An insight into female shoppers.

So, what have we learned so far?

Our survey revealed that men prefer to shop alone, quickly, and for the brands they know and love, right? Well, if you can believe it, our study revealed that women are the exact opposite.

[Pause for shocked reaction.]

I get that it probably doesn’t surprise you too much, but here are some stats I found particularly interesting, based on the results from the women who took our survey.

53% choose what they’re going to buy at the time of purchase. As it turns out, more than half the women walking around your store and browsing your website are looking for something that speaks to them. Or at the very least, they’re open. In fact …

1 out of 3 “occasionally like to try new brands.” So not only are these women open to buying on the fly, 34% are ready and willing to try something completely new. I suppose you could even say they want to want to try your brand.

And the clincher for me was this …

Only 9% would never change brands. For me, this was a shockingly low number. This means the door is seemingly wide open for brands and marketers to compete against one another. You just have to speak to them.

But wait, there’s one more thing I found interesting …

Only 9% would change brands because of a lower price. I found this number to be shockingly low, as well. Similar to Jim’s protein-drinking gym friend, it seems like women agree price is not always the trigger for switching brands.

Now, what can marketers and business owners do with this information?

Let’s take a look at Black Friday. It used to be that businesses could just offer lower prices and that would get people in the doors. But times they are a-changin’. Nowadays, you need so much more than that.

In a 2019 Black Friday report by Coresight Research, shoppers were asked to rate their shopping experience at specific retailers. The big winner of the day was Bloomingdales. Out of 32 brick-and-mortars, Bloomingdales was the only one to receive four stars for its “fun experiences, good services, taste testing, and discovery via new brands.” Others were not as appealing. Lucky Brand, for example, only got half a star because they were lacking customer service and were “far behind in offering a retail experience and using technology.”

What this tells us is that people, in general, are looking for an overall positive experience. And that goes double for women.

When it comes to Black Friday shopping, I can think of three close friends who each get together with their family and friends and make a day of it. They’ll be the first to tell you that, while the deals got them out the door, the social aspect of the day is what keeps them doing it year after year. Some wear Christmas gear and others matching shirts; they take pictures and even do lunch together after. They’re looking to have fun. That’s why places like Bloomingdales would be on their visit-again-next-year list.

The point being: Don’t put all your eggs in one low-priced basket. Think beyond that. What can you do in your store, or even on your site, that will create a “shopping experience” people will find enjoyable?

Here’s a thought: I recently went to get manis and pedis with some girlfriends, and the salon let you purchase wine from the shop next door and bring it over to enjoy during our pampering. The whole thing was perfect. Both stores benefitted from the partnership, and it made the experience even better.

And that, my marketing friends, is what’s going to get your customers to not only make a purchase, but also keep coming back time and time again.