Audit and benchmarking of supermarket catalog composition in five countries

Abstract

The role of the catalog in retail advertising remains important, even as advertising is gradually shifting to digital formats. The overarching objective of this study is to synthesize current practices in supermarket catalogs, identify key trends in content, composition, format, and layout, and compare results across countries. This paper investigates the content of 39 catalogs from 13 supermarket chains in five countries (Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States). The coding scheme and variables are based on main design elements in print advertising to examine the catalogs objectively. The results show that catalogs are not merely a media to advertise temporary price reductions, but they have evolved into a media tool to promote supermarkets’ product range, including full-price products. This study applies findings from print media to the supermarket catalog sector and provides a quantitative benchmark for typical content, composition, format, and layout, comparing results across countries.

Keywords:

• Supermarket catalog
• content analysis
• price promotion
• print advertising

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pei Jie Tan

Pei Jie Tan is a PhD scholar at the Flinders University. She holds a master’s degree by research in Marketing, obtained from the University of South Australia. Her PhD research focuses on the content, users, and sales effectiveness of supermarket catalogues. She is the Market Analyst at Foodland Supermarkets Australia and is able to apply her academia and marketing science knowledge in the real world in order to improve the efficiency of price promotions.

Arry Tanusondjaja

Arry Tanusondjaja is a Senior Marketing Scientist and a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute within the UniSA Business. Arry joined the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute in 2010 after building his career in banking in several Asia Pacific countries. His research covers areas such as consumer behaviour, portfolio management, market competition, and media planning. Arry is an all-rounder experienced analyst who joined the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science in 2010 after building his career in banking, in several Asia Pacific countries. He has published his research in journals such as International Marketing Review, Marketing Letters, and Journal of Strategic Marketing.

Armando Corsi

Armando Corsi is an Associate Professor in Wine Business at the University of Adelaide. His key area of research is the analysis of consumer behaviour, particularly towards wine and other premium foods and beverages. Dr. Corsi has been chief investigator of some major projects funded by Wine Australia examining the effects of non-price promotions in store, tracking the ever-changing Chinese wine market, improving the techniques to describe wines to Asian consumers, and exploring the most effective ways to teach them about wine. More recently, Dr. Corsi completed another two projects about the perceptions of Australian wines and its key competitors by trade, key influencers and suppliers in the US and the UK. Member of the Editorial Board of Food Quality and Preference, the International Journal of Market Research, the Wine and Viticulture Journal, and Economia e Diritto Agroalimentare, Armando is author of more than 70 refereed papers, book chapters and trade articles on wine and food marketing.

Larry Lockshin

Larry Lockshin is the Emeritus Professor of Wine Marketing at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, University of South Australia: Business. Professor Lockshin leads research into marketing related to consumer choice, packaging and retailing, and is an acknowledged specialist in all aspects of the Australian and global wine business. Professor Lockshin has a prodigious research record, publishing over 250 trade articles and over 100 academic articles and book chapters, and presented his research at conferences across Australasia, Europe and the United States. He sits on the Editorial Boards of Food Quality and Preference, Journal of Wine Research, The International Journal for Wine Business, and The International Journal of Wine Economics and Policy. He is a regular columnist for Australian Wine Business magazine and the Wine and Viticulture Journal.

Christopher Villani

Christopher Villani is the General Manager of Merchandise and Strategy at the Foodland Supermarkets Australia. After graduating with a Bachelor of Marketing and Communication from the University of South Australia, Christopher joined the Ehrenberg-Bass Insatiate where his area of research was buyer behaviour. Holding numerous senior marketing roles in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, Christopher has worked in a diverse range of industries including FMCG, alcohol, retail, non-for-profit, government, and tourism. Since returning to South Australia, Christopher has set up the marketing division at Foodland, while holding a key Executive Leadership position. From advertising to pricing, Christopher uses a broad set of marketing skills to ensure Foodland remains the number one independent supermarket in Australia. In addition, Christopher has sat on multiple boards/committees.

Svetlana Bogomolova

Svetlana Bogomolova is a Deputy Director at the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) Flinders. She leads research and education programs in the areas of health and social marketing at the College of Business, Government and Law at Flinders University. Her expertise covers the areas of social marketing, consumer behaviour, psychology and choices, with a particular focus on health promotion campaign development and evaluation. Most of Prof Bogomolova’s research is conducted in close collaboration with industry end-users through a process of co-design and co-creation. Svetlana’s discoveries feed into the practice of industry partners (e.g. numerous national and international not-for-profit and private organisations), and inform government policies and campaigns about protecting consumer interests, creating social policy with a positive impact, and encouraging healthier choices.