Consumer research is an important means for enterprises to understand market demand, optimize products and services, and enhance competitiveness. Through consumer research, companies can obtain data and insights on consumers' basic information, purchase behavior, use experience, satisfaction, loyalty, preferences, needs, pain points, expectations, etc., so as to formulate products that are more in line with the market and consumers. Strategy, price strategy, channel strategy, promotion strategy and brand strategy. There are many methods of consumer research, the common ones are questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus groups, mysterious customers, experimental methods, observation methods, etc. Different methods have different advantages and disadvantages and applicable scenarios, which need to be selected and combined according to the purpose, content, object, time, budget and other factors of the research.

However, in different industries and different markets, the characteristics, behaviors, needs and preferences of consumers will also be different. Therefore, the methods, contents, objectives and effects of consumer research will also be different. In order to explore this issue, this paper invited three experts from Shangpu Consulting Group to share their experience and experience in consumer research from the perspective of catering, cosmetics and household goods industries, as well as research strategies and suggestions for different markets. Shangpu Consulting Group is a well-known independent third-party research and investment and financing consulting organization in China, dedicated to providing professional solutions for corporate strategic decision-making. Shangpu Consulting Group has accumulated rich professional experience and customer resources in the fields of industry research, market research, investment and financing consulting, IPO listing consulting, etc., and serves customers covering multiple industry fields. It is China's most influential market research domestic leading brand One.

Consumer Research in the Catering Industry

The catering industry is an industry closely related to consumers' daily lives. Consumers' eating habits, taste preferences, consumption levels, consumption scenarios, and consumption motives will affect their selection and evaluation of catering products and services. Therefore, catering enterprises need to understand the needs and expectations of consumers through consumer research, provide more in line with consumer tastes and healthy food, improve consumer dining experience and satisfaction, and enhance consumer loyalty and reputation. This article invited Zhang Xiaoming, an expert in the catering industry of Shangpu Consulting Group, to introduce us to the general steps and precautions of consumer research in the catering industry, as well as a specific case study.

General steps for consumer research in the food and beverage industry

Zhang Xiaoming said that the general steps of consumer research in the catering industry are as follows:

The first step is to clarify the purpose and questions of the research. Catering enterprises need to determine the purpose and problems of research according to their own development stage, market positioning, competition strategy and other factors, such as understanding consumers' basic information, consumption behavior, consumption motivation, consumption scene, consumption demand, consumption preference, consumption pain point, consumption expectation, etc., or evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of their own products and services, market share, brand image, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, etc, or explore new product and service ideas, potential market opportunities, consumer acceptance and willingness to buy.

The second step is to design research programs and tools. Catering companies need to select appropriate research methods and tools, such as questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus groups, mysterious customers, experimental methods, observation methods, etc., or use a combination of methods to improve the effectiveness and reliability of the research. At the same time, catering enterprises also need to design the sample and time of the research, determine the object of the research, quantity, distribution, sampling method, etc., as well as the time, cycle, frequency, etc. of the research, in order to ensure the representativeness and timeliness of the research.

The third step is to conduct research and collect data. Catering enterprises need to carry out research and collect data according to the research programs and tools, for example, through online or offline methods, to distribute questionnaires to consumers, conduct interviews, organize group discussions, arrange mysterious customers, conduct experiments, conduct observations, etc., in order to obtain consumers' information, opinions, feedback, evaluation, etc. In this process, catering companies need to pay attention to the quality and efficiency of research, ensure the authenticity and integrity of data, and avoid data loss and errors.

The fourth step is to analyze the data and deriveConclusion. Catering enterprises need to analyze data and draw conclusions according to the purpose and problems of the research.ConclusionFor example, through statistical analysis, content analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis and other methods, the data collation, induction, classification, comparison, correlation, interpretation, etc., in order to find the law of data, trends, differences, influencing factors, etc., so as to obtain valuable.Conclusionand insight.

