Engaging The Shopper Culture: BREW|SDC Uncovers Four Key Insights for Retailers

New York, NY (PRWeb) December 19, 2006 -- www.brewsdc.com - Connecting observable shopper behavior to strategic design solutions is essential in developing long-term strategies for retail growth. Through ongoing retail research and development, New York strategic design group BREW|SDC has uncovered four key cultural insights linked to successful in-store engagement of today's shoppers.



Each insight recognizes a specific cultural product dichotomy: traditional versus new products. Both categories hold personal meaning for shoppers. Those perceived as 'traditional' rely heavily upon marketing incentives that are consistent with pre-conditioned shopper need states derived from their consumption experiences in the home - often learned during pre-adolescence. 'New' products must be handled differently. They must be made perceivably relevant and valuable to shoppers via compelling retail experiences.

BREW|SDC KEY CULTURAL SHOPPER INSIGHTS:

1.    21ST-CENTURY ALPHA FEMALE SHOPPER - "Today '36-24-36' relates more to the modern woman shopper in terms of her median age, hours she manages in her day, and the number of buying decisions she weighs at any one time," said Ben. C. Roth, Partner BREW|SDC. "Busier, more educated, more clout in the workplace, and having deeper pockets defines the 21st-Century Alpha Female Shopper." Her preferences have extended to include categories such as technology, travel & leisure and fitness. When shopping for "new," she is receptive to a wide array of non-obvious lifestyle and cultural product combinations (e.g. food and fashion, fitness and technology, among others.) Who'd have imagined running shoes that communicate fitness data to an iPod? Nike did, and it's a hit with women. What does 21st-Century Alpha Female Shopper want? Smarter, timesaving, fresh & healthy, service-oriented products and shopping experiences.

2.    RETAILER AS LIFESTYLE 'TOUR GUIDE' - Step this way! And please stay with the group - In-store studies expose opportunities for retailers to connect and influence shoppers through more targeted and cohesive messaging strategies aligned to lifestyle. "Retailers are driving increased purchases by creating relevant segment and sequence cues through the shoppers' entire buying cycle - beginning with inspiring messages at-home to guide shoppers to the store, then supporting messaging in-store to drive behavior down the aisle," said Roth. "For new products, cohesive lifestyle messaging along the shopping cycle brings potential buyers closer to influential information at critical moments in-store. It's hard to argue the success Starbucks has found by translating every cultural cue possible into a branded shopper message." Starbucks sells music, employs in-house fine artists, provides wi-fi connectivity, most stores sell the New York Times and local papers … and beyond coffee … food, water, juices, teas and every drink-related accoutrement one might ever need. Whether you're in a Starbucks, at home, at the office, on the street, in your car or anywhere, they've got you. Retailers across the board are looking to apply similar concepts in their stores.

3.    READY-TO-GO SOLUTIONS - "I'll have a #2 with Diet Coke" was a statement we used to hear mostly at the McDonald's drive-thru - "More than ever shoppers wrestle with the issue of fulfilling all their shopping requirements with ever-diminishing free time," said Brock Danner, Partner BREW|SDC. "With women making the predominant buying decisions for households, retailers have found ways to accommodate her classic need states by preparing or packaging products and solutions in culturally relevant ways." Family-friendly assortments, table-ready food combinations, after-school snackpacks, and in-store merchandise assortments and adjacencies provide evidence of this growing cultural phenomenon - and of the successfully innovative tactics retailers are delivering to address it. Log-on to Sears.com and check out their "Ready-in-5" service to glimpse at a perfect ready-to-go strategy for both in-store and on-line shoppers.

4.    ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS - Nitrates, trans fats, artificial colors and sweeteners, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, toxic byproducts and waste? I'll pass! - Empowering shoppers to embrace sustainable products that provide a healthier lifestyle for their families is gaining momentum with retailers. "We could credit Whole Foods Market for the decisive 'healthier standards' proof-point with its consistent posting of nearly 40% gross margin, +3% net profit margin, nine consecutive quarters of +20% sales growth and 10%-to-20% national expansion growth," said Lyle Sandler, Partner, BREW|SDC. "Tracking the recent actions of Wal-Mart and Target, it's clear that long-term opportunity lies in delivering culturally relevant products aligned to health and the environment." Walk into a big discount store today and you'll behold ways they now capture valuable ROI from affluent buyers by offering greener stores with upgraded merchandise assortment and improved store design.

New York based BREW|SDC demystifies shopper buying tendencies and delivers high demand in-store design solutions for leading retail companies. On behalf of shoppers, such advancement in-store promises more intuitive and more enjoyable buying experiences.
For additional information on the BREW/SDC Innovative Design Approach, visit www.brewsdc.com.

About BREW|SDC
BREW|SDC is a strategic design firm headquartered in New York City. A collective of creative, architectural and analytical disciplines, BREW|SDC uses proprietary methodologies to convert qualitative lifestyle insights into strategic design solutions. Offering a uniquely cinematic approach to uncovering and building cultural brand encounters, BREW|SDC leverages mechanisms of everyday life to capture minds, stimulate desired behaviors and influence purchase intent.

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