically like the Meijer brands just because a lot of

the Meijer brands are comparable to one of the major brands you know like

almost every item they have and you look at them and compare them to so and

so. It’s a little bit cheaper but if you go to Wal-Mart, their brands aren’t as

comparable to some major brands but they are cheaper than Meijer. So I mean

it’s like pick and choose what you want to get. I think Meijer is good for that, but if

you look at a say Target, Target’s really nice. Um they are like the upper echelon

as far as far as different items I think that’s why my wife loves Target. Um as far

as the cheaper end. But, there’s not really one brand I am loyal to, if I had to

think of there are a couple cereals that you know you’re not going to make a

concession by buying the cheap brand. You’re going to get that cereal. Like with

Mini-Wheats you’re going to get I think it’s Kellogg, I’d be impressed if it was

Kellogg. But you’re going to buy Mini-Wheats, you’re not going to buy the cheap

brand because the cheap brand really sucks. You know, so I think if I went

through I think that there are a few items that you are just not going to say, well

at least I’m not, I can’t stand the off brand items. Um, cereals come to mind. Um,

a couple of the yogurts, I can’t stand the cheap yogurts. Um definitely like the

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brand name ones like Yoplait. But a few of those. But you know most of the

major supermarkets are actually going you can tell the that they are pulling the

same exact items that their brand name like ingredients and what not so you

might as well go for the cheaper so. So not a huge loyalty in there.

N: So then in your opinion, is there a difference between brand and non-

brand items?

B: Depends on the place. I think some supermarkets you go to, there is not that

much of a difference. Um, at other places there are. I think at Wal-Mart there are

huge differences in their items and the brand name items. Meijer I think it’s a little

bit closer. I think that the discrepancy is not as wide as would you say as Wal-

Mart. Um however, there is always going to be some items for whatever reason,

they’re just - no one can replicate them. You know, whether it be the marketing or

whatever they have done they have done a good job and um there are a few out

there. For me, I don’t think there is a huge difference, I think there used to be, I

think there used to be a huge difference between brand name and non-brand

name. Nowadays, I don’t think that is that big of difference.

N: So tell us about how shopping has changed since you were a kid.

B: I think overall it is -  I think today’s I think everybody today is a little bit more

nutrition intelligent. Um, I think people are a little more aware of what is good for

them and what’s not. I think that’s the brand names to make better items. Um, I

think companies have to make better products, make more nutritious products. I

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think back in the day, I think in person I think it's really bad of what kind of food is

put out there and what the FDA is allowing to be put on the shelves. I think it's

horrible. Uh but, compared now to what it was when I was a kid, I think that it has

gotten a lot better. So, um, if you do enough research you’ll see what’s good for

you and what’s not. What’s being allowed for people to buy. Um, I think back

then it is better than what when I was a kid. But I still think there's a lot of

consumer awareness that needs to be out there for everyone to look at.

N: Do you do research for your children’s food?

B: Yeah! Absolutely. Um, and the scary part about it I would say one of the

reasons why I’m probably more aware now about it is because of our kids. You

go out there and you start looking at you know, why is Red-Dye 40 even used

usually it is just for appearance. And if you look at what Red-Dye 40 actually

does and some of the side effects it has, especially in women, it’s kind of like oh

my gosh, why are we even ingest that why do companies even use that you

know. It’s, it gets pretty detailed. You know, so I would say that yes. A Lot of

research goes into it. Is it full-proof, are we doing everything we possibly can,

could we probably do a little bit more, but it's only to say that you have to do

more because of what is put on the shelf these days so.

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N: Um, tell me other than the diet, what has been the biggest change in

your eating since college.

B: College age it’s pretty much just about price. You know, it’s you're trying to

save money. And you're not even that concerned about it because as a college

athlete you're burning off so many calories anyways. So you're, not only looking

for something that's cheap to get you full, but you're not even worried about the

fat intake and some of the other additives. And the products, because you’re

burning it off so quickly anyway. So it's not - you don’t see the results of what you

put in your body as much as you will when your metabolism slows down. Um so

it's you’re kind of, it’s pretty much all just on money-based back in the day when I

was in college uh - and what was easy. You know you go in the store you’re not

going to put together a meal very rarely you’re going to put together a meal.

