laza Poln Grocery The collection of useful information with the purpose of solving marketing management problems may be accomplished in multiple methods. It is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each method of data collection before any marketing research actually occurs. Proper design of marketing research studies will lead to quality information and better managerial decisions Retailers pay careful attention to store layouts, product placement, end-cap displays, and relationships between aisles and perimeter spaces. Increased profitability only happens when store management has a good understanding of how and why consumers shop. In today's retail world, this understanding comes from careful analysis of relevant and timely data. Read the briefcase about Plaza Pointe, an upscale grocery retailer. Respond to the questions at the end of the case These questions will help you think about how Plaza Pointe might design a research study to obtain useful and relevant information James Kentner, store manager for the newest Plaza Pointe store in the 148-store grocery chain, needed help. The store, at 72,000 square feet, contained all the basic grocery items, a gourmet dell, a bank branch dry cleaners, and a pharmacy The facility was highly decorated to reflect the upscale tastes of the target consumer and was generally considered the flagship store in the chain. Located in an upscale district of a major metropolitan area, the store targeted households of white collar, married couples who earned incomes above $80,000 per year After a year of operation, several departments in the store were not meeting performance goals. Perhaps the poorest performing department was the gourmet dell. In addition to normal sliced meat and cheese selections, the deli regularly Included preprepared gourmet items like Spaghetti Gamberollo, Gnocchi Montanesca, Penne at Salmone Afumicato, and Stuffed Lamb Leg served with Ratatouille and Orzo. Over the past several months, store management adjusted prices, attempted to promote the deli through newspaper advertising and used in-store sampling to induce customer triat. While price specials of standard deli lunchmeat and cheese always increased sales, price deats had very little impact on sales of preprepared gourmet meal items. James and the rest of the management staff were concerned that the location of the dell and the upscale nature of the preprepared foods might be causing issues for customers. As designed, the dell was supposed to be the prime focus of the new flagship store and was thus located directly in the center of the store. Recent studies had shown that customers, particularly those in a hurry, use the outside perimeter of the store to move quickly to the aisles where needed items are located. Thus, customers may never really come in close proximity to the del The second concern related to the actual assortment of fancy items in the preprepared dell section. While every item offered was cooked and presented to perfection by staff chefs, James was concerned that customers were unsure of the tems because they had never actually eaten such fancy dishes. Also, he wondered if customers assumed the items were too expensive to bring home to the family based upon their fancy names James knows that he must collect some information to shed light on possible solutions related to the gourmet dell. He also understands that designing and conducting the research properly is critical to finding a successful solution James knows that he must collect some information to shed light on possible solutions related to the gourmet deli. He also understands that designing and conducting the research properly is critical to finding a successful solution. 5 When a research participant is embarrassed about not having sufficient knowledge about the topic of interest, he or she will most likely do which of the following? Multiple Choice Ask for clarification to ensure the research results are accurate. O Make up a response to avoid looking bad. O Return the uncompleted survey and indicate a lack of knowledge to complete all of the items. on possible solutions related to the gourmet dell. He also understands that designing and conducting the research properly is critical to finding a successful solution. k If the customers of Plaza Pointe were questioned about the quality and selection of pre-prepared gourmet items available in the deli by one of the chefs employed by the deli, what would research results likely indicate? COS Multiple Choice Customers would admit they don't like the quality or selection Customers would likely praise both the quality and selection. Customers would probably not participate in this type of research. had never actually eaten such fancy dishes. Also, he customers assumed the items were too expensive to "bring home to the family" based upon their fancy names. James knows that he must collect some information to shed light on possible solutions related to the gourmet deli. He also understands that designing and conducting the research properly is critical to finding a successful solution. Which of the following research questions likely needs to be addressed first? Multiple Choice Do the fancy names of the gourmet dell items make customers think they are too expensive? Are customers afraid of trying the gourmet dishes because they are unfamiliar with the taste? Does the store configuration make it inconvenient for customers to access the dell? customers the item ere too ex to the family" based upon their fancy names. James knows that he must collect some Information to shed light on possible solutions related to the gourmet dell. He also understands that designing and conducting the research properly is critical to finding a successful solution. The deli's location is likely best assessed using which of the following methods? Multiple Choice Consumer panels O Survey research O Observation