Up next in our Spotlight on States series is Florida!

Florida was the 27th state to join the union on March 3, 1845. Tallahassee is the state capital. It’s largest city is Jacksonville. With a total of 65,758 square miles of land and water, it’s the 22nd largest state. Florida is bordered by the states of Georgia and Alabama.

According to the US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Florida is 22,610,726 (July 2023 est.); it ranks as the 3rd most populous state after California and Texas.

Official Florida State Facts and Symbols

Every state has their own unique symbols, from birds to flowers to songs and more! Here are some of Florida’s official state symbols:

The Florida state flag along with the U.S. flag.
  • Nickname: The Sunshine State
  • State Bird: Mockingbird
  • State Flower: Orange Blossom
  • State Tree: Palmetto Palm
  • State Mammal: Florida Panther
  • State Marine Mammal: Manatee
  • State Reptile: Alligator
  • State Song: Swanee River
  • State Motto: “In God We Trust.”

Find more information about Florida’s state symbols/facts here.

Fun Facts about Florida

There are many interesting facts about Florida. Here are just a few from the fact site:

– Central Florida is the lightning capital of the U.S.

– Everglades National Park is the only place in the world where alligators coexist with crocodiles.

– The Walt Disney World Resort employs over 70,000 people. It is estimated that over 50 million people visit Disney World annually!

– Florida has more golf courses than any other state in the country.

NCP Panel Members in Florida

Let’s learn about your fellow panel members in Florida! Here’s how our Florida panel members answered some of our state highlight survey questions.

How long have you been a panel member?
– 34% of survey respondents have been panel members for 15 years or more
– 14% have been panel members for less than a year
– 55% of respondents have lived in Florida for more than 15 years

Is the area you live rural, suburban, or urban?
– 15% live in rural areas
– 67% live in suburban areas
– 18% live in urban areas

Do you have children?
– 61% of respondents have children
– Of those, 20% have children living in their home

Shopping Habits of NCP Panel Members in Florida

Do you think peoples’ shopping habits differ based on where they live? We were curious about this, so we asked our panel members questions about how, when, and where they shop, along with some other questions about their shopping habits.

Here’s what our panel members in Florida had to say about their shopping habits:

– When asked how they do most of their shopping, 64% of respondents said they do a combo of online and in-store shopping. 33% said they shop in-store only and 3% said they shop online only.
– 62% of respondents tend to shop at the same stores vs. 38% who said they shop at a variety of stores.
– 72% of respondents said they mostly stick to their list when shopping, but sometimes make impulse purchases.
– 63% of respondents said they shop alone, with another 24% shopping with a spouse or partner.

When it comes to choosing where to shop, 49% of the Florida panel members who responded primarily shop at grocery stores and 36% at mass-merchandise retailers.

Price, convenience, and location are the top factors that influence where they decide to shop. Most of our Florida panel members said they shop 2-3 times per week for groceries and do most of their shopping on Wednesdays.

About 90% of survey respondents look for ways to save money while shopping, with digital coupons and store loyalty programs being the most popular options. They also shop at multiple stores, use the store sales flyer to plan their list, subscribe to store emails, and clip paper coupons.

Convenience while shopping

While ordering groceries and other items online has long been an option, the COVID-19 pandemic made delivery and pick-up a lot more common for people.

Here’s what Florida panel members had to say about different aspects of shopping:

– 68% never order groceries online to pick up at the store, while 25% sometimes do.
– 61% never order groceries online to be delivered, while 26% sometimes do.

When asked if weather influenced their choice between online and in-person shopping, 36% of respondents said weather doesn’t impact their decision, with 33% saying they prefer in-person shopping regardless of the weather.

When asked about self-checkout, 18% of respondents said they always use self-checkout, 43% indicated they frequently use it. 28% of respondents said they rarely use it, and 11% said they never use it.

Interests of NCP panel members in Florida

When asked about outdoor activities, the most popular ones were hiking/walking, swimming and cycling. Of the other interests panel members wrote in, the most popular were gardening and fishing.

When asked which sports or events they follow, the top three were football, basketball, and baseball.

We also asked what type of place or tourist attraction would they recommend to people visiting their state/hometown. The most popular responses were beaches and coastal areas, restaurants/culinary places and local markets, and natural parks and reserves. Of the other interests panel members wrote in, the most popular was theme parks.

When asked what specific place or tourist attraction they would recommend in their state/hometown, here are some of their top suggestions:

  • Walt Disney World
  • Universal Studios
  • Everglades National Park
  • Florida Keys
  • Kennedy Space Center, and
  • The many beautiful Florida beaches

We hope you learned something new about Florida! How do your shopping habits compare to panel members in Florida?

Stay tuned for the next state spotlight on…Georgia.

Join NCP!

If you’re not a NCP panel member and you’re interested in joining NCP to share your shopping experiences, earn great rewards, and influence what you see on store shelves, click here or go to the Join NCP section of the blog for more information.

Regards,

Taylor

More from NCP:

Click here for all the Spotlight on States blogs.

Blog comment reminder: If you have a panel-related issue that you need assistance with such as a problem with scanning or your rewards, please contact our Panel Support Center directly and they will be happy to assist you! You can reach them at 1-800-962-6700 or email them at [email protected]. You can send a message from NCP’s Facebook page. Please don’t enter panel-related issues or share any personal panel membership information in the blog comment section. Any issues will be addressed faster if you contact our support center directly. Thank you so much!