For younger generations, such as Centennials, the attribute “Made in Mexico” has less relevance in their purchasing decisions, unlike Baby Boomers or Generation X, who still give a lot of importance to this characteristic, according to a survey of Mexican consumers.
According to the second edition of the Point of Sale Purchase Awareness Study, carried out by GS1 and the research firm, Tendencia IM, The differentiating attribute “Made in Mexico” loses weight among the younger generations, especially the centennialin several categories, such as Food, Hygiene and Beauty, Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Pets.
“Made in Mexico”, not so important for GenZ
For example, Only 32% of centennial consumers consider the attribute “Made in Mexico” as a differentiator in their food purchasing decision. in supermarkets, while other generations give more weight to foods made in Mexico, such as Millennials (45% of responses), Generation X (48%) and Baby Boomers (54%).
On the other hand, 50% of Generation Z give more weight to the brand of the product in their purchasing decision, 53% to availability in the supermarket and for 74% promotions are an essential attribute for buying food.
Something similar occurs in the categories of Hygiene and Beauty, Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Pets, in which less than half of centennials consider what is made in Mexico an important element, with 24%, 32% and 26% of responses, respectively. .
Why it doesn’t matter so much anymore
Why is “Made in Mexico” less important to centennials in various products? The reason is that these consumers give more weight to other particularities of the items they buy, such as the brand, the product certification or the environmental responsibility of the brand, according to the study’s findings.
“Given that the consumer is increasingly more informed and critical, brands must show consistency in their offer. Although they must look for attributes to differentiate themselves, brands should not pretend to be what they are not, as well as not promise something that they will not be able to fulfill, since this situation can generate a commercial contraction of the product and a reputational crisis,” highlights René Yamada, Manager of Strategic Planning and Operational Effectiveness of GS1 México, in a statement.
The Sales Floor Purchase Awareness study was conducted with 1,500 surveys of Mexican consumers (of which 34% are Centennials) from different regions and socioeconomic levels of the country.. The results show that purchasing preferences vary according to age, location, income levelas well as other demographic data.
They were asked about their purchasing preferences in the most searched categories in supermarkets:
- Food,
- Hygiene and beauty,
- home care,
- Non-alcoholic beverages,
- Pharmacy,
- Pets,
- alcoholic beverages and
- Textile fashion and footwear
In virtually all categories, quality and price are the most important purchase reasons for consumers, and it is what all brands should offer. However, they can also be differentiated from the others with other attributes, such as availability, promotions, the brand, what is made in Mexico, the brand’s environmental responsibility, certification as an organic and/or sustainable product, design, etc.
Let SMEs find their strengths
The objective of the study is for brands to find their strengths so that they can position them, as well as better understand the type of consumer they are targeting.
“In the midst of the arduous competition for quality and price, for many SMEs and entrepreneurs, the only way to compete in segments where the market is dominated by global players is to provoke a positive emotion in consumers, touching their sentimental fibers,” Humberto stressed. Pastrana, Director of Operations at Tendencia IM.
Likewise, supermarkets must also work on their differentiating attributes to improve the shopping experience of consumers, of whom 74% are accompanied by their partner or family, so it can be said that going to the supermarket is a ‘social activity’. ‘.
When choosing a supermarket, customers prioritize essential elements such as product variety, promotions, prices and proximity. They are the elements that they must have, but they must also work on their differentiating attributes, which are: availability of products, variety of payment methods and size of the supermarket.
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