Moms share buying insights
Ray Allegrezza, Editor in Chief -- Furniture Today, March 24, 2008
While attending the recent Kids Today conference, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel of consumers.
We discussed how often they shop, where they shop, how they use the Internet as part of the shopping process, how much emphasis they place on brand, and whether they have a budget or not.
It was a real eye-opener. The panel consisted of four mothers and one grandmother. Most work outside the home in jobs that include executive director of a nonprofit organization, designer for a software company, and tourism representative.
Granted, while these were mostly younger married women who were there to share their shopping habits about buying furniture and accessories for their children, it became clear during the hour-long discussion that many of their attitudes also carry over to other home furnishings shopping activities.
Here are the main points I drew:
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They are price-conscious but not necessarily solely price-driven. As one panelist said, "I shop for bargains, which allows me have the money on hand to buy an expensive item."
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One thing all the panelists wanted from their shopping experience is respect. "Don't patronize me. Be honest, be genuine and be fair," said one.
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Retailers would be well advised to do their homework, because these ladies do theirs. The informational tool of choice seems to be the Internet. Panelists said they go to sites to gather information about product specifications, but tend to place even more emphasis on feedback from user forums. "Word of mouth is important, especially from people who have already used the product I am considering," one of the panelists told me.
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When it came to their furniture purchases, the panelists said they were far more driven by style and features than by brand names. As one woman said, "I'm not that interested in who made it. I just know I don't want ugly furniture in my house."
