Understanding Me

There are many times I walk into a store and am tempted to purchase almost every product displayed. There are other times where something, or even someone, turns me off to buying their product. I tend to believe I am a fairly average 21-year-old female consumer. I don’t have extraordinary tastes, I’m not cheap, and I enjoy quality products. But I would probably buy more if marketers knew these ten insights about me and my purchasing habits.

Friendliness among employees goes a long way.

I am way more tempted to purchase something if the sales people are friendly. Just yesterday, I walked in to Banana Republic at the mall…a store I frequent very often. (I was even upgraded to LUXE member status for spending over $800 there last year). I wanted to try on a pair of pants I found, so I headed back to the fitting room. There, I was greeted (or, actually, not greeted) by the rudest employee. After about two minutes of heavy awkward sighing as I attempted to gain her attention, she looks at me and asks me what I want. Here I am, standing in a fitting room holding a pair of pants, and she asks me what I want. So I ask for a fitting room and she rudely and abrasively points out an open one to me, as if I was the stupidest human being on Earth. Long story short, the pants fit great, but I left the store empty handed because I refused to buy something from that horrendous woman. I am more likely to buy something if the employees are nice.

It annoys me to no end when I can’t find something that is displayed in the front window

When I am window shopping, and I see a great shirt displayed on the mannequin in the front window, I tend to wander into that store. When I can’t immediately find the shirt in the store without asking for assistance, I leave. Managers need to understand that window displays go a long way. But what’s the point of having great outfits in the window if people can’t easily find them once they get inside? Merchandise displayed in the window needs to be placed in the front of the store.

I enjoy buying products that complement each other

One thing that iTunes does very well, in my opinion, is match up your music tastes using your library. In their new “Genius Bar” located on the right side of the music library, Apple has created a way to suggest new songs or albums based on you listen to most often. This truly is “genius.” I have frequently been listening to a song that I love when I glance over to see new suggestions from the Genius Bar. I then listen to the 30 second sample, and sometimes end up buying that suggested song. Same thing applies at clothing stores. I am more likely to buy a scarf with a shirt if they are displayed together.

You can pretty much get me to buy anything if I can sample it first

Part of the reason I love shopping at Costco is because of the endless amounts of samples. I will buy things I have never even heard of because of those samples.

I HATE unorganized stores

If I walk into a store that is cluttered or unorganized, I will quickly turn the other way and walk out. Shopping is supposed to a fun experience. Sifting through ugly dress after ugly dress while trying to locate a hidden gem is a waste of time. Stores need to realize that cleanliness is very important. You can make ugly products look so much more appealing if they are organized. I refuse to spend half my time in a store searching through crap just to find something I want. Clean up your store, and I will probably buy something from you.

I love free trials

I think the invention of two-week free trials is brilliant. Consider Netflix: I tried their two week free trial last year because my friend recommended it to me. It was free, so why not? To sign up, you have to give them your credit card information. They don’t charge you for anything, but if you want to buy the service after the free trial, they will automatically just charge you. So my two week trial is nearing its end, and I totally forgot to cancel it. So my card is charged, and I get a whole other month of constant DVDs. Now, I am glad I didn’t cancel it. I look forward to getting my Netflix in the mail every week, and I probably wouldn’t have tried it if it weren’t for that free trial.

I am a poor college student always looking for deals

This applies mainly to grocery stores. HEB usually has a deal where if you buy a big product (like a turkey for Thanksgiving), you get a list of other complementary products for free. Last Thanksgiving, I got free stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and rolls for free when I bought a turkey. Also, I use that student discount book all the time. I will try restaurants I was never interested in if I can find a coupon for it.

I enjoy eating healthy foods

Though I am not a complete stickler for all things healthy or organic, I do enjoy low fat options to my usual favorite foods. Low-fat salad dressing, low-fat cheese, low-fat bread, etc. Make something low-fat and I will be more tempted to purchase it.

I love sports…playing, watching, etc

Guys aren’t the only ones who enjoy sports. I am fairly obsessed with all teams Dallas. And the Longhorns, of course. But just because I am a girl doesn’t mean I can’t be interested in sports.

I am willing to spend more when buying electronics

I am way more willing to spend large amounts of money when buying a computer or a TV or a blu ray player than I am on groceries. I believe in a product like that, quality is much more important that price.