I have not been to the local mall since last year. Before you acuse me of not supporting the effort, the FEDEX and UPS trucks know my address better than the postman, as I prefer the on-line experience. My youngest daughter cajoled me into experiencing a real mall experience as we made our way back to college, yes back to school shopping.
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The only other shopping season that surpass back to school is Christmas. I was in for a rude awakening at my real mall experience. Sure the anchor strore were still there, but severl store windows were darkened, or new enterprises occupied old store fronts. I find myself looking at the mall map to get around. I was witnessing the aftermath of our economic Katrina. A cautious mood at best is in the air.
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Ladies, you our chief purchasing agents have spoken. Take a look at the latest trends
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Although women have been affected less from an unemployment perspective , 73 % of women shared that this recession has changed the way they think about saving and spending.
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Given this, others are adopting to the new consumer reality. Here are a few tips shared by Marti Barletta, a leading thinker on marketing to women.
- Price overshaows value – brand loyaly loses
- Thrift counts more than convienence – time saving is taking a back seat.
- Sustainables trump disposables – resuables are in
- Essentials eclipse indulgences – upscale products are hosed.
- Online shopping in in vogue- the internet offers more ways of finding savings
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One of the winners in all of this is Walmart. Their pricing and convienence continue to bring them consumer success even in this terrible recession. They also have another powerful weapon that needs to get more profiled because of its success. It is Walmart’s use of social media through their elevenmoms blogging program.
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Wal-Mart equipped eleven mommy bloggers known for their shopping smarts with a video cameras, makeovers, a photo shoot, and an opportunity to turn their frugal ways into short videos of money-saving tips.
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Take a listen to some of the wisdom these ladies share.
The genius of Walmart’s success was a well managed and efficient supply chain.
Now they have added a new component, social media personified in these bloggers.
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