12A

·     Segment: The segment I chose is individuals who shop at Lucky’s Market. The reason I chose this store in particular is because their business was founded on the need for fresh produce that was pesticide free as well as cruelty free products at competitive prices. This is very similar to what my hydroponic farming market is meant to achieve so it stands to reason that people who shop at these stores would also be the types of customers who may be interested in my concept. 

·     Interviews: What I learned from these interviews is that these types of individuals are indeed willing to pay premium prices for fresh produce. In fact, this is the main reason they shop at Lucky’s as opposed to shopping at Walmart. They were all keen on emphasizing that the premium prices are only worth it if the products are of a higher standard. When I asked them what higher standards they were referring to there were many factors, other than freshness, that I had not considered would sway people to shop at my store. Among these factors were: 

1.) Store layout: Did it make sense and were goods easy to find? 

2.) Presentation of goods: Were the goods presented in an appealing manor? 

3.) Variety of goods: (considered by all three to be of the utmost importance) Could they obtain all of their needs in one location or would they need to go to multiple stores?

4.) Cleanliness of store: Was it a positive environment to shop in?

5.) Helpfulness of employees: Were they familiar with the products that were being offered and where they were sourced from? 

These were just a few of the reasons they associated Lucky’s Market with a store that sells fresh premium products and also the reasons they would shop at a hydroponic farming market if there was one available in their area of residence. 

·     Conclusions: After these interviews it has become clear to me that while fresh produce is very important to this segment, there are a plethora of factors that persuade these individuals to shop at a store that offers this service so it is key to address all aspects in order to create a successful business model. The interviews have also brought to my attention the fact that there are indeed stores out there who offer fresh produce currently but they do not have the key advantage of my business model of on-site, year-round, fresh produce production. However, I would have to match stores like Lucky’s market in other areas such as variety and shopping experience to be able to compete sense this segment already has the fresh produce portion of my business model being met.