Shopper Culture

The Great Chicken vs Egg, Media vs Creative Debate

If I had a dollar for every time I heard the question, “Should creative or media come first?” I would rival Trump’s piggy bank (and maybe then I’d be running for president!). Let’s face it, “creative then media, media then creative” is the advertising quintessential of “chicken then egg, egg then chicken” debate.

On one hand, having a brilliant and disruptive creative idea is the kindling that could inspire equally brilliant and disruptive placements of said idea. On the other, having strategic insight into all of the constantly evolving media possibilities can spark a brilliant and disruptive creative idea.

New Checkout Study: Channel Insights

When it comes to understanding why shoppers do things, it is often difficult to get the real truth as shoppers are known to say one thing and do another. They can't always articulate the "why" behind the behavior, especially when it comes to some of their decisions, behaviors, and habits. The retail landscape is ever evolving and, as it changes, shoppers’ habits change with it. Their shopping lists can include everything from snacks to household goods to alcohol, and they have priorities in how they like to shop, where they like to shop, and how much they are willing to spend. 

How does this behavior vary across top retail channels? How do shoppers make decisions when it comes to where they go and what they buy there? And why? This study of the Checkout set out to explore questions like these and find out some answers to better understand shopper behavior across channels.  For example, did you know that 14% of shoppers have chosen a retail channel because there was a retailer loyalty program offered? Or that 31.4% of shoppers visit the dollar channel when it's a last minute trip? 

Click here to learn more channel insights and how shoppers are shopping across different retail channels in the latest edition of The Checkout.

POKE!

This is a coming trend: The sushi of tomorrow called poke, pronounced “poh-key’. The word refers to diced fish. Poke is a raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. Traditional forms are aku (an oily tuna) and he’e (octopus). Increasingly popular ahi poke is generally made with yellowfin tuna.

The hip food of 2016 is revisiting the concept of poke. The idea is simple. One marinates raw fish in soy sauce, sprinkles it with sesame seeds. and serves it over rice. It can be topped with avocado, kale, fresh tomatoes, soy bean sprouts, sea lettuce, small chili peppers, macadamia nuts, mango, ginger, or coriander, depending on your mood.

Deliciously exotic and healthy, this dish attracts customers looking for flavor and freshness. A number of casual restaurants, especially in Los Angeles and New York, have already made poke the house specialty.

Image source: NellyRodiLab

NEW Spring Edition of The Urbanist

This month's issue of The Urbanist discusses the latest shopping trends including:

— Big chains going small

— Car companies going off road

— Redoing retro

— The intel in store.

Click here to read this month's issue or explore past issues at urbanist.integer.com. And don't forget to follow The Urbanist on Twitter for even more urban retail news updates. @_The_Urbanist

Mainstream Retailers Embrace 'Ugly' Food

Whole Foods recently announced a partnership with Imperfect Produce to test-run sales of 'ugly' produce in a few of its Northern California stores, which is set to begin next month. This announcement comes after increasing consumer demands for the food industry and retailers to help eliminate food waste—a petition on change.org specifically called out Whole Foods, as well as Walmart, to take steps towards becoming more inclusive with their produce selections by including more imperfect fruits and vegetables. Giant Eagle has also announced this month that the grocery chain will incorporate 'ugly' produce in 5 Pittsburgh store locations as part of a "Produce with Personality" pilot program.

Local Goes To The Masses

I often find myself living in two shopping worlds. One that is entirely mass and mainstream–grocery shopping at King Soopers, hitting up Target, Nordstrom Rack and Starbucks or the occasional Friday's in the airport. The other is more niche, local in nature–consisting of finding the best new restaurant, cool boutique, pop up flea market and more.

I feel I am not alone in this as local has evolved and spread its reach, more shoppers are spanning two shopping worlds and shopping mindsets. Having been to my fair share of crowded flea markets, 1-hour-minimum wait restaurants and high priced bars, it seems as though local is an everyday occurrence now. Has it gone to the masses. 

What’s Love Got To Do With It? What brands can learn from the art of attraction

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and all things pink-and-red-hearted have gone on deep clearance until next year. But in the wake of the season of love, it seems like a good moment to reflect on what brands can learn from people in terms of attraction, relationship building and even love.

So many fish in the sea

The first lesson is that there are a lot of people out there who are single and ready to mingle. 50% of US adults are not married. Single person households are the fastest-growing household composition. 40 million Americans use an online dating service.

The same holds true for brands. Most consumers keep their options open. Just 25% of shoppers say that brands influence their purchase decisions. Shoppers across categories are highly promiscuous. And unattached shoppers are fair game. Datable. Ready to fall in love. 

 

Do You Know Generation Z?

If you don't know Generation Z you should start learning about them. They are a dynamic group born between 1997 to 2010 and are trying to buck the Millennial stereotypes, claiming they don’t apply to them. They make up a quarter of the U.S. population and by 2020 will account for 40% of all consumers. Understanding this group will be critical to companies wanting to succeed in the next decade and beyond as they become more powerful shoppers.

