Market Research - Comparison Gatorade, Chunky Soup and Lays Potato Chips

The three products that I chose to compare were Gatorade, Chunky Soup, and Lays Potato Chips. I chose those three food items because you can usually find them at any retail location because they are convenient items. Gatorade and soup are usually remedies used when you are sick which makes them available at more retailers while chips are a convenient snack that are common amongst consumers. The three different retailers that I chose to compare the products at were a Grocery store (Kroger), Convenience store (QuickTrip) Supermarket (Wal-Mart). All three retailers are easily accessible to the public and are popular retail chains.

The first item I researched was Gatorade. The first the I noticed about Gatorade at the convince store is that it is kept in a refrigerator and grouped with all other sports related drinks, I also noticed that if you buy one that you pay full price however if you buy 2, you get a better deal and save money. No attendant was necessary in looking for the Gatorade as it was in a clear glass and very easy to find. One thing in particular that I noticed was the different bottle styles they offered, from regular twenty ounce bottles to squeeze bottles and thirty-two ounce bottles. I also noticed that they kept some of the snacks and chips placed directly across from the refrigerated drinks. At the Supermarket I noticed that the Gatorade was not kept in the refrigerator and was on the same isle as the rest of the drinks and juices. There was more of a variety of flavors to choose from as well. They supermarket offered limited size options but they made the Gatorade available in packages, maximizing your quantity and saving the consumer money. The supermarket also offered powdered versions of the drink. At the grocery store I noticed that the Gatorade was kept on the isle with pops and sodas versus the juice isle like the supermarket. They offered better deals and were cheaper than the convenience store. The price for the Gatorade at the grocery store was one dollar while the convenience store was selling the same bottle of Gatorade for almost two dollars. I did notice however at the grocery store that the Gatorade was on the isle over from chips and snacks like the convenience store.

The second item I research was the Chunky Soup. The first thing I noticed at the convenience store is that the soup was sold in a microwavable safe bowl, making it easy for the consumer to heat it up quickly, the soup was on the isle with other microwavable safe food items such as Noodles in a Cup. The soup averaged a price of five dollars which is very expensive for a can of soup. Also there were only two flavors to choose from. At the Supermarket the soup was on an isle full of other brands of soup, however the Chunky was all grouped together. There was a wide variety to choose from and they offered cans and microwave ready bowls of soup as well. At the supermarket those same microwave safe bowls were going for