In an effort to save money, today’s recession-shocked shoppers continue to evolve their retail tactics. Pre-planning tasks such as list-making have become more prevalent for budget-minded shoppers, explained Susan Viamari, editor of SymphonyIRI Group’s Times & Trends, during the Chicago-based company’s “Merchandising Trends” webinar in February. With this change in shopping behavior, Viamari noted the importance for consumer packaged goods marketers to influence shoppers at home, in the store and everywhere in between.
SymphonyIRI’s research indicated that three-quarters of consumers make a list before entering retailers, and the same amount make purchasing decisions prior to shopping. Sixty-three percent of consumers plan their items with the help of store circulars, it added. But the traditional sales flier is not their only tool; Viamari noted the emergence of technologies such as mobile coupons, quick-response (QR) codes, text-in promotions, mobile apps and GPS-based services, which shoppers are turning to in order to find the best deals.