Challenge: Hershey’s and Stop & Shop/Giant stores wanted to know how Stop & Shop could become a “destination” for holiday purchases (specifically Christmas and holiday candy).

Objective: To explore important holiday traditions, and gain a better understanding of consumers’ holiday shopping behavior and preferences at Giant/Stop & Shop versus key competitive retailers (e.g., Target, Wegmans, ShopRite, Acme, A&P).

Solution: A qualitative exploratory was conducted across multiple markets. Shoppers provided visuals of family holiday traditions and participated in mock holiday shopping experiences. Additionally, shoppers were probed on favorite local specialty stores and the opportunity for a larger chain to deliver that local flavor.

Result: Findings from this study were used as input for long-term planning for Hershey’s holiday offerings within Stop & Shop and Giant, including merchandising, promotions, and communications.