Regional and sometimes local preferences for different calibers of crunch, thickness, seasonings and endless other elements have created a surprisingly diverse culinary patchwork of potato chip styles around the country, according to The Las Vegas Sun in Las Vegas, Nev. For the full story, click here.
Editor’s Insight: The article notes that despite mass production and national marketing, regional and local tastes survive. As a result, the nation’s largest chip manufacturer has added more varieties over the last decade.
This article focuses on how tastes vary by geography. Tastes also vary by demographics.
Retailers such as supermarkets, club stores, mass merchants and even convenience stores have used consumer research for years in making product selections. This type market research is much newer in the vending industry, but it thanks to today’s state-of-the-art vending software, such research is available and vending operators are making use of it.
One take-away from this article is that a retailer can maximize sales and profitability by understanding customer needs more accurately. 08-20-12 By Elliot Maras
