Shopper marketing continually evolving

In a recent article at the Hub, Vince Weiner recently took a look at what the shop Pure Dark was doing to keep their store filled with customers as many other stores in Greenwich Village in New York's stores continued to stay empty. When entering the store, you could sample the chocolate, and if you chose to purchase it, you're able to customize it. They've done very little marketing, except for having some big name blogs mention their store.

He made this very insightful observation:
For shoppers, it does not have to be about always finding the lowest possible price. It’s also about finding out what’s new, exciting and fun on one’s own terms. It’s not about plopping a kiosk in the corner or hanging a digital sign overhead and calling that “integration.” It’s about delivering in the store on the things people love about going online.

Kraft's iPhone App Draws Shoppers

According to RetailWire.com, The iFood Assistant from Kraft Foods now ranks among iPhone's top 100 paid apps, and number three in the lifestyle category. Consumers have to pay a one-time 99-cent fee for the app, sit through ads and even provide Kraft with real-time selling data. But Advertising Age said the app has clearly caught on because it's "actually useful."

"When we look at consumers, we think that they're busy and they're looking for food-planning tools that can make their lives easier," Ed Kaczmarek, director-innovation, new services at Kraft, told Advertising Age. "We developed iFood Assistant as a downloadable app so they can use it anytime and anywhere."

Have you tried this app? We'd like to hear your experiences.

Segregated shopping in neighborhoods

In a recent blog at Reveries, they look at how shopping experiences have become more segregated than ever. Neighborhoods with strong concentrations of different ethnicity lead to segmented shopping experiences.

An example is provided in the post about a shopping experience in Queens, New York.

If you were to take the 7 subway line to the 74th Street stop in Queens, you might think you were in "a South Asian neighborhood. There are shops selling saris and Indian jewelry ... Yet nearby flats are mostly occupied by immigrants from Central America. The shops are patronized by South Asians who travel into the neighborhood."

The mind of the American grocery shopper revealed

A new study by Brand Mark Intentional reveals what Americans are thinking when they're grocery shopping in the current economic recession. A large amount of American grocery shoppers, 52%, plan of on eating in more often.

There's also a strong turn towards living a green life:

• 70% of consumers are motivated to buy products that are better for the environment, but only 40%
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  are willing to pay more for those products.
• 75% of consumers believe that some companies are exploiting environmentally friendly claims for marketing purposes.
• 58% of shoppers consider it important for a new product they purchase to be "natural."
• 78% of shoppers believe that manufacturers have a long way to go to reduce the amount of packaging.

Find out more about the study here.

Understanding the Pet Owner Mindset

Nestle Purina's Installment on RetailWire.com:

Catering to the whims and habits of a pet owner is less about understanding their demographics than their mindset, because it's the relationships with their pet that mainly drives their purchase behavior. One indication of the intensity of the relationship between pets and their owners can be seen in the results of an October 2008 survey by Consumer Reports that studied consumer intentions for the holiday gift giving season. The majority of respondents (59 percent) said they would be cutting back on gift giving in 2008. However, among those, only 23 percent indicated they'd be reducing gift spending on their pets.

When creating an atmosphere for pet owners, remember that many owners see pets as members of their families--for some they even replace children. The bonds between a pet owner and their pet are solid and grocery stores and other retailers should realize this to maximize the customer experience.

Read more about creating a pet owner shopping experience here.

Deloitte Says Retailers Must Invest or Close Up Shop

According to Inside the Aisle, Deloitte has said that the current economy provides an opportunity for retailers to be more competitive and take a market share that has been well segmented up to now. According to Deloitte, retailers that offer the greatest customer experience will be among the few who survive. What retailers do you see that are offering the best in customer experience? Share your thoughts with us here or on our LinkedIn group.

Consumers Opt for Quality Time with Loved Ones Over Traditional Gifts This Valentine’s Day

According to the National Retail Federation, we'll see a dip this year in Valentine's Day spending. This isn't too surprising as the economy has weighed heavy on customers.

Traditional gifts, such as candy, flowers and jewelry will see a slight decrease in popularity this year with more consumers preferring gifts of experience and gift cards. Almost half (48.2%) of all consumers plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special night out, compared to 45.3 percent last year, and 12.3 percent will give a gift card, compared to 11.3 percent last year. Greeting cards still remain the most popular choice, though the number of people planning to purchase one is down from last year (56.8% vs. 62.8% last year). Nearly 48.0 percent of consumers will buy candy, 35.9 will buy flowers and 11.8 percent will buy clothing.

How will your company cope with this change in consumer spending?