Understanding your shopper types and planning the right type of activation in the right location will increase revenue and drive shopper loyalty overtime, writes Stephen Wilson, Category & Insights Manager, Strikeforce.
The average bottle shop features hundreds of brands across the store at any given time.
How a retailer positions categories in-store and where they position brands within each category setting can have a significant influence on the shopper’s purchasing decision.
We sometimes assume that shoppers have the same mission and shop the same way when they enter the store. These assumptions can lead to lost opportunity.
Drinkers shop differently and by occasion – some have already made their purchase decision before they enter the store. They walk straight to the chiller, pick up their desired purchase and exit the store in just a few minutes.
Drinkers looking for premium brands may have researched the category well before entering the store but have still yet to make a considered purchase taking them much longer to arrive at a decision.
Where and how a retailer positions brands can have a significant influence on whether they can be encouraged to trade up to a higher value purchase.
Here are a few types of shopper to consider:
- The Missionary: focused, makes a beeline to their brand. As the name suggests they are on a mission to make the quickest purchase possible, usually time poor and views shopping as a necessary evil.
- The Wanderer: plenty of time on their hands, ambles into the store, probably doesn’t have a shopping list and is open to persuasion.
- The Explorer: enjoys shopping and is happy to browse. Has some discretionary spend available and is open to making an incremental purchase or trying something new.
- The Treasurer: the targeted shopper. Has a predetermined shopping list and limited spend. Open to brand substitution if this means more bang for their buck.
- The Researcher: is an avid fan of catalogues. Highly engaged and planned. As the name suggests has researched well before heading out to purchase. Difficult to shift from their mission but can be swayed by deep discounting featured on bold displays.
- The Disengaged: completely unplanned and unprepared. They know the fridge is bare and are shopping under sufferance. They are attracted by ‘bright and shiny’ displays that are suggestive in nature and provide an easy shopping solution.
So, understanding the core shopper types for specific brands should drive the in-store location, type of display, on shelf/fridge location and price proposition to entice purchase.
Understanding the brand objective will also help drive sales, for example, a new product which has a prime objective of creating trial should be positioned in a prominent position on the floor in a high traffic area of the store to attract The Wanderer, The Explorer, The Treasurer and The Disengaged.
Understanding your shopper types and planning the right type of activation in the right location will increase revenue and drive shopper loyalty overtime.
The article first appeared in the August issue of National Liquor News, which can be read online here.