Bread price-fixing aside, Canadians still love their grocery chains: Study
79% of Canadians trust their main grocery retailer; only 9% have significantly worsened view
TORONTO, Feb. 21, 2018 /CNW/ - New research shows that Canadians' relationships with their grocery chains remain exceptionally strong, even after allegations and admissions of some retailers' participation in fixing bread prices for more than a decade.
According to the Argyle Public Relationships Index™, an annual study by Leger Research and Argyle Public Relationships, 86 per cent of Canadians are very or somewhat satisfied with the grocery retailer they use the most, and 79 per cent trust their retailer. When asked specifically about the bread price-fixing issue, 47 per cent say it has had no impact on their views; and while 33 per cent say their view has worsened, only 9 per cent say it has worsened significantly. 13 per cent say the issue has actually improved their opinion of their retailer. Concerns were highest among customers over 45, and among those who shop at Sobeys, Loblaws or FreshCo. The survey is entirely independent of the grocery industry or any individual retailer.
Canadians and their grocers: A strong, durable relationship
Canadians' overall relationships with their grocers are stronger than those with brands in any category surveyed by Argyle and Leger since 2016 — including banks, credit cards, airlines, insurance companies, communications providers and professional sports teams.
Canadians also think highly of grocery retailers as corporate citizens. 78 per cent agree their main grocer "takes care of people who are likely to shop there." 77 per cent believe their grocer is "committed to meeting my expectations," and 69 per cent think the brand is "concerned about people like me." However, when asked if they believe the public can "influence the decisions or direction" of their main grocer, only 45 per cent agree.
"While one-third of Canadians view their grocers more negatively after recent events, our relationships with these brands are strong and durable," says Argyle CEO Daniel Tisch, a leading international expert on public relationships and reputation management. "The legacy of trust in the category suggests Canadians will give these relationships a second chance, allowing grocers to deal with executive misbehaviour and do the right thing. Still, given the strong correlation between relationships, sales and recommendations, brands need to take great care of their 'public relationships.'"
Public relations research suggests there are six dimensions of relationships between brands and their publics: trust; satisfaction; perceived commitment to meet expectations; caring for customers ("exchange relationship"); concern for people like me ("communal relationship"), and people's perception of their ability to influence the brand. The Argyle Public Relationship Index™ averages public ratings of how the brand they know best in each sector performs on the six dimensions.
Among grocery retailers, the survey reveals similarly strong relationships between most major grocery retailers and their customers, with most clustered within the 70-74 range on a 100-point scale:
| Grocery retailer |
Public Relationships Index™ (out of 100) |
| Sobeys |
74 |
| IGA |
74 |
| Walmart |
73 |
| Metro |
73 |
| Costco |
72 |
| Food Basics |
72 |
| FreshCo |
72 |
| Real Canadian Superstore |
71 |
| Loblaws |
70 |
| No Frills |
68 |
Relationships with brands drive business, recommendations
The survey also shows that just over two-thirds of Canadians (67 per cent) are interested in having relationships with the brands they buy and the service providers with which they do business, down from 73 per cent a year ago. 79 per cent are more likely to do business with a brand that builds a relationship with them, and 80 per cent are more likely to recommend the brand to their friends.
"In two years of working with Argyle on this research, it's clear that the health of a company's relationships with the public correlates strongly to the health of its brand," says Lisa Covens, Leger's Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs. "The grocery category has done a good job looking after its customers over the years, and that can help affected retailers ride out the storm."
About the study
This edition of the Argyle Public Relationships Index™ is based on a survey of more than 1,500 Canadians, completed in two waves between January 22-25, and February 12-15, 2018, using Leger's online panel, LegerWeb. The margin of error for the study was +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20. Leger's online panel has approximately 400,000 members nationally and has a retention rate of 90%. Argyle expresses its appreciation to Dr. Alex Sevigny, Director of McMaster University's Master of Communications Management (MCM) program, for his counsel in the development of the study.
About Argyle Public Relationships™ (www.argylepr.com)
Argyle helps major brands and respected organizations build and strengthen their relationships with the stakeholders who drive their reputations, brands and business success – across Canada and beyond. For more than 35 years, Argyle has been chosen by some of the world's biggest brands, put big ideas onto the public agenda, and become one of Canada's largest independent communications firms.
Argyle is a Canadian leader in industry awards for its work in consumer marketing, corporate communications, health communications, public affairs, digital communications, branding and design. In both 2015 and 2016, Argyle was named by PROFIT 500 as one of Canada's fastest-growing companies.
Argyle TACT Public Affairs, a partnership between Argyle and TACT Intelligence-Conseil, is based in Ottawa and offers public affairs services across the country.
About Leger (www.leger360.com)
Leger is the largest Canadian-owned polling, research, and strategic marketing firm with 600 employees in Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary in Canada, and Philadelphia in the United States. Leger is part of the WIN network partners in more than 100 countries, making Leger not only the largest Canadian-owned company in its sector, but also an internationally recognized brand.
Leger provides its clients with unique expertise in market research and information technology, in addition to business consulting and strategies in the fields of customer satisfaction, positioning, brand management, communication efficiency, corporate reputation, social acceptability, crisis management and customer experience.
SOURCE Argyle Public Relationships
Hayley Lang, Argyle Public Relationships, (416) 968-7311 ext 253, [email protected]
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