Inside The Aisle » consumer trends

Where do these oranges come from?

Alex Delotch Davis — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:42:26 +0000

Tesco surveyed customers to determine their highest priorities in the grocery store. Of course they found that consumers are more savvy than ever before. That’s standard fare considering the incessant amount of information available to consumers. Advances in connectivity with mobile devices not only means more information is available but it’s also at their fingertips in the aisle.

While you might expect that there is an information overload, it turns out that consumers actually want more. Tesco’s research found that in the case of produce, consumers are very intersted to know where exactly the food comes from.

“They want more special offers, value options and Internet deals, but they also increasingly want to ensure that the product is of high quality, and about its provenance.”

This provides a labeling issue for grocers as well as a new in-store communications consideration. How do you effectively inform consumers about the origins of their food?

Several years ago, we discussed the introduction of DataBar which could replace the traditional PLU codes found on produce. Besides the technical challenge of changing over an entire system, grocers would now consider how they visually communicate origin to consumers inside the store. Signage and displays could take on a whole new presence inside the grocery store beyond the unassuming style we’re used to.

Trendwatching’s Consumer Trends

Alex Delotch Davis — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:36:58 +0000

Trendwatching recently released their predictions for next year entitled, “10 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2010.”

Consumerism has been through the ringer this year and everyone will be glad to see the end of 2009. But what does 2010 have in store?

Trendwatching.com touches on 10 behaviors it feels will persist and grow based on a look at how attitudes and technology are shaping our brand perceptions and decision-making processes. However, it’s clear to say that these 10 are not the only ones that will persist. This report is an interesting read as we all get ready for the new year.

After you read it, let us know your thoughts? Is there one that seems more on target than another? Are they way off base? We want to hear your thoughts about consumer expectations as well.

Click here to read the report.

Hot Retailers Offer Personalization and Simplicity

Alex Delotch Davis — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:33:43 +0000

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) recognized their list of the top retailers of 2009 today at the RECon convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. This wasn’t the usual suspects – Walmart, Whole Foods, Urban Outfitters, etc. ICSC highlighted boutique owners who provide a unique customer experience that draws shoppers to retail centers. This is of special note right now when shopping centers are struggling to keep space rented while continuing to attract consumers. The more a retailer can help by offering an interesting product in a customer-centric setting the better.

What is also noteworthy is that all of these retailers are focused on the customer first. The products involve a personal experience where the customer is either involved in the creation of the product or gets distinctly personal service when shopping. Click here to read the full story.

The winners are:

The Blue Jeans Bar, San Francisco, CA

Edward Beiner, Miami, FL

Fashionology, Beverly Hills, CA

OrangeCup, San Antonio, TX

Retail Sales Rebound; Economists Puzzled

Alex Delotch Davis — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:46:42 +0000

Today the Commerce Department reported that retail sales in January rose 1%. This is the first increase in seven months and the biggest since November 2007. This sounds like great news after weekly reports of retailers cutting thousands of jobs amid dismal sales. Before the report was released at 8:30 am in Washington, economists predicted the worst. Bloomberg News surveyed 72 economists for their opinions on what to expect from the report. The general consensus was gloomy. Steven Rick, a senior economist at the Credit Union National Association was quoted saying, “Households are hunkering down. As people pull back on spending, that creates further unemployment. We’re in a feedback loop.”

However, everyone was presently surprised when the Commerce Department reported a jump. USA Today quoted Brian Dolan, chief currency strategist at Forex.com in Bedminster, N.J. “It is the sort of tonic that can sooth the market to an extent. We’ve been keying on things not necessarily getting better but at least deteriorating at a slower rate. And this builds that case.”

While it’s not time to bring in the band, this is an improvement over news of late. To put it in perspective, compared to January 2008, last month’s sales were down 9.7%. There’s still more work to be done.