Product for the occasion

One of the key words in retail is “occasion”. The nature of the product to be purchased often determines which store is visited by the customer. Occasions like Christmas, seasons and promotions also generate spontaneous shopping. It is easy to see that products for various occasions have great potential. What is the customers’ choice of store based on? According to international surveys, 4 major factors influence this type of decision: proximity, price (or perceived price), assortment, and the store environment. Of course, the order of importance depends on many circumstances. Purchasing various categories also depends on the occasion, which means it is useful, to be aware of the proportion of customers who come with the intention to do major shopping to replenish stocks, and what proportion come to do daily shopping. How many customers come to get their breakfast or lunch? When we know these proportions, it is easier to determine the various roles of different categories, which can influence customers in their choice of store. We can also influence customers’ choice of products. Even customers who arrive with a shopping list (55 per cent) generally purchase more products than they had originally intended to. Retailers can influence such decision through pricing, assortments, facings, and promotional activities. The primary purpose of seasonal and occasional items and categories is to make shopping a more exciting experience. This is reflected in the packaging of such products. It is always worth offering a seasonal speciality in a target category. Tactics for handling seasonal, convenience category products is practically identical to those used for convenience products. Manufacturers and retailers are trying to introduce new occasions for shopping in addition to traditional events, like Christmas. Examples are sports events to boost beer sales, or birthday activities of a retailer. Compulsory summer items like, sun lotions and ice cream are nicely complemented by specialities, like balls, grill sausages or mosquito repellents. Even discount stores with very limited assortments use special offers, like incredibly cheap plasma TV-s to make shopping more exciting. Gigantic international chains can purchase huge quantities of such products at incredibly favourable prices, which can be used to attract customers, who would otherwise never visit a discount store.