POPAI study: Solo shoppers spend more

Alexandria, Va. -- Shoppers who shop with others are different from those who shop alone and retail marketers need to take note, according to a new report by the Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI). The study finds that solo shoppers are likely to spend an average of 11% more per trip than those accompanied by friends or family members, while consumers who shop with family members are likely to spend an average of 13% more than those shopping with friends.

The report, Shopper Influence Study, found that when it comes to influencing purchases, nearly two-thirds of accompanied shoppers claimed that the people they were shopping with had little to no influence on their purchase decisions. Coupled with the finding that those accompanied shoppers who recalled or interacted with in-store marketing materials realized a 69% higher mean in spending highlights the impact that in-store marketing programs have upon the shopper.

“Marketing at retail presents boundless possibilities and opportunities for increasing purchases and engaging shoppers in new and innovative ways,” said POPAI president Richard Winter. “This study provides retailers and marketers with a insights that will assist them in the development of customized marketing at retail programs that yield measurable results.”

Among those key findings are:

• Shoppers’ goals are the same when coming to the store yet those who shop with others may take one extra step to prepare – the written shopping list.
• In-store shopping expectations are created equal. All shoppers, regardless of whether or not they were accompanied, had high expectations upon store entry that they would make a purchase in the store outlet and perceived the likelihood of doing so with near equal frequency
• Families that shop together navigate more of the store and are more likely to use mobile devices during their trip.

The full report is available online at www.popai.com.