Below is a list of traits that apply to this group:

Raising Our Image-Consciousness

Visual communication is becoming a larger and larger part of our cultural vocabulary. In fact, there are some indicators that visual communication is eclipsing the written word. Instagram rises as Twitter declines. A surprisingly comprehensive range of emotions, reactions and assertions can be expressed through custom avatars with Bitmoji. And in November, the Oxford English Dictionary declared the word of the year was an emojii.

While marketers have been practicing the art of visual communication since the dawn of advertising, the difference is that now shoppers are fluent in this language as well. So as we mine for insight and solicit feedback, we should take advantage of visual fluency. Trolling Instagram and Pinterest to understand what’s on our audience’s minds. Using image-based research techniques to get at underlying feelings and emotions. Listening with our eyes can be a way to learn new things about what people want and need.

Photo source: author's Bitmoji

New Checkout Study: The Evolution of Shopping

The Checkout started in 2009 not only to understand shopping behaviors of the moment, but with the specific intention of tracking these behaviors over time. This issue is an extensive first look at current vs. historic data from 2009 until today.

The Five-Year Shopper Evolution Checkout study investigates shopping trends over the past five years regarding some broad behaviors and attitudes in the arenas of store choice, private label vs. name brand, and savings methods.

One interesting finding was the influence of social pressure. In fact, shoppers today feel more social pressure than they did five years ago.

Want to find out more about how shopping behavior has evolved? Click here to download the Five-Year Shopper Evolution Checkout.

Future Forward: Are You Shopping the Aisle...From Your Couch?

More and more shoppers are opting to use their laptop, tablet or mobile to do their grocery shopping these days. While it is convenient, it takes a bit of prep and knowledge about what you, which leaves little room for browsing or impulse. This does not bode well for many brands trying to constantly capture sales from today's shoppers who are at best "promiscuous loyals," according to Byron Sharp's book, How Brands Grow.

The current online grocery shopping environment omits many of the real store experiences that many shoppers rely on. Or it did until now. The introduction of virtual reality devices like Oculus Rift and companies like Retale are making it possible for shoppers to stay on the couch and still shop the aisle.

Integer Pulse: Shoptimization

This past year Integer Pulse covered many macro trends from their Insightings work that not only illuminated the many shopper marketing trends that have persisted over the past decade but also outlined the unique examples of how it manifests itself in today's world. 

The final 2015 Integer Pulse issue discusses Shoptimization. Shoptimization is about borrowing from what shoppers enjoy doing on their computers — and even more so on their mobile devices — and then leveraging it in the retail environment. From integrating augmented reality (AR) into displays to make them more engaging, to reconfiguring packaging so that it interacts with individuals’ devices to offering ways for stores to stay “always open,” here are a few examples of how shoptimization is everywhere today.

Click here to read the Dec '15 issue or read past issues by clicking here.

Functional Design

Good design is continuing its quiet invasion of the mainstream. From Warby Parker’s affordable and stylish eye wear to Snowe’s home goods to Everlane’s progressive take on fashion, the access to design-forward products without a hefty luxury price tag is unprecedented.

This has at least two implications for marketers. 1) Bad design stands out more, and in the often snarky and reactionary digital world of instant feedback, that can mean significant backlash for missteps. 2) The bar is higher for good design -- it has to be even more notable to stand out.

Mobile Coupons Served Up To Suit The Shopper

Mobile today seems to be where social media was 5 years ago in that if you aren't doing it, you're "way behind" but in reality, it's still maturing and evolving. It seems as though there are new habits, features and functions popping up everyday. Some driven by users and others driven by brands. Though mobile experiences are popping up, using mobile to push rewards and coupons is still a huge play for marketers. 

Just recently, Krispie Kreme went mobile launching the Krispie Kreme Rewards mobile app to deliver information and savings to loyal customers. They also made a scannable bar code out of delicious drizzling glaze that shoppers can snap (via YouTube) to receive a BOGO coupon valid on 12/12 - simply tasty! This type of app and program seems to suit the needs of the Krispie Kreme shopper, allowing them to be in the know of doughnut making, crush their craving where ever they are, and get incentivized to keep up the habit. But apps are not ideal for all brands.

New Holiday Study Examines Nuances of Typical Holiday Shoppers

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, even though it's only mid November. But that has not stopped retailers or shoppers in the past. In fact, according to the new holiday issue of The Checkout, 41% of shoppers report doing most of their shopping in the month of November.

It seems that most shoppers have a prime time when they do most of their holiday shopping. This year's Holiday Checkout digs into three types of holiday shoppers to understand who's shopping when and how spending, retailer selection and motivations change over the holiday shopping season.

Do you think you know who the Early Bird shoppers are? The ones that get most all shopping done before Thanksgiving? Click here to download this year's issue of The Holiday Checkout to find out as well as learn about the stat of Black Friday shopping and mobile's influence on holiday shopper today.