The active sports lifestyle market may be surprised by how consumers view the retail landscape in the industry today. A recent study conducted by The SportsOneSource Group designed to assess the current buying habits of the American public found that price has become the number one motivating factor in determining where to shop for sporting goods or athletic footwear and apparel. However, respondents then ranked specialty or category-specific retailers as tops overall when purchasing or re-visiting a particular retailer.
The survey, conducted via the Internet over the last thirty days, sampled a cross-section of the American population ages 18 to 65. A broader top-line review of the study will be made available in the SGB Annual Retail Report due out in mid-July and the full study will be available in early August.
Based on the SOS survey, 68% of respondents said that price was a key reason for visiting or shopping at a particular retail store. Product availability ranked a close second at 64% of the total survey group. Location was third at 48%, while an informed, helpful staff was cited by 43% of the respondents, and warranties offered with purchase the fifth most cited reason at 29% of the total. This indicates a real shift from the SGB Retailer Assessment Study published in October 2006, when convenience of location was mentioned most by respondents as a key influence on where to shop.
When evaluating the reason why a buying decision was made at a particular store, price was again the top answer this year, cited by 68% of the survey group as a key to the buying decision. The return policy of the store was the second most mentioned reason to buy at 54% and clear display of items was third, with 51% of the total respondents suggesting it as a key influence on buying decisions. A knowledgeable sales staff and the ability to use, demo or try on product rounded out the top five reasons for purchasing at a particular store. This result correlates pretty closely to the retailers receiving the highest scores overall in the study.
The report further delves into consumer perceptions on specific retailers including overall ratings, rating based on customer service and having a knowledgeable staff.
The SportsOneSource 2008 How America Shops Study will be available in early August. The study will be packaged in various formats to customize or optimize the benefits to the user. The full report is over 250 pages, but can be broken down into specific retailer data, such as how does a consumer that shops at one retailer rank that retailer against its competition in a number of categories. The report will also be broken into trade channels. The report is free to SportScanINFO retail reporting partners.
For more on this story, see this week's edition of Sports Executive Weekly, or for more information on the study, including the customization of the data for a specific project or report, please contact SOS Research at 704.987.3450 or e-mail to: Research@SportsOneSource.com.