You’re going to get something that you can either throw in the microwave or

something that’s frozen. Typically, not all of the time, uh but, that’s been the

biggest difference is 1. How easy is it? 2. How cheap is it?

N: Tell me about how shopping has changed throughout your lifetime.

B: Um, it probably hasn’t changed a whole lot. Other than nobody ever wants to

do it. Nobody ever looks forward to doing it. So you’re always trying to get in and

out in a timely manner anyway. Um, nobody ever wants to spend a ton of money

at a grocery store, everyone wants to get in there, everybody that I know is not

buying the most expensive item anyway. Um, so that really hasn’t changed that

much. I would say what has changed is you know, consumer awareness. Um,

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being able to buy the right items, being able to buying items that are a little

healthier for you um, items that are I mean gosh if you really think about it the

organic wave of everything. Um, I would throw that in there as consumer

awareness. You know, pesticides, and chemicals that are being used on different

foods and that's why people are wanting to buy organic. Why is organic more

expensive? You know it's - besides the point. So yeah I think the biggest

changes throughout my life is just um the awareness to be able to eat healthier.

Um and that in turn is made the larger companies change what they put on there.

N: So then tell us how your shopping habits differ from your parents.

B: Um, more or less about what we just talked about, I think you know my

parents they weren’t as aware of what was nutritious and healthy. Um, and

whether it was you know um, a lot of sweets, a lot of sugars, a lot of things that

you know a lot of just empty fillers and empty calories that just didn’t have any

type of nutritious value to it. And it wasn’t unheard of so much back in the day -

it’s just what it was.

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Appendix B

Adam Piotrowicz Interview

October 18th, 2016

I: Ivy Schaaf N: Nick Vogelmeier A: Adam Piotrowicz

I: Please state your name and age.

A: Adam Piotrowicz and I am 30.

I: Okay. Please describe your ideal shopping trip for you.

A: Um, I would say the ideal shopping trip would be one where I know what

exactly I am looking to get going into it so I kind of have a plan. Uh, cause if I

don’t I get pretty off the pace pretty quick and can end up spending a half hour,

hour longer in there then I need to be. And I usually do not have that much time

so it's good for me to have a list in place right away so I can just minimize any

kind of wasted time. It helps me get in and out quick.

I: Alright. How often do you go grocery shopping?

A: Um, by myself maybe once a month because usually my wife handles a lot of

it but yeah I’ll go with her every now and then when I can so I would say two or

three times a month. We usually have stuff we have to get weekly, especially

since having a kid there is always things that you can only buy a certain amount

of that will last him a week or two, especially because he is a fat little kid. So, he

goes through formula in like five days so we are constantly going back and once

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we go back, we never really want to go for one thing there is always just

something around the house that we can get.

I: Is there a store that you are loyal to, if so, can you tell me why?

A: Um, probably Costco or Meijer. Uh my wife worked at Wal-Mart in the

summers in high school and she hated it so that’s kind of why we never go to

Wal-Mart. That was actually a big joke that whenever we would go to Wal-Mart

that both of us would come out, actually would go in there happy and would get

in an argument while in Wal-Mart and then would leave and like nothing ever

happened, so it was kind of an inside joke between us, but yeah Costco because

they got really good deals and I like eating the samples I am not going to lie it’s

pretty fun to go in there.

I: What does a trip to the grocery store mean to you?

A: A trip to the grocery store means get food that I can eat over the next couple

of days, get lunch that I can take to bring to work so I don’t have to go out five

days a week cause one of the older assistants that was here we would go out to

lunch three or four days a week and I was like I can't do this. Just spending a ton

of money everyday and so like I would make a points me or my wife would go

grocery shopping like to get specifically get things that either I can have leftovers

or that I can bring to lunch or work like lunch meat, salads, stuff like that.

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I: Tell us what your general impressions are about grocery shopping, are

they negative, positive?

A: Uhh, sucks when I have to do it by myself because I always do something

wrong, haha, no it's just something that has to be done kind of neutral would be

the best way to say it, not necessary positive not necessary negative. But, I don’t

know going to Costco I don’t think I have never gone in there mad. It’s always

fun.

I: Right. Tell us do you have a pre shopping plan? Like a pre shopping

ritual um if so what is it?

A: I don’t have one.

