Brand preferences high in personal care - discount house consumers

Discount Store News, Oct 18, 1993

High brand preference among the young, and high brand loyalty among the old suggest that discounters would be smart to meet the divergent needs of these two age groups. However, Discount Store News' 1993 Top Brands Survey of consumers also indicates that the brand preferences of the young Baby Busters and older Empty Nesters are more like one another than they are similar to the middle-aged group of Baby Boomers.

For instance, the top three brands among Busters and Empty Nesters included the same labels; Conair, Norelco and Clairol. Among Boomers, however, General Electric was mentioned second most often--a brand that ranked eight among Busters and fourth among Empty Nesters.

Eight out of 10 consumers under 35 years of age (Busters) who were surveyed could name their preferred personal care appliance brand, and 30% of that group would not buy a substitute brand if the one they wanted was not stocked. These young shoppers know their brand preferences but show some willingness to purchase an alternative brand if the discounter does not offer their first choice.

While consumers 50 or older (Empty Nesters) were the least likely to name a preferred appliance brand (55%), those who did were also least likely to switch. Nearly 60% would walk out of the store instead of buying an alternative brand.

People aged 35 to 49 (Boomers) were fairly brand aware--seven out of 10 named a specific personal care appliance brand--but roughly the same number would switch if the assortment did not contain the brand they preferred. All in all, this group of consumers could probably find something to buy in a basic assortment if they were looking for a personal care appliance.

In fact, this mid-30s to late-40s group was also most likely to name a store brand or private label as a suitable appliance brand. More than one out of 10 consumers surveyed between 35 and 49 years old named a generic brand, compared to about 2% of consumers in the other two age groups. And when consumers were specifically asked whether there was a chance that they might buy a store brand, more than six out of 10 people aged 35 to 49 said yes, which is higher than the other two age groups.

Conair was the single most preferred brand among shoppers of Kmart, Wal-Mart and Target and among two of the three age groups. It was mentioned third most often among consumers over 50 years old. Among the top three discounters, Target's shoppers were most likely to name a specific brand in the category.

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