Special Tyson Deli Report: Why Deli Problems Are a Problem

Problems are inevitable in any service industry, and the deli department is no exception.

In fact, four out of 10 customers experienced some type of problem while purchasing prepared chicken products from their grocery’s deli during the past three months, suggests a new study from Tyson Foods. The effects of these problems can be dramatic, ranging from shoppers complaining to management to permanently bypassing the store’s deli for prepared foods. On average, 53 percent of deli shoppers who have had a problem in their prepared foods shopping experience will stop shopping for prepared foods at that store for at least some period of time.

The repercussions from bad experiences at the deli counter can also surface in more subtle changes in shopper behavior: Deli prepared foods shoppers who have had a problem show drastic reductions on all drivers of purchase intent, creating a strong negative impact on pre-shop attitudes and behaviors.

Problem areas

Most of the issues reported by deli shoppers fall into one of three areas: staffing, product or general deli problems. Long wait time, a general deli issue, is the most commonly reported problem, along with product that was too dry, not fresh, or not available.

Staffing problems are the least reported, according to the Tyson Foods research, but problems with staff tend to have the most negative effect on shoppers. These customers also report product and/or general deli problems more often and are most likely to stop shopping at their grocery’s deli for a short period of time.

Solutions pay off

No matter what types of problems your deli shoppers are experiencing, it’s obvious that defining and then eliminating these negative encounters has the potential to pay off in a number of areas, from higher sales to more frequent shopping trips to overall customer satisfaction.

With so many competing choices for convenience meals, your deli department can’t afford to ignore the consequences of failing to address your shoppers’ most pressing problems.

Tyson Deli can support you with products, insights and tools to help grow your deli business. Contact Eric LeBlanc at (800) 248-9766 for more information.