Footwear Insight

Trend Insight Consumer is a feature within Footwear Insight that delivers research conducted on the MESH01 Platform. MESH01 collects data from a select panel of sports enthusiasts. For information on the Mesh1 Platform, contact Brian Bednarek at 603-766-0957 or brian.bednarek@mesh01.com. For more information on Trend Insight Consumer and how your company can participate, contact Jeff Nott at 516-305-4711 or jnott@formula4media.com. FOR INDEPENDENT BRICK-AND-MORTAR RETAILERS, getting consumers to shop in-store rather than online is an ever- present challenge. But once those customers do decide to shop in the store, delivering on what they want is also critical. In our latest survey, we asked consumers which types of stores they prefer to shop for footwear in, and what they expect and hope for when it comes to in-store service. A prominent theme? Selection. Once a consumer decides to shop in a store, having an assortment of brands and styles available to buy on the spot is critical. Twenty-eight percent of survey respondents said their top choice of store to shop would be an independent shoe store or a footwear specialty chain. Sixty-four percent rated the level of knowledge of sales people in these stores as "very good" or "excellent." Brand and product assortment was highlighted as the element in a store that makes the biggest impression on shoppers. In the final question of the survey, which was open-ended, we asked, "If you could change one thing about your in-store shopping experience, what would it be?" Answers there ranged from things such as loyalty discounts and brand assortment improvements to the availability of treadmills and foot scanners in-store to a desire for "less pushy" salespeople. A sample of replies: "Less upselling." "Free chair massage?" "A more involved fitting process." Read on for a look inside the mind of the in-store shopper. n e survey, conducted by MESH01, included 401 respondents, male and female. THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE CARPE TRENDEM S E I Z E T H E T R E N D ! We surveyed 401 consumers. Here is what they told us. Where do you most frequently buy your footwear? If you shop in an independent shoe store, how would you rate the quality of the assortment? 15% 3% 7% 13% 16% 20% 18% 7% 34% 11% 32% 9% 15% Independent Shoe Store Mass Merchant/ Discount Store Poor Footwear Specialty Chain Online (not affiliated with any store) Online (through brands website) Adequate Sports Specialty Store Good Excellent Sporting Goods Store Very Good Department Store If you shop in an independent shoe store, how would you rate the level of knowledge of the sales people vs. other types of stores? Poor Adequate Good Excellent Very Good 1% What's the in-store element that makes the biggest impression on you? 23% 19% 6% 37% 2% 11% A good and thorough fitting Thoughtful product recommendations Easy and intuitive displays Brand and product assortment Extra Touches (offering drink /chair massage /gift with purchase, etc.) Pricing 13% 22% 36% 28% footwearinsight.com 36 • Footwear Insight ~ November/December 2021

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