Shopper Culture

Mother's Day: Celebrating All the Mothers in Your Life

Mother’s Day has traditionally been thought of as a day to celebrate your mom. But increasingly, consumers are seeing the day as a chance to show their appreciation for all the special women in their lives who are mothers. Mothercare, a UK-based retailer, created a Facebook video showcasing the average mom’s point of view of the special day:

“It is a day set aside to dedicate and honor the women that give us so much love.”

This expansion of celebration is evident in shopper behavior and spending. According to Forbes, 23.5 percent of Mother’s Day spending will be on wives, 10.5 percent on daughters, 8.5 percent on grandmothers, and 8.2 percent on sisters. 

Retail is responding to this shift. For instance, while Ann Taylor Loft touts its Mother’s Day Must-Haves, they also remind shoppers of all the special women in their lives. As greeting cards are a common gift, retailers are expanding their collection to offer options for different recipients (e.g., aunt, sister, goddaughter). As marketers, we have to consider for whom shoppers are buying when we message around Mother’s Day.

 

Contributed by Jillian Kyle and Molly Paskal

Collecting Shopper Data for the Shopper

73% of smartphone owners are concerned about personal data collection. 55% are wary of sharing information about their location. (NielsenWire.com)

That’s a lot of people who, in good faith, are limiting the data they choose to share, therefore limiting the potential of having better shopping experiences. In the world of big data and data collection, it’s critical that brands and retailers continue to push forward and use the information they collect to not only drive sales, but to improve and maintain positive relationships with shoppers.

Value Is in the Retailer

While I was recently on shopalongs spanning different CPG categories with female shoppers, there was one universal finding: value was associated with the retailer more than with the actual product. In marketing, value is defined as what you get for what you pay. However, when shopping certain categories, such as diapers or laundry detergent, many shoppers didn’t want to sacrifice performance to pay less. In those instances, it was all about where they chose to shop. They shopped at Target to feel good about receiving a free $5 Gift Card, or went to Walmart believing they’d find good prices on the brands they love, or bought their diapers from www.diapers.com to receive free shipping and five percent back. Value for these women was a product of the store and, therefore, factored less into their brand decision. It’s important for us to understand how different shoppers define value so we can overcome purchase barriers and effectively close the sale.  

Photo Source: www.allthingstarget.com

2013 Trend Sighting—Interactive Retail

Back in January, we posted about some of the top trends you would see in shopper marketing this year—one of which was interactive retail. Retailers and brands are not only striving to bring fun to the shopping experience through interactive retail but also efficiency. Case in point, the recent installation of Me-Ality (a self-billed "digital sizing station") in five Bloomingdale's locations. 

These installations aim to solve the chronic shopper problem of finding the right pair of jeans in the right size. I know from experience that trying on jeans is one of the most daunting shopping tasks. It requires the right mindset, knowledge, selection and setting to achieve the goal (buying the perfect pair of jeans). If even one thing goes wrong that can result in a no sale situation (which is not good for retailer or brand). That said, I would take the 10-15 seconds to give Me-Ality a shot. It appears to offer a fast and efficient way to get some knowledge (size and style recommendations) to aid the ever-daunting jean shopping experience.

Have you encountered other examples of interactive retail that have helped make your shopping process easier and more efficient?

Photo source: Mashable.com

Understanding Shoppers Around the Globe; An Integer Presentation

The Path to Purchase Institute's Shopper Marketing Summit wrapped yesterday in Schaumburg, IL. Integer's own Craig Elston was one of many speakers at the conference. Click HERE to download his presentation on Shoppers Around the Globe: The Impact of Culture and Context. The presentation explores insights from Integer's original shopper study conducted across five global markets—the U.S., India, the Nordics, the Middle East and Canada—including key global shopper similarities that allow for global efficiencies as well as how differences in shopper attitudes and behaviors are vital for developing effective shopper marketing programs.

Click HERE to visit Shopper Culture's presentation hub and explore other conference presentations.

New Shopper Insights for Download: Integer's Latest Conference Presentations

Hungry for some fresh insights about the current state of shopping? Download the latest presentations Integer has shared with the industry including:

• P2P Institute: Are We Still Shopping Smart Post-Recession?
• POPAI: Shopper Pulse
• P2P Institute: Shopping Perspectives on Health and Wellness
• IIR Shopper Insights In Action: The Emotional Shopper Journey: How Research on Shoppers' Feelings Enables You to Understand and Influence Their Behavior

Or click here to check out other presentations.

Burberry Introduces Smart Personalization for Shoppers

For the launch of its new Fall/Winter 2013 womenswear collection, the London fashion house Burberry created a seamless digital shopping experience. Following a similar principle to the Topshop “Enter the Catwalk” campaign, which provided viewers with live-streamed footage of the show and customization features, The Burberry smart personalization allows shoppers to browse and shop for items they like straight from the catwalk via their mobile devices.

Once an order is placed, shoppers receive tailor-made outerwear and bags with personalized, engraved nameplates. Shoppers are also invited to virtually

Are You Buying Spirit for St. Patrick's Day?

I agree with NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay when he says,“St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect reminder that spring is right around the corner, and given the type of winter many Americans have had, it’s safe to say consumers are ready to shake off their winter blues with a little green.” 

