RealityMine has investigated the media consumption of in-store shoppers in order to understand how they can be reached most effectively by advertisers at the point of sale. Data was collected through USA TouchPoints e-diary tool from 1029 American panellists.
We found that radio and other audio were more popular than any other media sources when panellists identified as shopping. More shoppers reported to be using such devices for a longer period of time. This is most likely due to radio and audio exposure in shops or during the commute to the shops.
While mobile phones are still used by a large number of shoppers, they are used for brief periods of time in comparison to radio or other audio. It’s likely that mobile use is limited to quick activities such as reading or replying to messages, updating statuses or checking in online. This is displayed in the chart above by the mobile phone mark being above the trend line, indicating more users, but relatively less frequency.
How does the use of radio and audio devices differ across age?
Radio and other audio use was dominated by AM/FM radio. Other audio devices vary in popularity depending on the age of the shopper – use of iPods or Mp3s decreased with age and were favoured over CD players by respondents between the ages of 18 and 44, highlighting the generational divide in habitual device use.
A minimal percentage of respondents reported listening to audio material in-store or in the mall. The insight indicates that shoppers are more likely to be more receptive to radio content on the commute to the shops than when shopping in-store, however 25-29 year olds recorded the highest percentage of ‘in-store’ radio indicating that this age segment is most responsive to audio heard in this way.
And income…?
Audio device also varies with the household income of shoppers. Satellite radio has the highest percentage of use in people with a household income over $100,000. This could be because they are driving cars with satellite radio built in. CD player use shows a general decline as income goes up however, $25k-$30k is a notable exception to this rule.
Those earning between $40k and $60k were least responsive to in-store audio. This could indicate that online shopping was more prominent in people in these income brackets.
How are mobile apps used by shoppers?
The use of shopping apps could help to identify the profile of price conscious consumers, comparing prices on mobile apps while shopping.
Further analysis done by RealityMine’s analysts reveals that the use of shopping apps is most prevalent in 18 to 24 year olds. This insight could indicate that younger respondents are more price conscious than their older counterparts, or at least more likely to shop around online.
* Research carried out amongst 1029 panellists from around the U.S.A, in September 2013. RealityMine used USA TouchPoints data to monitor participants’ usage.
