Walmart supply chain management case study

SHOPPING HABITS Main Household Shop Current shopping trends are shifting across the country, partly because of immigration, with a shift towards healthier choices, and convenience. Consumers are now buying groceries across different channels and are no longer going to a single store. A 2014 article in Food in Canada magazine revealed that 17% of households shopped at ethnic stores. Consumers are also changing their purchasing habits as a result of current economic conditions, with 73% of Canadians trying to reduce their grocery spending bill. Cost-cutting tactics include stocking up on purchases during promotions and price cuts, using more coupons found online or in magazines and newspapers, price matching between retailers and ultimately switching to the lower-priced store. Evidence of this has been seen as more consumers are shopping in dollar stores as well as discount stores which account for C$19 billion of total grocery sales in 2014. Although Canadians are looking for deals to help keep money in their pockets, they are still willing to spend more money on locally made goods, with 97% of Canadians doing so to support the local economy and 96% to support local farmers, according to a 2013 BDC study. Canadians believe that it is easier to know what’s in the food that they eat and where it comes from, when they buy items produced closer to home. A 2015 Loyalty One study showed that, because local product offerings are not readily available in large grocery chains, consumers are looking to their corner grocery stores, local and farmers’ markets and independent grocers to meet their demand, with fruit and vegetables topping the list of most important locally-sourced products, followed by meat. Shopping for Big-Ticket Items and Personal Goods A BDC report shows that an increasing amount of research about products is first done online, before purchases are made. Although some products such as cars are not suitable for buying online, 47% of Canadians tend to use the internet to research the product and find out where to buy it, what the cost will be and other details, while 41% actually buy products or services online. Online reviews also play a huge role in consumer purchase decisions, as 70% of those surveyed reported that they “trust consumer opinions posted online”. Regardless of where the product is actually purchased, online or in-store, internet users across Canada are relying on online searches. Results of the BDC survey also showed that Canadian consumers “are most likely to seek online information about technological devices, travel and tourism, and vehicles before buying”. As to what they actually feel comfortable purchasing online, 52% of internet users purchased clothing, jewellery, accessories and tickets to shows, 50% purchased items related to travel and tourism, 49% purchased cultural goods, and 47% purchased technological devices. Consumers were less likely to purchase cars online with only 6% doing so; however,