I: You just kind of go in and wing it?

A: Yeah just kind of go in and wing it.

I: Haha, tell us what kind of brands you are loyal to and the history behind

it?

A: Um, brands we are loyal to? Uhh, I am not really sure on that. Yeah I don’t

really know. I mean…

N: Do you buy stuff because your parents bought it or anything like that?

A: No, not really. I think my wife does that more than I do that actually. Umm, like

I think that there are certain things that she grew up on and ate a lot of, so I

wouldn’t necessary say its like brand loyalty so she um there is different things

that I know she gets because her mom always made and it's more like it's more

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like stuff for bigger meals like uhhh like her mom always made all kinds of

casseroles and stuff like that so I know she goes and buys the same exact stuff. I

don’t know what it is but I can barely even draw you a picture of what the box

looks like, but I know there are certain things that she gets. Umm as far as brand

loyalty I know we only get a certain type of formula for our kid just because of our

pediatrician and doctor say it’s the better one it’s a little more expensive but I

know we stay loyal to that because it he seems to handle it well. Like he doesn’t

get like sick or anything from it.

I: Okay. Umm, in your opinion is there a difference between brand and non

brand items?

A: Mm, yeah depending on what store you are going to. Like if I feel like you go

to a Meijer and there is not really much of a different between the brand and the

off brand Meijer stuff but I feel like if you go to a Walmart or Aldi ah or I am trying

to think of some other place that I would shop at college. Um, sometimes Target.

Yeah I think there is definitely a difference between brand stuff and the knock off

stuff. I think it's just cheaper or obviously cheaper priced but sometimes it's just

absolutely cheaper quality. Ah and not just like grocery stuff but different things

within the store, Wal-Mart or a Target and I can't tell you how many things I have

bought there and have broke within a month or have to return within two weeks

because uh it's just not what I paid for so.

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N: Tell us your overall shopping experience from the moment you walk into

the moment you pay?

A: Umm, well I walk in and try to have a plan uh try to have a umm a list in place

try to have uh trying to go in and I know where most everything is in the store I'm

going into so I kind of start in one area and work my way around the store

however I need to be and then sometimes I get distracted, sometimes I will see

something that I really I think about the time I went shopping with you I think I got

caught up looking down the outdoor appliance aisle umm and obviously the

samples. I went back to the samples a couple times but that would be common

little uhh, common plan, umm, and then up until the moment I pay for everything,

when it's  by myself it’s a lot easier when it’s not by myself sometimes the trip

might get shortened because umm, maybe my wife needs to get home for

something or she needs to leave because she is on call for work or our kid is all

of the sudden  getting fussy and depending on what time, like that’s affected us

like as far as what time we can go grocery shopping like we have to try and plan

it around his meals or plan it around like when he is going to sleep umm, just so

he is easier to deal with cause he gets bored pretty quickly if he’s tired or if he’s

hungry he gets pretty fed up with the hole sitting in the cart thing. Although he

does like just figure out how to lounge now so he just sits there with his arms

back and one leg up on the front so, he thinks he’s pretty cool.

N: Tell us about how shopping has changed since you have had a child?

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A: Umm, Well I kind of just said that, you kind of have to change what you're

trying to do or work or plan it around him and thankfully he's not a big screamer

or crier or anything like that so that doesn’t make us like go in and be completely

embarrassed the whole time like we see other families where we have Hunter in

our cart, and we see other families with a kid who is the same age or a year older

and there just having an absolute nightmare of a time and they look miserable

and hasn’t changed us to much other than maybe how long we are going to be in

there or what times we have to go and at the end he always gets ice cream so I

guess that has changed but it’s good for the both of us.

N: Tell us about how your shopping habits as a parent differs from your

parents?

A: I don’t think it really does, I mean I’m sure it will at some point umm, I think my

parents were more likely more likely, do you need to pause it?

N: No

A: oh okay, I think my parents were more likely to buy a lot more stuff where my

wife and I kind of just stick to what we, stick to our plan and go with it and where I

know my parents would go in with a plan and then they would always end up

getting more than what they bargained for or more than what they planned on

getting.

N: Tell us about your shopping list do you stick to them or are you easily

influenced to grab something that’s not on the list?

