The more you learn about your customers, the easier it is to plan more effective meat department strategies.

 

• Do your customers prefer American Lamb or imported lamb?
• What do your customers already know about lamb?
• What are some misconceptions your customers have about lamb?
• What are the current lamb eating habits of your customers?
• What are some steps you can take to apply this new knowledge and sell more American Lamb to your customers?

A new research study, commissioned by the American Lamb Board, set out to answer these questions. Researchers interviewed a national random sample of men and women between the ages of 21-54 in a telephone survey. The study concluded that Americans prefer American Lamb, and they would make more of an effort to enjoy the easy-to-prepare, nutritious meat at home if they knew more about lamb in general.

 

Do your customers prefer American Lamb or imported lamb? What do they already know about lamb?

Of those consumers who do prepare lamb at home, almost half (45%) prefer to purchase American lamb rather than imported. Reasons stated for this preference include a commitment to the American farmer/rancher (47%), product is raised locally and does not have to travel thousands of miles to get to the store (27%), it's fresher (22%) and it's a safer product (25%).

 

Survey results showed that, of those interviewed, the majority of Americans already know that:

•  Lamb raised in America is fresher than imported lamb, and they prefer American

• Lamb to lamb that is shipped to the U.S. from 10,000 miles away or more.

• Lamb fits in well to a healthy lifestyle

• Leg of Lamb and Rib Chops are the most familiar cuts.

What is a common misconception about lamb in general?

Survey results showed that, of those interviewed, the majority of Americans agree that: 

• Lamb can be difficult to prepare, and that is the primary reason they do not prepare lamb at home.

What are the current lamb eating habits of your customers?

While not yet an everyday household item, lamb is currently enjoyed by a significant number of American consumers. 

• One in eight (13%) of respondents have prepared lamb within the past three months.
• One in five (21%) have prepared lamb within the past year.
• One in five (20%) reported they have eaten lamb, but have never prepared lamb at home.
• One in five (20%) said they either definitely or probably will buy lamb in the next six months.

It should also be noted that a significant percentage of the population (35%) reported that they have never eaten lamb. The reason given by one-third of those respondents as to why they have never eaten lamb was because they have never had a chance to try it. Women make up the majority of the group who have never tried lamb.

 

Other interesting findings concerning current lamb eating habits include: 

• Nearly one-third (30%) of consumers who have eaten lamb in a restaurant but have never purchased lamb at their grocery store to prepare at home report that they do not know how to prepare it.
• Those who eat lamb are more likely to live in the Northeastern or Western U.S. Respondents from the West are eating more lamb now than they did in past years.
• Lamb is primarily served for dinner, for special occasions and on weekends and is generally prepared in the oven by women.

 

What are some steps you can take to apply this new knowledge and sell more American Lamb to your customers?

The most important thing you can do is teach your customers more about American Lamb. It’s up to you to take the necessary steps to educate them.

 

When asked what would encourage more purchase of lamb products for home use, the following were the most frequent responses: 

• Easy to follow recipes (30%)
• Greater availability at their grocery store (28%)
• Cooking Demos in store to show how prepare (24%)
• Better understanding of cuts/variety (23%)

Drive home the following points to your customers:

• American Lamb is fresher than imported lamb
• American Lamb can be part of a healthy, balanced diet
• American Lamb is easy to prepare
• American Lamb has a mild, buttery flavor that blends well with many seasonings

 Among current lamb users, 56% serve it for special occasions, 42% prepare it on weekends and 37% prepare if for every day use. This trend leaves an opportunity for you to increase frequency of lamb purchases by shifting attitudes from that of a special occasion/holiday meal to one that fits into a weekly meal plan.

 

As noted above, women make up the majority those who have not tried lamb before. Since women also make up the majority of your customers, make sure you encourage them to try American Lamb. Provide samples of American Lamb as well as cooking instructions and recipes in your meat department. When they discover how delicious American Lamb can be, they will become much more likely to purchase American Lamb in your store. 

 

There are many other positive messages to pass on to your customers about American Lamb. The latest resource from the American Lamb Board, the American Lamb Retail Toolkit, is your best resource to get everything you need to educate your staff about American Lamb so they can pass their knowledge on to your customers. The American Lamb Retail Toolkit is comprised of a print piece and several supplemental web-based elements. It will provide you with all the information you need to improve your bottom line through increased sales of American Lamb, from purchasing advice and practical merchandising tips to the latest research and nutrition information.

 

For more information on this consumer research study, including regional information, contact us.

 

SOURCE: Jeffery B. Gross Marketing Research, American Lamb Attitude & Usage Study, 2006.