CONTEXT
Todays consumer engages with brands and products in new evolved ways. They are more informed and involved and they apply this to their shopping endeavours. Experiential elements in retail are becoming more and more integral to todays new retail models and consumers interaction with them. With all the different platforms available to them for retail and brand exploration. On a whole, the existing retail model is not evolving at the same speed and level as the modern savvy new consumer, Particularly local high street shopping environments. The research conducted is focusing on women and fashion.
RESEARCH QUESTION
In what ways can this gap be closed and these retail models/environments evolve to meet the expectations of todays consumer? Quantitative research Survey sample: 65 participants, Sample of respondents consisted of 74% age18-24. Survey was distributed across 3 platforms. (LinkedIn, Facebook, and UCA students) Participants were informed that research was for academic purposes and that results are anonymous. Qualitative research Observational research done in London, Accompanied shopping and my own shopping__ Comments from informal interviews conducted on the shop floors with Sales assistants from stores identified as experiential. and a group of 8 female consumers. (Secondary research referenced in case study to contextualize)
RESEARCH SHOWS • Respondents are using their local high street frequently, 86% had visited their local highstreet in the last 6 months compared to values lesser than 10% for the non traditional, experiential shopping enviroments. • Respondants still consider them to be convenient • Price and product ranked as respondants primary concerns when choosing where they shop. • Visual merchandising ranked as the least important. • 36% of respondants ranked it as the least important thing to influence where they shop. This could be explained by the fact that visual merchandising effects your mood and decisions in quite sub conscious ways that our sample may not be aware of. There has been a lot of research to prove its influence on your buying decisions done by companies such as envirosell to name just one.
• • • •
The atmosphere and entertainment were secondary concerns. 67% of respondants described their usual shopping experiences a pleasure 13% a chore or inconvenience 20% said a practical necessity
HOWEVER Qualitative research revealed another perspective. Respondents were asked to complete the following phrases in 5 or less words
My highstreet is.... It makes me feel... I leave feeling... When the totals were analysed results were
32% Positive
21% Neutral
47% Negative
• 6 % respondents spend on average 40 mins or more in shops that they had gone into without the intention of making a purchase • Almost half (48%) spend 5-15 mins
that works” Only ever pay by card or cash - now contactless I prefer to only use Paypal and similar services online
Todays consumer is tech savvy The research shows how respondants are engaging with technology in retail enviroments and howthey feel about it.
I wouldn’t really trust it
Interviewees used positive words and storytelling to describe product, c o n s u m p t i o n a n d o w n e r s h i p .
an asked to Answer the question “do you feel comfortable and confident engaging with...” The lowest percentages were When asked about alternative in the strongly disagree or payment methods. Such as disagree or neither agreeing paypall and other reputable or disagreeing etc. This suggests methods of payment frequently that people are confident ad But not the shopping experience itself (when talking about the highstreet) was less positive. used to shop online. comfortable engaging with these People used the comment box types of technologies in store “I t was different, you can feel like you dont want to touch things.” to specify that they preferered Talking about her experience of a concept store but also shows that they haven’t to use paypall on line but done so. They may have not wouldn’t feel as confident and have Existed in stores. comfortable using this method “I felt awkward but its so beautiful. it doesnt feel like shopping, it feels like Art.” of payment in a physical retail environment. They said they would if it was more widely used. But interviewees also asked the question why would they suggesting that traditional methods were still preferred. “More comfortable.” and “Familiar.” The issue of this dis trust of technology was discussed.
“When I buy a new dress that I love, I feel like my life is going to c hange”
• 65% disagreed or stongly disagreed with the statement ‘i feel confortable and confident Completing transactions in store using non traditional methods of paying for goods? e.g Paypal • 26 % had never used this method of payment in store.
“I’ve never been offered the chance to use Paypal in store - so I’m not sure how
Interactive mirrors 21.67% Touch screens 63.33% Tablets 41.67% Customisation 16.67% Music 65.00% gaming consoles 25.00%