Changing consumer shopping behaviors are triggering greater revenue opportunities for supermarket operators.

That is a key finding from the National Pork Board’s Point of Decision research, which is intended to provide insights on how consumers shop the meat case and purchase pork products.

The study, conducted last May, includes 25 in-depth interviews with women who say they are the primary grocery shoppers in their families.

Mixes of occupations, cooking experience and household sizes were represented. Interviews lasted approximately 1.5 hours and were followed by one-hour observations of shopping behavior.

There also were 276 in-store intercepts of female shoppers who have at least one child living at home. Each intercept survey lasted 10 to 12 minutes.

The research occurred in four geographically dispersed markets throughout the U.S. with women between the ages of 21 and 49.

Similar studies were completed in 2001 and 2005.

The 2009 research found that consumers are visiting stores more often, which gives retailers additional occasions to capture their attention and dollars.

Fifty-five percent of shoppers report that they visit outlets once or more a week, and 89 percent of that segment say they “always” or “usually” shop the meat case. In 2001, just 39 percent indicated that they shop once or more a week.

Many of these shoppers are responding to in-store promotions.

Fifty percent of consumers, for instance, said in-store merchandising influences their buying behavior, and a majority of pork purchasers stated they are “highly influenced.”

The 2009 Point of Decision research also revealed that consumers spend an average of two minutes and 22 seconds at the meat case. That is nearly twice as long as the average time spent in other store departments, according to the Meyers Research Center, a New York-based market research firm.

In addition, shoppers purchasing pork spend two minutes and 40 seconds at the meat case, compared to two minutes and 22 seconds for poultry customers and two minutes and 11 seconds for beef buyers.

Consumers also are more frequently planning their purchases before leaving home—which makes it important for retailers to influence shoppers outside of the store.

Indeed, 71 percent of shoppers noted that they decide on the cut of meat to buy prior to visiting outlets, compared to 47 percent in 2001. About half the respondents also stated that they write out a list prior to shopping.

Jarrod Sutton is assistant vice president of channel marketing for the Des Moines, Iowa-based National Pork Board.