Transcript In The Break Room: What Retailers Have to Say

IN THE BREAK ROOM: WHAT
RETAILERS HAVE TO SAY
Methodology and Key Findings From
Tobacco Retailer Focus Groups
Presented by Christine Fenlon
CMA Foundation
April 30, 2002
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Retailer Focus Groups conducted by
Cooper Roberts Research, Inc.
September - November 2001
“Advertising and Promotions” Focus Groups coordinated by
Ellen Feighery, Public Health Institute
“Youth Access” Focus Groups coordinated by
Christine Fenlon, CMA Foundation
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
In the Break Room: What Retailers Say
GENERAL PURPOSE of the FOCUS GROUPS
•
Learn about tobacco advertising and sales
in the retail environment
•
Discover retailers’ willingness to modify
their store policies and practices
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
In the Break Room: What Retailers Say
PURPOSE of ADVERTISING & PROMOTIONS
• Marketing of tobacco products in stores
• The mechanisms tobacco companies use to
provide retailers with financial incentives to
increase sales
• Their perspectives on changing or reducing
advertising in their stores
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
In the Break Room: What Retailers Say
PURPOSE of ILLEGAL SALES TO MINORS
• Problems retailers face with regard to illegal
sales to minors and recommendations to
prevent youth access
• Tobacco sales training provided for clerks
• Their reaction to health messages and
tobacco licensing fees
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
In the Break Room: What Retailers Say
METHODOLOGY: GENERAL
•
Eleven mini-focus groups were conducted
among California retailers and clerks
• The sponsor of the research was not identified
• Each group was approximately two hours long
•
On average, the groups were comprised
of six retailers
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
In the Break Room: What Retailers Say
METHODOLOGY: GROUPS RECRUITED
• Eight groups of owners and/or managers
from independent or independent-franchise
stores
• Six groups without any ethnic background
requirements
• Two groups among English-speaking
respondents of Chinese descent
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
In the Break Room: What Retailers Say
METHODOLOGY: GROUPS RECRUITED
•
One group of store mangers from retail
supermarket or grocery supply chains
• Two groups of clerks from chain and
independent stores
•
Rural and urban retailers
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
In the Break Room: What Retailers Say
DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSES
The few differences in attitudes noted in the
focus groups were driven primarily by the
type of store (independent vs. franchise vs.
chain) and the volume of tobacco sales
rather than from the various geographic
locations and ethnic backgrounds involved
in the study.
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Advertising/Promotions Focus Group Findings
IN-STORE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS
• Retailers acknowledge that in-store
advertising increases sales of products
being advertised whether for soda, chips or
cigarettes
• Advertising closest to the front counter
has the biggest impact on sales
• Advertising that highlights a reduced price
is the most effective
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Advertising/Promotions Focus Group Findings
TOBACCO PROMOTIONS
• Price reductions (sales) and multi-pack
discounts, are the most prevalent and effective
promotions offered for cigarettes
• Sales on packs or cartons of cigarettes are
frequently due to a “buy down” for which the
retailer is reimbursed the amount of the discount
per pack after the sale ends
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Advertising/Promotions Focus Group Findings
PRODUCT ADVERTISING AND PLACEMENT
• The tobacco company with the highest bid
will win the right to display their products in the
“first” or most visible position— usually on
the top or “eye level” shelf
• In several independent stores, the tobacco
products themselves have become the
primary advertising for the brand. These
include counter-top displays of cigarettes in
plexi-glass
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Advertising/Promotions Focus Group Findings
CONTRACTS
• The all-encompassing contract attempts to
control as much of the store space and as many
promotions as it can
• Less-involved contracts usually include the
“buy two packs and get one free” displays
• The tobacco company usually provides displays
and signs to post for items on sale or promotion.
The retailer is paid for using the display(s), which
is often referred to as the “monthly payment”
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Advertising/Promotions Focus Group Findings
COUNTER DISPLAYS AND ADVERTISING
• While retailers want to be responsive to their
community, they are going to ensure that
requested changes will not hurt their business
or offend other customers
• Retailers are reluctant to remove any item,
including displays or advertising, which are
part of a contract
• Tobacco is often called a “loss leader,” because
a customer coming in to buy tobacco may also
purchase bread, chips and soda
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Youth Access Focus Group Findings
PROBLEMS FACED BY RETAILERS
• Out-of-state licenses, passports and military
identifications (IDs) are the biggest concern for
most retailers
• Most retailers have experienced verbal abuse
because they asked for ID or refused to sell
tobacco to suspected minors
• Underage customers often ask adults to
purchase tobacco for them, putting the retailer
in an awkward position
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Youth Access Focus Group Findings
CLERK TRAINING
• Clerk training for tobacco sales varies from
informal verbal instructions at independent
stores to being a component of a more
formal three to five day overall training for
cashiers at chain stores
• Most clerks receive some sort of paper or
electronic calendar to aid them in
determining the correct birth date for legal
tobacco sales
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Youth Access Focus Group Findings
CLERK TRAINING
• Typically, retailers go over the rules about
checking ID for tobacco sales and explain the
consequences for the clerk if an illegal sale is
made — many clerks are required to sign a
paper indicating they understand the penalty if
they make an illegal sale
• Many chains incorporate instructional videos
into their tobacco-training programs. Some
mentioned using the “We Card” video
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Youth Access Focus Group Findings
RETAILER RECOMMENDATIONS
• Some retailers believe that the most important
message to convey to a clerks is: that they will
be fined and/or fired for selling tobacco to
minors
• Most clerks say that rotating various messages
in the break room to remind them to check for
ID would be effective
• The majority of stores use cash register
scanners that prompt a clerk to ask for ID or
require that a birth date be entered
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Youth Access Focus Group Findings
REACTION TO HEALTH MESSAGES
• Most retailers and clerks believe that posting
heath-related signage inside stores will not
deter minors from buying tobacco products
• Retailers say that it is not their responsibility
to educate customers about the dangers of
smoking, nor is their store the appropriate
place to do so
• Retailers worry that the health messages may
offend their adult smoking customers
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Youth Access Focus Group Findings
TOBACCO LICENSURE
• Most chain managers say that a tobacco
license would reduce the sale of tobacco to
minors and view it as simply another cost
associated with doing business.
• Initially, many independent storeowners were
opposed to a licensing fee. However, once a
figure of $100 to $200 was mentioned they
admitted that licensing could be an effective
tool in preventing illegal tobacco sales to minors.
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
Youth Access Focus Group Findings
TOBACCO LICENSURE
• Both chains and independents store owners
agreed that they would support a “flat fee”
over one based on “sales volume.” They
don’t want a licensing fee that would be
calculated on the total number of cigarettes
sold in their store.
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section
In the Break Room: What Retailers Say
For more details about what California
retailers had to say or information
about conducting local retailer focus
groups, log on to the STORE web site
at: www.tecc.org/store.
Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section