Content about Shopper Marketing

By Jeff Weidauer, jweidauer@vestcom.com

Showrooming is the latest in what appears to be a never-ending series of paradigm shifts for retailers. This is the relatively new activity where shoppers visit a brick-and-mortar store, look at a product, and buy it online. Best Buy is possibly the hardest-hit; it’s been slapped with the unfortunate moniker “Amazon Showroom,” which describes just how widespread this phenomenon has become.

By Jeff Weidauer, jweidauer_@_vestcom.com

One of the drawbacks of today’s connected global economy is the pervasive homogeneity in nearly everything. One can visit any state -- indeed, nearly any country -- and see many of the same stores and restaurants offering the same products.

As consumers become more digitally connected than ever before, with product information and price comparisons at their fingertips, brand loyalty isn’t what it used to be. In response, the industry may be readying itself for a shift that puts consumers in the driver’s seat, dictating what they want, wherever they choose.

Alexandria, Va. -- Shoppers who shop with others are different from those who shop alone and retail marketers need to take note, according to a new report by the Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI). The study finds that solo shoppers are likely to spend an average of 11% more per trip than those accompanied by friends or family members, while consumers who shop with family members are likely to spend an average of 13% more than those shopping with friends.