The Channel Panel has been set up to provide organisations with a quick and low-cost way of gathering consumer insights in the Channel Islands.

 

Using app-based technology, panellists are incentivised to complete short questionnaires on a range of subjects that affect Island life.

The Panel is made up of a cross-section of Jersey and Guernsey residents and to get things started, we decided to make our first survey around consumer confidence in the Islands with some Brand preference questions thrown in.

The results were fascinating and the differences between Jersey and Guernsey were surprisingly stark.

Whilst Islanders generally, are feeling more optimistic about 2024, Guernsey residents felt more upbeat about the year ahead.

The cost-of-living crisis has had a much more material effect in Jersey with almost half of people saying that they would be cutting back on their spend, compared to a third of people in Guernsey.

The biggest causalities in tightening of wallets were eating out and visiting pubs and restaurants, followed by buying clothes.

Venue owners will have to work hard to entice people to eat and drink out, with quality and value being the deciding factors.

Regarding clothing and shopping, the results suggested increased growth in online shopping, as customers seek out range and value when making their purchases

The message for local retailers is to play up the convenience and experience side of their offering whilst rewarding customers for buying local. The trick will be to do all of this with a good selection of products at great prices.

Telecoms and Financial Services are very much commoditised with people looking for value and features over service and loyalty. This presents a risk to local operators from challenger brands who decide to enter the market and who can win on price, service as well as product features.

 

 

 

Finally, the Brands that people would like to see in the islands was consistent with Primark coming out as number one choice, followed by H&M and Zara, a good barometer of the value of money drivers.

 

 

 

Mathew is a Guernsey based Marketing Consultant, who uses insight to help organisations make informed strategic decisions that supports their growth. If you would like to delve into more detail about any of the categories, please contact mathew@mpggrowth.com

To review the top line research findings, click here: Channel Panel – March 24 – Top line Findings (1)