Step 5: Make recommendations and action plans. Catering enterprises need to be based on researchConclusionAnd insight, put forward suggestions and action plans, for example, improve or innovate the quality, characteristics, functions, forms, prices, etc. of products and services, optimize or expand the channels, distribution, coverage, accessibility, etc. of products and services, formulate or adjust the marketing, promotion, publicity, promotion and other strategies of products and services, and enhance or maintain the brand awareness, reputation and loyalty of products and services, solve or prevent problems, risks, complaints, etc. with products and services that meet or exceed consumer needs and expectations.

Considerations for Consumer Research in the Catering Industry

Zhang Xiaoming also pointed out that consumer research in the catering industry needs to pay attention to the following points:

One is to pay attention to the diversity and differences of consumers. Consumers in the catering industry are a very large and complex group. Their age, gender, income, education, occupation, region, culture and other backgrounds, as well as their eating habits, taste preferences, consumption levels, consumption scenes, consumption motives and other characteristics, will affect their choice and evaluation of catering products and services. Therefore, when conducting consumer research, catering companies cannot generalize. They must fully consider the diversity and differences of consumers, adopt market segmentation methods, and design different research programs and tools for different consumer groups to obtain More accurate and in-depth data and insights.

The second is to pay attention to the dynamics and variability of consumers. Consumers in the catering industry are a very active and changing group. Their needs and expectations will continue to change with the changes in the market, fierce competition, technological progress, social development, cultural exchanges and other factors. Therefore, when conducting consumer research, catering companies cannot stand still. They must pay attention to the dynamics and variability of consumers, adopt continuous methods, conduct regular or irregular research on consumers, and capture consumers' new needs in a timely manner., New expectations, new trends, new opportunities, etc., to adapt to market changes and consumer changes.

Third, we should pay attention to the subjectivity and participation of consumers. Consumers in the catering industry are a very subjective and participating group. Their choices and evaluations are not only affected by objective factors, such as the quality, price, and channels of products and services, but also by subjective factors, such as personal preferences, The influence of emotions, values, etc. At the same time, they will also spread and recommend catering products and services through word-of-mouth, comments and sharing, thus affecting the choice and evaluation of other consumers. Therefore, when conducting consumer research, catering companies cannot ignore the subjectivity and participation of consumers. They must respect consumers' opinions and feelings, listen to consumers' voices and suggestions, and encourage consumers' participation and interaction to improve consumption. Satisfaction and loyalty.

Case analysis of consumer research in the catering industry

Zhang Xiaoming also provides us with a case study of consumer research in the catering industry, which is a consumer research service provided by Shangpu Consulting Group for a Chinese fast food chain brand. The main product of this brand is Chinese-style box lunch, which is convenient, fast, affordable and delicious. It is mainly aimed at fast-paced consumer groups such as white-collar workers and students. The brand has nearly a thousand stores across the country, but in recent years, due to market saturation, intensified competition, consumer changes and other reasons, its performance has shown a downward trend. Therefore, the brand hopes to find out through consumer research. The root cause of the problem, formulate improvement measures, and enhance the competitiveness of the brand.

Shangpu Consulting Group has designed a set of consumer research programs for the brand, including the following aspects:

The purpose and problems of the research: to understand consumers' cognition, attitude, behavior and evaluation of the brand, to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages, market share, brand image, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, etc. of the brand's products and services, to explore the needs and expectations of consumers, and to discover the problems and opportunities of the brand.

Research methods and tools: a combination of questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus groups, mystery customers, experimental methods, etc., are used to obtain more comprehensive and in-depth data and insights. Specific as follows:

Questionnaire survey: Through online and offline methods, questionnaires are distributed to existing customers and potential customers of the brand to collect their basic information, purchase behavior, use experience, satisfaction, loyalty, preferences, needs, pain points, Expectations and other data. The design of the questionnaire refers to the SERVQUAL model, including product quality, service quality, price rationality, channel convenience, brand image and other five dimensions, as well as some open questions to obtain consumers' opinions and suggestions.

In-depth interviews: conduct in-depth interviews with some of the survey participants by telephone or video to obtain more detailed and specific data and insights. The design of the interview refers to the KANO model, including three levels of basic needs, expected needs, and excited needs, as well as some exploratory questions to obtain consumers' creativity and ideas.

