Content provided in partnership with

Retail Industry

Meet the Inner-City Shopper

American Demographics, Dec, 1998 by Marcia Mogelonsky

<< Page 1 Continued from page 1. Previous | Next

Retailers in the inner city better make sure they have the right selections on their shelves. When choosing a clothing store, half of African American inner-city shoppers say that the brands they want must be available, and the same percentage believe it's very important to have a wide selection of brands within each clothing category. In comparison, only 35 percent of Americans in general are looking for stores with specific brand names, while 27 percent say it's very important for a store to stock a broad selection of brands within each clothing category. Keeping many lines in stock isn't easy, nor is it simple to pinpoint which brands customers favor.

Most Popular Articles in Business: Research and Markets : Tesco Plc - SWOT Framework Analysis; Do Us a Flavor - Ben & Jerry's Issues a Call for Euphoric New Flavors; eBay made easy: ready to start an eBay business? These 5 simple steps will ...; Katrina's lawsuit surge: a legal battle to force insurers to pay for flood ...; Wal-Mart's newest distribution center opened last month near the southwest ...; More »

Helpful sales associates are also critical in inner-city apparel stores. Almost seven in ten Hispanics who live in the inner city say they like salespeople to leave them alone until they need assistance. Roughly 68 percent of them also expect salespeople to be knowledgeable and friendly, as do 74 percent of African American inner-city shoppers. According to Management Horizons "1997 Consumer Database," only 58 percent of American shoppers look for similar service. Inner-city consumers are also much more likely than shoppers in general to have sales associates help them pull outfits together. Of Hispanic inner-city shoppers, 33 percent consider this a key customer service; only 16 percent of the general population agrees.

Still, inner city shoppers expect the same basic features and services in a retail store as shoppers elsewhere: low everyday prices and adequate selection in their size. "There will always be a place for conventional retailers in the inner city," says Mary Brett Whitfield, principal consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. If retailers follow the needs and desires of customers there, that place could be permanent-and profitable.

Retail Industry

Meet the Inner-City Shopper

American Demographics, Dec, 1998 by Marcia Mogelonsky

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Sports

Most Popular Articles in Business

Most Popular Publications in Business