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A: Umm, when I’m by myself, I’m easier influenced to grab something that’s not

on the list because my wife usually makes the list and umm, but when I’m with

her and or when we shop together, or if my wife goes she’s, she is a Nazi with

that list like everything, she's got it planned out she's got coupons planned out,

she's super organized she's kind of OCD, which I'm the complete opposite of that

so kind of balances everything out I guess you could say but yeah I’m more

prone to definitely go off the list if she's not around cause I’m like ahh, we need

this too she just wasn’t thinking about it.

N: So then tell us about how shopping has changed throughout your life?

A: Just the quality of stuff I buy I remember in college just a bunch of crap that I

could make quick and it had to be cheap and I remember going to dollar general

and Aldi all the time and I was dirt poor and couldn’t make any couldn’t go to

spend a hundred and fifty dollars at Wal-Mart for groceries for two weeks or

wherever, umm, so I mean just the could buy more stuff for like meals versus just

going in and buying ten cans of soup that I can just keep eating and eating or

buying frozen pizza stuff like that where it's not really a meal. Where now I think

you’re buying more vegetables, buy more fruit, buy more like buy more meat that

you can store in your freezer make multiple meals out of the same thing. Does

that make sense?

N: Yeah

I: Alright that’s all we have thank you for your time we really appreciate it.

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A: Sweet… I don’t know at Costco it’s always like uhh, it’s weird it’s like my wife if

my wife is going to go grocery shopping for like just a week she will go to like

Meijer or Target but if she is going to go buy stuff for an extended period of time

she’ll go to Costco because you can go to Costco and buy like five things and

your bills like seventy bucks already. So we try and balance it out and go to a

couple different places and buy stuff that is in bulk and last for awhile we will go

there but like stuff like rice and vegetables or like side things to a meal or milk

and bread she will probably go to Target or Meijer or something like that.

I: Okay

A: Just a bunch of small things that you need but

N: Do you feel like the quality is different between the two places, like

would you rather buy a steak from Costco than you would from Meijer?

A: Oh yeah, heck yeah, you can get your quality of meat there you betcha. Never

buy a steak from Walmart. I bought to many too much meat from Walmart before.

No Bueno.

I: Haha No Bueno.

A: No Bueno, and they always lie, I found out like my wife would always tell me

they would always lie on the meat packages that, she was just like she worked

up at the cashier register or whatever, but she said that the manager would tell

the people in the produce or whatever you call it poultry area or whatever like to

go change the expiration date by a day if they haven’t sold something by that day

like “ahh it's good” and like that’s not right you can seriously get someone sick

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but she said people would do that all the time like if it was suppose to be ate by

10/20 or whatever October nineteenth  and it was still out they would go out and

put a or mark over the previous ones and be like 10/20 to see if they could get

someone to buy it that day

N: That’s disgusting

A: Yeah it was sick, kinda weird

I: Haha kinda weird

A: Kind of sketchy

I: Yeah

N: Very

A: That’s all I got

I: No that’s good

N: No don’t worry about it

I: Thank You

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Personal Reflection

Field Analysis & Interviews

It was interesting comparing the two participants because even though

they are so similar, they are very much different. Adam has a more positive look

at going to the store, and Blaine has a more negative outlook. Maybe because

Blaine is older and has more experience to have a negative outlook? Maybe

because Blaine takes his children shopping more often?

Without mentioning it, both participants mentioned Wal-Mart. They both

had negative views on the superstore, and didn’t believe that their brand items

were up to par with Targets, Costco’s, or Meijer. Adam had a negative view

because his wife worked there a couple of summers and had bad experiences.

Blaine just believes that Wal-Mart brands are not even comparable to Target

brands.

It was interesting getting to know how other minds work and analyzing

behaviors in the shopping habitat. Neither of us have never interviewed someone

before, so this process was all new. We thought the GoPro video would be a

good resource for you to look at to watch closely of how we conducted our

research. For the interview, we printed up a list of questions for Blaine and Adam

to look at to gather their thoughts. They both appreciated it and commented on

how “put together” we were. We let them know before the recording or the GoPro

video that they were the experts and to just talk to us like they normally would.

They were both behind their desks so the “power” was equaled out. Neither one

of them seemed any sort of nervous even with the camera being on. We believe

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we did a good job of making both participants feel comfortable to get good

results.