“Surgical shopping,” a pre-Christmas shopping trend, will likely carry over well into 2011 and maybe beyond, according to a University of Alabama retailing expert.
Surgical shopping employs a straight forward and precise approach to buying, as opposed to a few hours of “going shopping,” says Dr. Kristy Reynolds, Bruno Professor of Marketing in UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce.
“Shoppers are likely to continue being careful and methodical with their shopping, even though they have loosened the purse strings somewhat,” Reynolds says. “Many shoppers are going to be more likely to buy what they need at the moment, as compared to stocking up ahead of time.”
Many consumers are “shopping from their pantries” or storage rooms and using what they already have instead of going to the store to re-stock, she says.
“Retailers will likely rely on events, educational classes, entertainment, and merchandise scarcity to lure shoppers into the stores in the coming months. Other strategies such as limited edition designer merchandise at stores such as Target and Macy’s will be used to get shoppers’ attention.
“Shoppers will continue to hone in on targeted items,” Reynolds says. “They will be hunting for the best bargains regardless of where they shop or what they are buying. There is increasing evidence that impulse buying is declining.” One indication, Reynolds says, is that stores are messier today than in the past because more people are putting merchandise back on the shelves before they check out.
Source
Dr. Kristy Reynolds, 205/348-0050 or kreynold@cba.ua.edu