What will change in consumer behavior

One of the most important questions for shoe sellers is how will the buyers behave? It is clear that they will not stop going to shops, after all, our climate and dress code are not inclined towards barefoot people. The question is, will they buy shoes less often, or move on to buying cheaper shoes. And most importantly, how should store owners react? We received the answer to this question from the Association of Fashion Industry Enterprises (APRIM)

In the most general terms, the forecast is as follows: the luxury segment will shrink the most, the medium-high segment will decrease significantly, on average only the strongest players will remain, there will be no serious progress in the mass market.

It is clear that in such conditions, companies begin to reduce marketing budgets. According to the director general of APRIM, Maria Smorchkova, it may be reasonable for some companies to reduce their development budgets, but no one should reduce the costs of researching consumer behavior. This is important in order to save their customers, and in order to return them when the crisis is over.

How will buyers behave?

Mid-high segment

Buyers of shoes of the mid-high price segment will not go to the low segment, but will begin to buy shoes less often. This means that it makes no sense to stimulate them to more frequent purchases (and, as a rule, all marketing efforts have recently been directed at this). But while maintaining the quality of shoes and service (or even increasing them), store owners can increase the price per pair.

If a woman bought shoes at 10-12 thousand rubles. a couple of times a quarter, then, having decided to buy boots or shoes once every six months or less, she will not refuse to buy, having come to the store and seen instead of 12 thousand rubles on the price tag, for example, 14 thousand rubles. Here the task of the marketer is to calculate the elasticity of demand and clarify the boundaries of a possible increase. That is, if at a cost of 14 thousand rubles. for a couple a woman will not leave the store and buy boots, and for 16 thousand rubles she will already refuse to buy.

Sales and sales do not work in this segment, but here bonuses and gifts will be effective. The main task of store owners is to save profits at the expense of margins, not at the expense of turnover.

Medium segment

The middle class is people burdened with loans. It is impossible to say unequivocally what they will do - they will leave for the lower price segment or begin to buy less often. Accordingly, it is difficult to determine how they can be stimulated to buy. One thing is indisputable: a high level of service should be maintained, because the desire to reduce the cost of the purchase by reducing the service for this category of buyers is expressed, but implicitly. In their case, a loyalty club may work.

Low to medium segment

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The saddest story with a mid-low price segment. Consumers of these shoes are now buying household appliances, the purchase of which has been delayed for a long time, and do not plan to increase their expenses. The probability of these buyers moving to the low segment is high. To save them, the store owner needs to use pricing tools. But a simple price reduction will not give the desired result. Rather, targeted marketing communications will be more appropriate here - for example, direct mailing of coupons with bonuses. Such local programs for “in-house” shoppers can lay the foundation for brand credibility that will allow them to return to your store in the future if shoppers do leave now.

Segmentation of consumers of fashion products (clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry)

- Upper class (owners of capital) - 3-8%

- Middle class (have income) - 22-28% (in Moscow - 35%)

- Low (live on salary) - 69,9%

APRIM data

Middle class structure

- Medium-high - 3%

- Mid-Medium - 8%

- Medium low - 20%

Data of the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2006