Shopper missions: The heart of any successful shopper strategy

With the rise of shopper marketing, manufacturers and retailers are increasingly targeting consumers as shopper’s in-store, tailoring their marketing accordingly with a marked increase in below the line activity in recent times.

And in the current environment of heightened competition and wavering customer loyalty, manufacturers are particularly focusing on tailored price promotions, packaging and incentives for their brands that seek to capture the shopper’s attention at the point of purchase.

At Evolution we find that FMCGs are actually by and large on top of their game in this respect when it comes to their own brands and categories. However they are often less au fait with how their category interacts with others in the context of the shopper’s overall shopping trip, with

the shoppers’ motivations for visiting the actual store and with their associated behaviours.

Fundamental to truly successful shopper marketing in-store is the recognition and understanding that shoppers shop the store by mission, not by category. Shoppers visit the store with a specific purpose (mission) in mind, be it to purchase a specific item, meal for tonight, to top-up fresh food for the week or to stock-up their cupboards with food and groceries.

Increasingly we see shoppers tending towards such a diversity of trips, each driven by more specific needs. Shopper missions essentially capture these needs through the purpose of the shoppers’ shopping trip.

“Fundamental to truly successful shopper marketing in-store is the recognition and understanding that shoppers shop the store by mission, not by category”.

“Shopper missions essentially capture the purpose of the shoppers’ shopping trip.”

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Evolution Insights lead analyst James Johnson explains why shopper missions sit at the heart of

any successful shopper strategy.

And it is through understanding the shopper’s mission - why the shopper is in the store – that FMCGs and indeed retailers can gain a better understanding of the key categories shoppers are likely to shop, their susceptibility to price and promotional activity, openness to impulse purchases, and their likely route around the store.

These insights can in turn help fine tune their product and merchandising by category adjacency, different store formats, location of display in store and promotional partners.

By understanding shopper missions, manufacturers

are able to identify which categories and store formats drive different shopper motivations and behaviours, and focus on how their categories fit in and interact with others.

So with shopper mission know-how, both FMCGs and retailers can identify shopper motivations and behaviours, and ultimately influence the shopper journey and experience more directly.

At Evolution we believe that shopper mission insight is key to any successful shopper strategy. We classify shopper missions broadly into four main categories.

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Shopper missions

On the go

For consumption

immediately, for example lunch

while out or takeaways

Top-up

Often reactive based on particular need(s)

between the main shop

Main trolley

Main household shops, planned covering most

categories. Often at weekend

Stock-up

Planned, infrequent and

often high volume.

Typically once a month

“By understanding shopper missions, manufacturers are able to identify which categories and store formats drive different shopper motivations and behaviours, and focus on how their categories fit in and interact with others.”

At Evolution we believe that shopper mission insight is key to any successful shopper strategy.

For each category Evolution identifies a number of different missions.

In our recent publication, the UK top-up shopper mission 2010, we consider top-up missions that relate to a need for specific items, specific meals, fresh food replenishment and specific occasions respectively.

Each has a quite different context, with shoppers’ motivations and associated behaviours differing notably. By researching and analysing shopper motivations and behaviours across these different missions, Evolution presents valuable shopper insight for both retailers and FMCGs.

In its forthcoming publication, the UK on the go mission 2010, Evolution identifies a further three key missions – breakfast, lunchtime and snacking. Here we present detailed and actionable shopper insight for both manufacturers and retailers. The report is due for publication in March 2010.

If you would like to understand more about shopper missions and how they can help you develop your shopper strategy, please take a look at our shopper insight series reports and do not hesitate to call if we can be of further assistance.

E-mail: enquiries@evolution-insights.com

Tel: 0113 389 1038

Evolution Insights Ltd

About Evolution Insights

Evolution Insights is a research led consultancy specialising in shopper marketing. We deliver original research, analysis and insight into shopper motivations and behaviour for manufacturers, retailers and agencies.

For more information please visit http://www.evolution-insights.com

Evolution Insights Ltd is a private limited company registered in the UK with registered number 07006001.

Evolution Insights Ltd, Prospect House, 32 Sovereign Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4BJ.

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