In the Spirit of Valentines Day, it’s only appropriate this week to feature a blog about shopper behavior and insight around this occasion. This should be a fun way to figure out where one falls, either with the minority, or the majority of shoppers. Just this morning, we were lucky to catch wind of an article posted by Canadian Grocer, interviewing one of our clients about their recent success with Valentine’s Day in the greeting card industry. A couple bits of our data were highlighted and really show the value in knowing WHY customers make the choices that they do. So let’s dive in.
Valentine’s Day is a day celebrating love in most circles. Some recognize it as “singles awareness day”, but most shoppers are looking to spoil their special someone for day of romance and pampering. In a surprising turn of events, birthdays and easter, two other popular reasons to purchase cards, rank way below V-Day in the “willing to spend more” category. In fact, much to the interviewed executive’s surprise, some of the most intricate and expensive cards are the top sellers every February. He adds a comment about how the one that shocked him the most was a card that included a margarita strip inside that the recipient could place on the tongue. But what is it exactly about cards that makes customers more willing to spend more on V-Day? Surely they had to find those compelling noisy and even “tasty” cards in the first place right? You bet they did. It’s all about understanding the browsing experience.
What customers see and experience at the shelf when it comes to cards is of PARAMOUNT importance. It is mentioned in the interview that space is an incredibly important aspect of the shelf’s effectiveness. Cards need to be found in a particular order or who they are for, they need to be separated by certain amounts of empty space so that shoppers don’t get overwhelmed, and they need to be clearly and neatly labeled and organized. Do all these things right, and a card company is right on track to sell 9 million cards every Valentine’s. “Nine million?! Wow. They must have an incredible grip on understanding their customer’s behavioral choices! I wish I understood the same about mine.” Well you’re almost there conveniently placed and very inquisitive mystery person! Data that helps make these kinds of educated decisions and perfect the customer journey is found through Shopper Intelligence. With data available for 103 categories across Canada, we’re proud to offer that missing piece to accompany your scan, panel, and loyalty card info you already have. So what do you say? Will you be our Valentine? For more info, including in-depth case studies, fill out the form below!
by Tyler Erickson
Digital Marketing Manager, Shopper Intelligence North America