Focus group: Organize some of the participants in the in-depth interview to conduct focus group discussions through online or offline methods to obtain more diverse and interactive data and insights. The design of the group discussion refers to the SWOT analysis, including the brand's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and other four aspects, as well as some guiding questions to obtain consumers' views and feedback.

Mysterious customers: Through offline methods, arrange some employees or partners of Shangpu Consulting Group to consume in different stores of the brand as ordinary consumers to obtain more true and objective data and insights. The design of the mysterious customer refers to the SERVPERF model, including product performance, service performance, price performance, channel performance, brand performance and other five dimensions, as well as some evaluation questions to obtain the gap between consumer perception and expectation.

Experimental method: conduct experiments on some participants of mysterious customers through online or offline methods to obtain more direct and effective data and insights. The design of the experiment refers to the AB test, including the brand's existing products and services, as well as some new product and service ideas, to compare and test to obtain consumer reactions and preferences.

The sample and time of the survey: according to the brand's market positioning and target customers, determine the sample and time of the survey, as follows:

Sample: the subjects of the survey include the existing customers and potential customers of the brand, as well as the customers of competitors, with a total of 3000 people, including 2500 participants in the questionnaire survey, 200 participants in the in-depth interview, 100 participants in the focus group, 100 participants in the mystery customer and 100 participants in the experiment. The distribution of the sample is stratified according to the distribution of the brand's stores, as well as the consumer's age, gender, income, education, occupation, geography and other factors to ensure the representativeness of the sample.

Time: The survey time is from January to February 2024, a total of two months. Among them, the questionnaire survey time is from January 1 to January 31, the in-depth interview time is from January 15 to February 15, the focus group time is from January 22 to February 22, the mysterious customer time is from January 8 to February 8, and the experiment time is from January 29 to February 29. The period and frequency of research are adjusted according to different methods and tools to ensure the timeliness of research.

Results and analysis of the survey: According to the data of the survey, the Shangpu Consulting Group conducted the results and analysis of the brand, as follows:

Results: The results of the survey show that the brand's products and services have the following main problems and opportunities in terms of consumer cognition, attitude, behavior, and evaluation:

Question:

Product quality: Consumers are less satisfied with the quality of the brand's products, which is mainly reflected in the freshness of the ingredients, the consistency of the taste, and the hygiene standards. They think that the product quality of the brand is unstable, and sometimes there are even food safety risks.

Service quality: consumers' satisfaction with the service quality of the brand is low, which is mainly reflected in the speed, attitude and professionalism of the service. They think that the service quality of the brand is not efficient, and sometimes there are even service errors or indifference.

Price rationality: Consumers are less satisfied with the price rationality of the brand, which is mainly reflected in the transparency, fairness and competitiveness of the price. They think that the price of the brand is not transparent, sometimes there is price discrimination or price fraud, and compared with competitors, the price advantage of the brand is not obvious.

Channel convenience: consumers' satisfaction with the channel convenience of the brand is low, which is mainly reflected in the distribution, coverage and accessibility of the channel. They think that the channel of the brand is not convenient, and sometimes it is difficult to find or reach the store of the brand. Moreover, the online channel of the brand is not developed, and it lacks the functions of online ordering, takeout and membership.

Brand image: consumers' satisfaction with the brand image of the brand is low, which is mainly reflected in the brand's popularity, reputation, loyalty and so on. They think that the brand image of the brand is not prominent, lacks characteristics and differentiation, and the brand communication is not active, and lacks marketing, promotion, publicity, promotion and other activities.

Opportunity:

Product innovation: Consumers have high expectations for the brand's product innovation, which is mainly manifested in the diversified and personalized needs of product categories, functions, forms, styles, etc. It is hoped that the brand can provide more product choices and customized services according to different consumer groups, consumption scenarios, consumption motives, etc.

Service optimization: consumers have high expectations for the service optimization of the brand, which is mainly reflected in the demand for the promotion and improvement of service speed, attitude and professionalism. It is hoped that the brand can improve the service level and quality of service personnel and improve the dining experience and satisfaction of consumers by improving the training, incentive and management of service personnel.

