Is this how you grocery shop?

When Norlaine Elsbury of Lincolnshire hits the grocery store, she always buys the same brands of coffee, ketchup and pasta.

She doesn't give it much thought, just grabbing her favorites and dropping them in the cart.

Other items on the shopping list require a little more consideration, with shoppers comparing prices or nutrition labels.

Salad dressings, frozen foods, cereals and breads are items on which Jessica Poulet of Round Lake will vary the brands she buys, depending on price or a desire to try something new.

The way these women shop matches a recently released study conducted by The Nielsen Company.

The study, which reviewed consumer shopping behavior across 30 food categories, found that shoppers adopt one of four shopping modes as they cruise the aisles, depending on what product they're looking for. Shoppers switch between categories the survey labels as auto-pilot, buzz, variety-seeking and bargain-hunting.

The study finds that shoppers bring different mindsets to different categories of products, determining how receptive we are to advertising and other elements.

Time is one component in the equation.

"Shoppers don't waste time on everyday decisions," said Manjima Khandelwal, senior vice president, Nielsen Customized Research. "To simplify their lives, shoppers are often in a grab-and-go mode, reaching for the brands they usually buy without reading the label or checking the price."

In autopilot, or grab-and-go mode, the shopper's habitual decisions are driven by brand choices. Coffee, margarine, mayonnaise and carbonated soft drinks fall into this category.

In contrast, the variety-seeking mode is when the shopper spends more time to browse and look for new tastes.

Cookies, salad dressings, salty snacks, cold cereal and frozen dinners would fall into this category.

The shopper may choose a product in this area based on exciting packaging, according to Deepak Varma, senior vice president, Nielsen Customized Research.

The buzz category includes energy drinks, sports drinks and yogurt drinks. Shoppers are likely to make these picks based on catchy advertising and new product introductions.

The bargain-hunting category is driven by price. Consumers in this mode are on a mission to save money and search for the cheapest product. Canned tomatoes, canned fruit and pasta sauces fall in this area.