TNS Retail Forward released a new report, "Men in Grocery Stores," which details the confusion and frustration men experience when it's their turn to buy the milk. As reported in Media Post, Mandy Putnam, Vice-President of TNS Retail Forward outlined a typical male shopping experience:
"Grocery stores are not organized in ways that support ease of shopping for male grocery shoppers. Men shopping alone circle back through aisles multiple times in their searches, often become overwhelmed in center-store aisles, and often focus their attention within a fairly narrow visual range. But they are more inclined to reach for their cell phones to call their partners rather than ask store personnel for help."
We'd bet if a study on the same topic was done with women, you'd find many similar frustrations. They just have to experience them more often, as the study points out:
...of the last 10 "stock-up" trips made in a given household, 5.5 had been done by a woman shopping alone, versus 2.3 by men. Men were more likely to go to the store for "fill-in" trips, to get a single or handful of items: While women made 5.2 of those trips, men made 3.4.
Some of Putnam's suggestions for improvement include store maps, item locators and better cell phone access as well as bigger, bolder merchandise displays at eye level. There's nothing here that would compromise the shopping experience for women. In fact, it would likely only enhance it. Transparent marketing works both ways. We hope some grocery stores are listening. Shopping experience could be a huge differentiator. Think Target, Whole Foods. Need we say more?
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