NEED STATE ANALYSIS

August 29, 2019

During the course of any day, shoppers are driven by many different and important needs. Given the blurred channels of retail, it’s more important than ever to understand what need states shoppers associate with specific store types to ensure retailers properly meet and exceed shoppers’ expectations.
 

A clear outline of some of those need states is provided in Embracing Modern Convenience: Responding to Shopper Needs, the newest study from the NACS/Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council.
 

Consider, for example, a host of need states where shoppers clearly target their trip to a convenience store vs. a stock-up destination like a supermarket. Unsurprisingly, convenience stores, quick-serve restaurants and cafés are the main destinations for immediate needs such as hunger, thirst or the desire for a treat. Stock-up trips, in contrast, are far more invested errands and are associated with less emotional desires.
 

The entire report, which can be downloaded for free below, provides insights into shopper desires that companies can use to better understand and satisfy shoppers’ expectations.