Andrew’s Take on Shopping Demographics
NO ONE
SHOPS THE SAME, SO IT’S SENSELESS TO TRY AND MAKE THEM DO SO.
That
stands for people as individuals – but there are some basic gender
issues to think about first.
Men:
Men don’t
like shopping. In these liberated times, men still want to get through a
store by thinking as little as possible. They look less, hate asking for
help and when they find what they want; they want to escape in double
quick time.
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If a man tries something on, after investing that amount of
time, the only thing stopping purchase is a bad fit.
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While women take ages to choose style and colour and cut…
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Men check price tags less and upgrade more easily.
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They upgrade more easily, since they’re hugely suggestible.
They’ll say yes to anything to escape the store!
BUT MEN
ARE NOT THE SAME BEASTS THEY WERE…
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They stay single for longer – and get divorced. Women work
now and household responsibilities are shared more. So household stuff
must appeal to men a little more.
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They’re less likely to go shopping with a list, and they say
no to kids less.
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They still get a big thrill from paying though – there’s a
big opportunity to sell to a woman or child with a man (Dads spend more
on children's clothes and food than Mums)
In most
cases though, when a woman goes shopping, men can be a problem. They get
bored, they want to get out.
A
Woman
shopping with a friend spends twice as much time in store as woman with
a bloke!
So if you
want to sell to a woman, give him something to do. Maybe that’s a male
crèche, maybe it’s being next door to a man shop.
Men like
information; they certainly don’t like talking to staff. Give him
something useful to read!
In some
cases, you can get the man involved in the shop. Usually, it helps to
think of the flipside of the female experience:
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A woman cares about what a sofa looks like. He wants an
armrest big enough to balance the remote on. He’ll appreciate how stuff
was made. Imagine a furniture store with loads of info on how the stuff
got made – he’ll appreciate something to read, and you’re selling to
him.
•
If they’re both in a supermarket, get him off her back with
beer tasting.
•
Men have to cook these days – wow them with the coolness of
the appliances.
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Men want to know about the suction of a Hoover – POWER!!!.
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In general, as men lose more machismo, the stuff they buy
needs to make up for it.
…and
there’s no point excluding women from traditional male strongholds
anymore.
As women
buy their own homes, and couples share more tasks, bloke shops need to
be more women friendly.
Like B&Q
purposely becoming more life stylish, like paints becoming a style
choice.
People who
sell technology should be mindful of this. Women don’t worship gadgets;
they want to know how technology can make their life better – and
simpler. So a phone, a computer or even a car just has to work, and be
practical.
Car
retailers do this really badly. The other week, I saw a couple looking
at a Ford Ka. The MALE salesman sold to the MALE partner while his other
half quietly burned. Single women buy their own cars, and married women
still want to choose their own. And how many car dealers are remotely
family friendly?
And
imagine going into a car servicing garage and being served by a women.
What a difference it would make!
Imagine
Sony bringing out some laptops that look pretty, with different shells
to match the woman’s mood. Imagine an ad campaign lampooning men buying
gadgets they don’t need, or really understand?
Children
go everywhere these days. Shopping has to be done in family
time, so shopping has to be a legitimate leisure pursuit.
So if a
store doesn’t look like it welcomes children, it misses out on the
parents too. That means aisles wide enough for prams, automatic doors
and avoiding steps.
Anything
we can do to keep kids happy will pay off. And they can help us sell
stuff through pester power.
Just as
adult stuff needs to go to eye level, kids stuff needs to be on THEIR
level. Kids are the main market for pet treats, so they are best on the
bottom shelf.
But if you
really want a parent’s attention, occupy the child. That might mean a
crèche (but how many parents really want to leave their children with a
stranger), it could mean a lollypop, an activity book like they give out
on planes, or even video screens from every wall.
In a
coffee shop or other places that are BREAKS, anything that will give
parents a break from entertaining their child will be very, very,
welcome.
Men will
have to shop for babies – and take care of them more. Imagine the baby
bag, with the bottles and nappies in looking like a gym bag. Or more
mannish baby food (like the way they buy boys miniature football kits
before they can crawl!!) Imagine selling moisturiser to men as a health
product and selling it next to outdoor gear, or Creating (bodybuilders
are, naturally, very vain). Men's Health is largely a male Cosmo with a
very clever name.
Teenagers
are another breed altogether though.
Sometimes
a retailer wants them around. But force only strengthens resolve. One
retailer got loiterers out if its car park by playing classical music!
Unlike the
trend for self expression in older people, teenagers want to fit in.
They do this through the brands they choose. They are far more expert
at spying lies and bad ads too.
The love
finding stuff that’s intended for them and not grown ups. They love to
browse with friends, but hate being seen with the parent they come back
with to buy it. Discreet checkouts and layaway would really help this.
Imagine
student bank that gave ‘life lessons’, or a free library.
And while
kids don’t want grown ups around, it works the other way too. At all
costs, keep stuff for teenagers well away from grown up stuff.
If you're able to read this, you are not the future....The
Baby Boomer
generation is a new type of old. Unlike their parents, they don’t deny
themselves anything. And they certainly don’t want age to get in the way
of self gratification.
And thanks
to the ageing population it’s them who will have all the cash.
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They look and feel better for their age.
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Retailers will have to adapt to them.
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Eyesight falters at around forty. All our packaging and POS,
not to mention websites will have to get bigger.
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Colour gets harder to see. We’ll need more contrast and less
dim light.
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We’ll need stores that require less bending and stretching.
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Larger sizes will have to be more easy to reach.
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Mobile phones, DVD remotes, everything will have to get bigger.
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The stuff we sell to young people will have to be made
relevant to the old. From trainers replacing old fashioned comfy shoes,
to making computers more idiot proof.
You can reach Andrew at
andrew@dmsretail.com