Price adjustment: Consumers have high expectations for the price adjustment of the brand, which is mainly manifested in the demand for improvement and optimization of price transparency, fairness, and competitiveness. It is hoped that the brand can improve the openness and rationality of prices. Degree, flexibility, etc., improve the rationality and competitiveness of prices, and increase consumers' willingness and frequency of purchase.

Channel expansion: Consumers have high expectations for the brand's channel expansion, which is mainly manifested in the expansion and enhancement of channel distribution, coverage, accessibility, etc., and hope that the brand can increase the number and distribution of stores. And develop the functions and services of online channels to improve the convenience and accessibility of channels, and expand the coverage and contact frequency of consumers.

Brand promotion: Consumers have high expectations for the brand promotion of the brand, which is mainly manifested in the improvement and enhancement of the brand's popularity, reputation, loyalty, etc., and hope that the brand can highlight the characteristics and differentiation of the brand., And strengthen the spread and promotion of the brand, enhance the influence and reputation of the brand, and enhance the identity and loyalty of consumers.

Analysis: Based on the results of the survey, the Champ Consulting Group analyzed the brand as follows:

The brand's products and services have large gaps and deficiencies in consumers' cognition, attitude, behavior, evaluation, etc., which leads to the decline of the brand's competitiveness and performance, which requires comprehensive improvement and innovation.

The brand's products and services have different needs and expectations in terms of different consumer groups, consumption scenarios, and consumption motives. It is necessary to analyze and position market segments to provide more diversified and personalized products and services.

The brand's products and services have different potentials and challenges in different market environments, market trends, market opportunities, etc., which require dynamic market monitoring and forecasting to provide more flexible and effective products and services.

Research recommendations and action plan: According to the analysis of the survey, the Shangpu Consulting Group put forward the following suggestions and action plans for the brand, as follows:

Recommendation 1: Improve product quality and highlight product characteristics. The brand needs to strengthen the management and control of the procurement, processing and storage of food materials to ensure the freshness, hygiene and safety of the products and improve the quality of the products. At the same time, the brand needs to highlight the characteristics and differentiation of the product by developing new tastes, styles, functions, etc., and improve the attractiveness and competitiveness of the product.

Recommendation 2: Optimize service quality and improve service levels. The brand needs to improve the service skills, service attitude and service professionalism of service personnel by strengthening the training, incentive and management of service personnel, so as to improve the speed, efficiency and quality of service, and improve the level and standard of service. At the same time, the brand needs to establish effective service feedback, service compensation, service improvement and other mechanisms to improve service responsiveness, satisfaction, loyalty, etc., and enhance the value and influence of the service.

Recommendation three: adjust the price strategy, improve the price rationality. The brand needs to investigate and analyze the price level of the market, the price strategy of competitors, the price sensitivity of consumers, etc., to determine a reasonable price range, price structure, price elasticity, etc., and formulate a reasonable price strategy. At the same time, the brand needs to improve the rationality and acceptability of the price, and enhance the trust and loyalty of the price by improving the transparency, fairness and competitiveness of the price.

Recommendation 4: Expand channel strategy to improve channel convenience. The brand needs to improve the convenience and experience of stores by increasing the number and distribution of stores, as well as optimizing the layout, design and atmosphere of stores to improve the coverage, accessibility and comfort of stores. At the same time, the brand needs to improve the functionality, service and interaction of online channels by developing the functions and services of online channels, such as online ordering, takeout, membership, points, coupons, etc., so as to enhance the convenience and effectiveness of online channels.

Recommendation five: to enhance the brand strategy, improve the brand image. The brand needs to enhance the brand's image and personality by highlighting the brand's characteristics and differentiation, such as the brand's concept, culture, value, story, etc., to improve the brand's recognition, recognition, and influence. At the same time, the brand needs to enhance the brand's reputation and reputation by strengthening brand communication and promotion, such as brand advertising, public relations, activities, word-of-mouth, etc., to improve brand awareness, reputation, loyalty, etc.