Assignment 9A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who-

From my first interview, I learned that the mom of 3 loves to cook and has the qualities of customers I have identified previously, but with 3 kids, she just finds it easier to go to Target or Sam’s Club, since they have things she needs in large quantities, ready for her to grab. The man who dislikes cooking thinks it is too messy, too much work to cook for himself because he would have to wash several dishes. The woman who does not like trying new foods (sticking in her comfort zone) is not a prototypical customer because she does not want to commit to an entire package of a new food, just to not like it and throw it out. She also doesn’t like trying new things since she “already knows” what she liked. The couple that shops at Costco are used to buying in large amounts and try their best to use up the food they buy and they usually eat the same 3 meals every day, for a week (because it is easier to meal prep 3 recipes for the whole week vs. 5 different recipes to alternate). The college student that doesn’t know how to cook eats out and doesn’t consider how much money she would save if she cooked at least 1 meal every day.  In all, I realized all of the people I interviewed, do not think about how much food they throw away weekly because they never think much of it and the effects of it on the planet.

What-

The need to control the quantities of food you buy differs from buying the smallest or largest option available because controlling the exact quantities requires more thought about your own food consumption patterns, rather than settling for what most mainstream grocery stores offer. You have to know that if you are making enough for 3 meals, how much that of each ingredient that requires because your definition varies from someone who eats more/less.

Why-

The underlying cause is because the outsiders are used to settling for whatever options are available in their closest grocery store. People want convenience and do not want to put too much thought into a “mundane” task and a quick solution. Once we get use to the norms of what the stores have to offer, we also get use to throwing away small amounts of food we can’t finish. However, over time that adds up and can cost a considerable amount of money.

Interview 1- a mom of 3 children

Interview 2- a man who dislikes cooking

Interview 3- a woman who does not like going out of her comfort zone

Interview 4- a couple who meal preps and shops at Costco to buy large amounts

Interview 5- a college student that does not know how to cook

Inside The Boundary	Outside The Boundary
Who Is In: -people who live by themselves -environmentally conscious consumers -people who do not like to eat the same meal every day -couples that do not have kids yet, they only have to make enough food for 2 -people who travel a lot and need smaller portions of food for when they are home (because if it is too large of a portion, it will go bad in the time they are gone)	Who Is Not: -people who eat out majority of their meals -people who do not cook/ do not know how to -people who are not aware of their eating habits/patterns (i.e how much you usually eat per meal)
What Is The Need: The need to control the exact amounts of food you buy; to customize the grocery shopping experience	What The Need Is NOT: The need is not to buy food from the solution store without thought, just to throw it out anyway.
Why The Need Exists: It exists because it allows you to tailor your foods/meals to your lifestyle (with the result being to reduce food waste).	Alternative Explanations: -People could still go to Target, Walmart or Costco and just portion out the food once they get home -share their leftover food with friends/family -instead of throwing away leftover produce/veggies, they could compost