Friendly Reminder: Click the blue text above to follow "FMCG Distributor Professional Consulting" for more insights on marketing and distributor internal management.
Retail stores have become one of the most important sales channels for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) such as food and household products in major cities. By understanding the consumer behavior patterns of store shoppers, businesses can adopt targeted marketing methods to win over consumers and boost product sales in stores.
How do store shoppers make purchasing decisions? What factors influence their decisions? And how can businesses encourage consumers to put their products in the shopping basket?
The author roughly categorizes store shoppers into five types:
The Prepared Shopper: These consumers plan ahead regarding the type, quantity, specification, and brand of products they need before going to the store. They typically buy everyday household items and are familiar with the products, often unwilling to try new brands. Their inner monologue might be: "The Colgate toothpaste at home is almost finished; I need to buy one today," or "I've finished this week's snacks; I'll buy two cans of Lay's chips and two bags of Yake candy—they're my favorites."
The Bargain Hunter: These consumers are typically housewives who are highly price-sensitive. Even a few cents difference in price can make them hesitate. They compare unit prices, weights, and packaging across brands before deciding on the most economical option. Their inner monologue: "Sassoon shampoo is X yuan for X ml; Bawang is X yuan for X ml; but Slek is only X yuan for X ml. Slek is more affordable, but today buying two bottles of Sassoon comes with a free shower cap. We don't have a shower cap at home, and buying one would cost more, so I'll go with Sassoon."
The Brand Loyalist: These consumers have a certain level of purchasing power and education. They value refined living and satisfy their spiritual needs through brand consumption, showcasing their lifestyle. They may also distrust non-brand products due to quality concerns. Their inner monologue: "As a Shanghainese, I usually don't buy products from other provinces. Look at Mengniu and Yili—they always have quality issues. Shanghai's Bright Dairy is reliable; I feel safe buying it," or "For juice, I always buy Huiyuan. Those unknown brands—who knows if they have quality issues? Huiyuan is a big brand, so I trust it. If even Huiyuan has problems, smaller brands would be even worse."
The Impulse Buyer: These consumers act on impulse in two scenarios: when they see discounts or flash sales, driven by a "grab the deal" mentality, or when they wander without a clear purpose and are tempted by new products, packaging, or promotions. Their inner monologue: "This looks interesting; let me try it," or "I've never used this before; let me take it home and test it."
The Interceptable Shopper: These consumers lack decisiveness or knowledge about the products they intend to buy, often relying on salespeople for guidance. They tend to purchase higher-priced items or products whose quality is hard to assess by sight or touch, such as cosmetics, seafood, children's products, electronics, or health supplements. They are easily swayed by salespeople, altering their initial vague intentions. For example, a consumer planning to buy bird's nest or ginseng as a gift might be persuaded by a salesperson: "TV reports show bird's nest has excessive toxic substances; who would dare accept that as a gift? And ginseng—real ones cost thousands per root, and even pharmacies may not have genuine ones. Cultivated ginseng has little nutritional value. Look at Brain Gold—it's a big brand with TV ads; giving it as a gift shows respect. Today, buying two boxes gets one free box of Golden Partner, which you can gift or use yourself—what a deal!" At this point, it's hard for the consumer to refuse.
These five patterns may not cover every store shopper, but most fall into one of these categories. The key takeaway is that by understanding these behaviors, businesses can implement targeted marketing strategies.
Like this article? Feel free to share it to your Moments by clicking the top right corner.
About us: WeChat ID: FMCG Distributor Professional Consulting Management Account intro: 20 years of FMCG distributor operation experience, specializing in distributor internal management.
Click "Read Original" below to enter our micro-community for interaction and questions.
Learning and exchange QQ group: 344257092
Reply 1 to enter the micro-official website to view historical messages.