Assignment 4: Forming an Opportunity Belief

I believe there is an unmet need for reducing food waste. Of course, this is a very broad issue, but I speak specifically for consumers who are accidentally wasting food by forgetting what they have and letting it spoil. According to the 2016 IFIC Foundation Food & Health Survey the main reason people admit contributing to food waste is that they forget about perishable food until it’s too late. I believe I could provide a product that will help consumers track what they buy, how much of it they have left and how many days are left until it spoils/expires. Currently there are tips that people can use to tackle this issue, such as planning out their meals for the week and buying only what they need, knowing that they will use it. However, sometimes plans change, and people can be forgetful, so I believe there is an 80% chance this opportunity exists.

Interviews:

Male, 20

How often do you go grocery shopping?

Twice a month.

How much food would you say you buy every time?

Usually $150 worth of food.

What percentage of the food you get would you say you end up using?

80%

What happens to the rest of the food?

It expires.

Are you doing anything that would help you to not forget next time?

I just try to not get the things I see I don’t use fast enough, like mushrooms or salad.

Has this always been a problem for you?

Ever since I started grocery shopping for myself.

Are you satisfied with your solution?

Yes.

Would you get an app that would potentially be able to track what you buy, tell you how much of it you have left, and how many days are left until it expires?

Yeah, I think that’s pretty neat!

Female, 21

How often do you go grocery shopping?

Once a month.

How much food would you say you buy every time?

$100 worth.  

What percentage of the food you get would you say you end up using?

90%

What happens to the rest of the food?

My roommate eats it.

Does any of it ever expire?

Probably.

Are you doing anything that would help you to not to use it next time?

Umm, no.

Would you get an app that would potentially be able to track what you buy, tell you how much of it you have left, and how many days are left until it expires?

Probably not.

Do you think you’d know of someone who would be more interested or in need of this app?

Ummm, I don’t know.

Female, 39

How often do you go grocery shopping?

Like twice a week.

How much food would you say you buy every time?

It ranges from $20 -$100.

What percentage of the food you get would you say you end up using?

95%.

What happens to the rest of the food?

It expires or just sits there.

Are you doing anything that would help you to not forget next time to use it, if it expires?

No, not really.

Would you get an app that would potentially be able to track what you buy, tell you how much of it you have left, and how many days are left until it expires?

Yeah that would be interesting. I definitely feel that I’d use it if I were losing a higher percentage of the food to spoilage.

Do you know any people who have this problem?

Friends, younger people usually.

Reflection:

Every time I interviewed a new person, I became more aware of who my target market would be. My opportunity has a very specific audience, but it is something that people would be interested in.

Summary:

Of course, interviewing just 3 people is not quite a lot but it gave me good insight on who would actually be more interested in the product. Although 1/3 of my interviews were successful, in the sense that it seemed to provide a solution for them, I also realized that it’s because my audience did not particularly consist of those who be more likely to need my product. My first interviewee was a male who evidently goes grocery shopping for a months’ worth of food. He was the only person who seemed more excited and interested in my proposed product, but I also realized that he was the only one who really had a good amount of food going to waste because it was expiring. With my second interview I noticed that frequency and amount of food bought is also key. Going just once a month grocery shopping usually indicates that you eat out more than at home, thus the chances of your food expiring or even getting perishable items is less. For my last interview I got my last bit of helpful information. Now getting information from an older person, I was able to also realize how age had an influence perhaps, in being more responsible with food. She even said when I asked if she knew anyone who had more of an issue with food waste that it was her younger friends. All in all, I now believe there is a 68% chance the opportunity does exist but that it should be primarily target to young adults who live alone and have a pattern of consistent grocery shopping.