Cannon widens lead among domestics brands - household linen brands at discount stores - Top Brands, part 2: Consumer Survey

Discount Store News, Oct 30, 1989

Cannon Widens Lead Among Domestics Brands

Cannon increased its hold as the most preferred brand in domestics, widening its lead over the other top rated labels, according to consumer responses to DSN's Consumer Top Brands Survey.

When asked to name the domestics brands they prefer, consumers overwhelmingly named Cannon. Pepperell - Lady Pepperell and West Point Pepperell - is the No. 2 brand, based on consumer responses, but is far behind Cannon.

Pepperell Mentions Rise

However, Pepperell did record an increase in the number of mentions from last year's survey. Specifically, Pepperell recorded its biggest increases from Wal-mart and Ames/Zayre shoppers. Its biggest decline was recorded by Target shoppers.

In fact, Target customers named all top 10 domestics labels less often this year than in 1988, indicating a trend throughout the category.

Only four of the top 10 domestics labels recorded increases in mentions this year: Cannon, up two-tenths of one percent: Pepperell, up six-tenths of 1 percent; Dan River, up 1.1 percentage points; and Spring Maid, up half a percent.

All the others were mentioned less often on the current survey than they were in 1988. The largest decline was recorded by Fieldcrest and St. Mary's both Cannon labels, by 1.8 percentage points. Their decline could be a result of greater recognition of the Cannon label.

The decline in mentions for most of the nation's top name brands in domestics could be due to a growing acceptance and preference for private label goods.

For example, when consumers were asked about their preference for private label domestics, their responses were so high they were second only to hardware, the category with the biggest preference for private label products.

More than one-fourth (26 percent) of consumers said they prefer private label domestics, up 42 percent from a year ago.

Despite this growing preference for private label domestics, consumers noted that they still go shopping with a specific brand in mind, survey results reveal.

More than half the consumers (57 percent) polled said they do have a brand preference in domestics, up nine percentage points from a year ago. Only women's apparel garners fewer mentions for brand preference.

While saying they have a brand preference, these same customers are among the most likely to switch brands if the only they want is not available to them.

Two-thirds of the consumers said if they can't find the exact brand they are looking for in domestics, they'll switch. Therefore, fewer of them than last year will skip the purchase, saving both the customer and the purchase.

However, switching brands is not a particularly big concern for domestic customers.

These shoppers are fairly confident they will find the domestics brand they seek.

On a scale of 1 to 9 - with one indicating no confidence and nine meaning total confidence - shoppers gave domestics a confidence rating of 7.47, compared with 7.36 last year.

Customers have every reason to be confident they'll find the right brand. Store managers and consumers agree on seven of the top 10 brands. Cannon topped both lists with Pepperell in the No. 2 spot.

  Table :              Consumer Brand Preferences
                             In Domestics
              Discount                                        Ames/
Top Brands    Shoppers     K mart     Wal-Mart     Target     Zayre
Cannon          64.5%       65.3%       70.7%       59.6%     58.0%

Pepperell/

Lady

Pepperell/

  Westpoint/     4.1          4.0       4.0          5.3       6.0
Fieldcrest       3.5          4.0       1.3          5.3       6.0
Martex           2.3          1.3       1.3          3.5       4.0
Dan River        2.3          2.7       2.7           -        6.0
St. Mary's       1.7          2.0        -           3.5        -
J.P. Stevens     1.2          1.3       2.7           -        2.0
Burlington        .6           .7        -           1.8        -
Taste Maker       .6           .7       1.3           -        2.0
Spring Maid      1.7          2.0        -            -        4.0
  Table :      Top Domestics Brands:
            Store Managers vs. Shoppers
Managers                               Consumers
Cannon                                 Cannon
Pepperell/Lady                         Pepperell/Lady
  Pepperell/                           Pepperell/
  Westpoint                            Westpoint
J.P. Stevens                           Fieldcrest
Spring/Spring Mills                    Martex
Martha Stewart                         Dan River
Dan River                              St. Mary's
Fieldcrest                             Spring Maid
Kenney                                 J.P. Stevens
Burlington                             Burlington
                                       Taste Maker

Top 10 rankings in each category are based on discount store managers' response to the question: What are your best performing name brands in (department)? and discount store consumers' response to the question: If you were shopping for (product) in a discount department store, which brand of that product would you want?