But for most, St. Patrick's Day is not just about blowing off the winter blues by wearing green (and drinking green), it's also about spending green. According to NRF’s St. Patrick’s Day Spending Survey conducted by BIGinsight, the average person will spend $35.27 on green attire, décor for their home and office, and festive food and drinks. Though younger consumers may be the age group planning the most celebrations (77.3%), 35-44 year olds will be the ones spending the most at an average of $41.68. 

Knowing people are eager to spend, brands and retailers continue to market specifically to this holday and have already flooded the market with festive messages to push their products. What do you predict will be the biggest seller this year?

Are Your Shoppers Actually Connoisseurs?

Have you noticed that your friends have recently transformed into "experts" on everything? They demand the best in all their purchases, from craft beers to video games and running shoes to food carts. Having an endless supply of information at our fingertips has resulted in everyone becoming "experts on" everything with a minimal time investment. We're looking to fast-track our way to Gladwell's 10,000 Hour-Rule. A recent New York Times article explored this phenomenon that has resulted from a simple equation: consumerism plus information equals the rise of the connoisseur.

Consumers, overwhelmed by choice, are looking for the “best” of everything. Time and money constraints have made the traditional road to connoisseurship too difficult for most; however,

The Other CPG—Considered Purchase Goods

While there is significant insight data on CPG because of the frequency of the buy, there is very little on more considered, big-ticket items because of the gap between purchases (weekly vs. monthly vs. annually vs. every five years). BUT...these other CPGs (Considered Purchase Goods) share MORE SIMILAR BEHAVIORS than you might think. As part of Integer’s Complex Shopper research – which investigated how people shop for big-ticket purchases – we looked at behaviors or attitudes that are consistent no matter the frequency or size of the purchase.

SHIFTING SHOPPING PRIORITIES

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The new normal has changed the importance of VALUE to a shopper. Now, saving money, even if it takes more time (more consideration), is a priority. A HUGE PRIORITY. From July to September 2012, nearly half of our respondents had reduced the number of items they buy, AND THEY SHIFTED FROM CREDIT TO CASH...saving up for that item is another form of consideration. You want to make sure that you are not forgotten while they are waiting to buy.

Click here to continue reading more on CPGs or here to read more editions of The Pulse.

What We Say vs. How We Shop

A while ago, we recounted the story of how a simple divider in a shopping cart can radically change shopping behavior. In fact, the little sign that said, "place produce here, all other products there" doubled fresh produce purchases during the experiment.

Additional secondary research by Collin Payne and Mihai Niculescu found that this was massively more effective than other produce marketing methods (shelf labeling, advertising, coupons, etc.), which often only increased sales a couple percentage points.   

But we began to wonder if such a persuasive marketing method would ever survive the standby of shopper research: the direct response survey of purchase intent. So we fielded the question to a panel of 4,593 US shoppers.

We found that a cart divider ranked last in what people claim would influence them to buy more produce.

When asked directly if a cart divider would influence their produce purchases, an overwhelming majority said it would have no effect.

If the Shopper Will Not Go to the Store, the Store Must Come to the Shopper

We all about know food trucks. Most of us have heard of grocery delivery trucks. But that is only the beginning. Imagine if a truck delivered…pretty much anything to your block! 

Feiyue is a French shoe company that is expanding globally. As a part of its expansion efforts in South Africa, Feiyue is taking its shoes to the streets of Johannesburg. Not only does the attractive appearance of the truck take you away and lure you into the store where you make an impulse purchase of a nice pair of shoes, but you can also schedule the truck to show up at your address, at home, at the park, or on campus! (Photos courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/feiyue.southafrica)

This trend goes beyond food, shoes, and goods in general. For example, there are beer canning trucks that will bring the canning equipment for your home-brewed beer. Others offer professional grade car-repair tools and equipment. The list goes on. Do you think the mobility, on-demand capacity, and flexibility paired together with the authentic and personal touch of the trucks will soon outpace online and big-box retailing?

Topshop and Google+ Revolutionize London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week is an opportunity for fashion brands to connect with shoppers and fans beyond showcasing the upcoming product lines. Topshop is fast becoming a best-in class-example in this space.

For the 2013 show, the retailer joined forces with Google+ for “The Future of the Fashion Show” activation.

A New Way To Pay

RetailingToday.com has a quick report on the success of Walmart's Scan & Go service. 

Photo Source: RetailingToday.com

Acording to the report, Scan & Go was introduced in select stores last fall and "the service allows shoppers to use their iPhone as a scanning device with the ability to 'skip the checkout line' touted as the key shopper benefit. The intent is for shoppers to scan items as they are put in a bag or cart and then render payment at a self checkout station, avoiding the need to scan items at the self checkout or wait in a regular checkout lane."

RetailingToday.com goes on to say that "The concept must be attracting some interest as both displays at this store across from Walmart’s home office were nearly out of tear pads with instructions for using the service and reusable bags that sell for $4."

So that's either an indicator that the service is attracting a lot of attention from Shoppers, or that the display is attracting little attention from store employees to keep it well stocked. Which do you think it is? 

Digital Signage Expo 2013

The Integer Group will be attending and participating at the Digital Signage Expo later this month in Las Vegas, February 26-28.

Our very own Amy Vollet will be leading a group discussion on Cultivating Connections with Today's Omnichannel Shoppers on Thursday, February 28th from 11 to noon. Amy will discuss how the evolving digital tool set available to today's shopper creates exciting marketing opportunities.

We'll share the presentation here after the conference. In the meantime, read Amy's article on DOOH and the Changing Media Landscape. If you are interested in attending DSE, visit the website for the full agenda and registration information. Come say hello!