In short
- Ask why buyers picked you today. Price and quality decide most food orders, and the answer shows which one you win on.
- Ask where they heard of you only on the first order, and use later orders for other questions.
- Ask how they liked it after the first taste, a few days after the order arrives.
What makes food and drink different
Food is bought every week. Klaviyo's 2024 State of Ecommerce report found that 95% of shoppers buy food and drink at least weekly, and 15% buy every day.
Buyers weigh price and quality before brand. In the same report, 79% name price and 78% name quality as top factors, against 41% for brand reputation. That leaves room for buyers to switch when another brand looks like a better deal.
Prices keep moving. The USDA's Food Price Outlook forecasts food at home prices to rise 2.3% in 2026. When prices rise, knowing why buyers chose you tells you what you can change and what you must keep.
What your reports miss
Your analytics show what sold and how often people come back. They cannot show why a buyer chose your coffee over the one next to it, what diet they follow, or what made them stop ordering. Those answers decide your offers, your bundles and your flavors. Here is how to ask the first question and read the answers.
The questions to ask
1. Where did you first hear about us?
- Why it matters: Food often travels by taste. A sample at a café or a friend's kitchen leaves no click.
- If many tried it in person: Put more into samples and stockists. Keep this question in a survey for first time buyers, using Lifetime order in a customer segment, so regulars are not asked twice.
2. Why did you pick us today?
- Why it matters: Price and quality both rank high in this category. This shows which one your buyers came for.
- If most say ingredients: Lead your ads and product pages with them, and be careful with discounts that make the product look cheaper than it is.
3. Do you follow any of these diets?
- Why it matters: Diet shapes what a buyer can order next, so it decides which products you suggest.
- If one diet is common: Build a bundle for it, and on the Growth plan send those buyers a flow that only shows products that fit.
4. How often do you buy this kind of product?
- Why it matters: It tells you when the buyer will run out, so your reorder email arrives on time.
- If many buy every week or two: Offer a subscription with that rhythm, and time your reorder email to the answer.
5. How did you like it after the first taste?
- Why it matters: The first taste decides the second order.
- If scores are low: Read the written answers, which AI groups into topics, and see whether the issue is the flavor, the freshness or the packaging.
When to ask
In SEA Survey, the post purchase email waits until the order ships, then for the delay you set in days. Our advice for food and drink:
| Moment | Question | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you page, first order | Where did you first hear about us? | Only new buyers have a first touch to tell you about |
| Thank you page | Why you picked us, diet, how often you buy | The reasons are fresh, and it takes three taps |
| Email a few days after the order ships | How did you like it after the first taste? | Most food is opened soon after it arrives |
Example: what a coffee roaster would do
This example is made up to show the steps. Your own responses decide.
Say you roast specialty coffee and sell bags online, with a subscription on the side. The Thank you page survey shows that most buyers pick ingredients over price, and many first time buyers say they tried it at a café. A large group buys coffee every week, yet few take the subscription.
That gives you three moves. Ask the cafés that pour your coffee to keep a few bags for sale. Lead the product page with origin and roast date, and keep discounts small. Offer a weekly subscription and time the reorder email to day five for weekly buyers. The next month of answers tells you whether more buyers pick the subscription.
Mistakes to avoid
- Asking every order where they heard about you. Regulars get tired of it. Ask once, then ask something new.
- Asking how it tastes before it arrives. Wait for the first taste.
- Only asking about price. Most buyers weigh quality as much as price, so give them both options.
FAQ
How do I ask regulars without tiring them?
Use a customer segment. Lifetime order lets you show one survey to first time buyers and another to people on their fifth order.
Does a survey slow down checkout?
No. The Thank you page shows after the order is placed, so the survey never stands between a buyer and paying.
Can diet answers go to Klaviyo?
Yes, on the Growth plan. Each question becomes a property on the buyer's Klaviyo profile, so a vegan buyer only gets vegan products in your emails. SEA Survey also connects to Mailchimp, Omnisend and ActiveCampaign.
Sources: Klaviyo, 2024 State of Ecommerce, food and beverage. USDA Economic Research Service, Food Price Outlook, October 2026. Timing in this post is our advice, not a measured rule.
