1. Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency Ltd.
Canadian Consumer Retail Meat Study
October 2016

2. Context Online survey: 1,609 Canadian meat shoppers
Third survey in series (2010, 2012, 2016)

3. Survey Content
Meat attributes
Packaging, preparation & retail
Nutrition & health
Socio-cultural trends & marketing
Farming & processing methods
Transparency & trust

4. Methodology Process consistent with past surveys LegerWeb participants
Pre-tested June 9-12
Data collected June 10 - July 4
38 minute length
Representative by region & age

5. Target Respondents Adults 18+
Have primary or shared responsibility for grocery shopping for their household
Have primary or shared responsibility for household meat purchases
Do not work in a disqualifying industry (grocery retail, meat/livestock production, butcher shop, marketing research)
Able to complete in English or French

6. Accuracy
Margin of error does not apply to online surveys of the general public
Only provided as guidelines to enable comparison of reliability between regions
*95% confidence interval (19/20)
Region
Sample Size
Margin of Error*
Overall Total
1,609
+2.4 pts
Ontario
571
+4.1 pts
Quebec
379
+5.0 pts BC
216
+6.7 pts
Alberta
235
+6.4 pts
Manitoba/Sask.
104
+9.6 pts
Atlantic

7. Demographic Segments ALMA defined the following generational segments:
18-23 years – Generation Z
24-44 years – Millennials
45-50 years – Generation X
51-70 years – Boomers
70+ years – Seniors
Respondents described their ethnic/cultural backgrounds.
The following oversamples were obtained:
Chinese (n=168): ±7.6 pts
South Asian: (n=124): ±8.8 pts
Muslim (n=112): ±9.3 pts

8. Meat Attributes Trade Off Task
Consumer choice: packages with different combinations of features & pricing

9. Meat Attributes Importance of Canadian Origin
Canadians are willing to pay more for fresh meat of Canadian origin
Validates findings from previous surveys

10. Meat Attributes Importance of Canadian Origin
% saying it is
Very Important to
Buy Canadian
Bison (52%)
Beef (48%)
Chicken (48%)
Pork (46%)
Lamb (31%)
Reasons for Buying & Eating Canadian Fresh Meat
Support local/Canadian farmers
Support local/Canadian economy
Freshness

11. Meat Attributes – Trade Off
Canadians are also willing to pay more to have no hormones or antibiotics, for all types of meat

12. Meat Attributes – Trade Off
The higher cost of organic fresh meat is a significant barrier to purchase
= $$$

13. Reasons for Purchase Derived from Cuts of Meat Purchased & Perceptions of Different Cuts
Stronger driver
Weaker driver

14. Retail Choice
Consumers appear to be shopping around at a greater number of retailers than previously
Most retailers have experienced increases in being considered a place the consumers regularly shop for fresh meat
Continuing the trend noted in the 2012 study, mass merchandising/big box retailers experienced the greatest percentage increases in regular fresh meat shoppers

15. Stocking preferred package sizes & cuts of meat
Retail Choice
While price is often indicated as a primary reason for retail choice, a number of other factors are also rated very important:
Quality
Convenience
Cleanliness
Stocking preferred package sizes & cuts of meat

16. Information Supporting Purchase Decisions
Flyers continue to motivate Canadian consumers to purchase, and are often used from home in advance of selecting where to shop and what to buy
In-store recipes can also be motivating to most consumers, particularly when considering an unfamiliar cut of meat

17. Use of Technology
Since 2012, there has been a substantial increase in consumers’ reported ownership of smart phones and tablets
Growth in ownership of laptop computers has stabilized but still maintains the highest share among all mobile device types
Meanwhile, there has been a decline in ownership of eReaders
With smartphones nearing the same level of ownership as laptops, it is increasingly important for web based information to be provided in a mobile-friendly format and via smartphone apps

18. Consumers’ online activity often includes:
Looking at grocery store websites and flyers
Looking at details such as retail locations & hours
Fewer but still significant numbers:
Researched grocery products online before making a purchase decision
Downloaded or printed grocery store coupons
Posted a recipe online
Posted a photo of a meal they had with meat

19. QR Codes
While users of QR codes still represent a limited proportion of consumers in Canada overall, they represent a substantial proportion of smartphone users as smartphone use continues to grow
Creating online functions and activities that involve QR codes would be appropriate for inclusion in a mobile app

20. Past 30 days fresh meat purchase…
Fresh Meat Purchases
Past 30 days fresh meat purchase…
Chicken continues to be the most popular meat purchase
Consumption has decreased for all types of meat since 2012

21. Fresh Meat Consumption – Predicted
Five years from now…
Meat Type
Eat More
Eat the Same
Eat Less
Bison 22 51 23
Chicken 18 69 11
Lamb 13 56 27
Pork 6 68 25
Beef 8 58 32

22. Meat Avoidance / Reduction
[NEW 2016] K1C. For each statement below, please rate your agreement using a 10 point scale where 10=agree completely and 1=disagree completely…

23. Nutritional Value
Canadian meat consumers believe that fish and chicken are the most healthful proteins

24. Price & Value Shopping
[NEW 2016] K2. How often do you do the following?

25. Trust in Meat Production in Canada
Virtually all consumers have at least some trust and confidence
Almost two-thirds indicate strong trust/confidence (8,9,10 ratings)
[NEW 2016] J6A. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about meat production in Canada?

26. Responsibility for Ensuring Trust & Confidence
J10. Who should be responsible for ensuring Canadian meat earns your trust and confidence?

27. Psychographic Segmentation Profiles
One of the challenges in understanding consumer needs is that different consumers have different needs and preferences
Five consumer segments have been identified, each having different purchase behaviour & opinions with respect to fresh meat
Their demographic characteristics help form a picture of these groups and will help enable targeting of applicable messages

28. Psychographic Segmentation Profiles
Convenience Shoppers
Healthy Empty Nesters
Coupon Clippers
Affluent Meat Lovers
Trendsetting Professionals