Like Parent, Like Child, Like Buying

When approving purchase of a prom dress, is the mother or the father of the intended wearer likely to set a higher acceptable budget? Most retailers I’ve asked say it’s the father, but the research-based answer is not so straightforward.
     Researchers at State University of New York-Oneonta, Rutgers University, and University of Minnesota asked parents visiting a zoo to take a short survey about the zoo. Parents were selected to participate only if they were visiting the zoo with at least one child of each sex in tow. As compensation for completing the survey, the parent was offered a chance to win a backpack, small suitcase, or similar item. The parent could choose to enter the drawing for either the pink items from the “Girl’s Prize Pack” or the blue items from the “Boy’s Prize Pack.”
     It turned out that 76% of the mothers chose the Girl’s Prize Pack and 87% of the fathers chose the Boy’s Prize Pack. In a few other studies, too, these researchers found that parents favored expenditures on the same gendered child and that the explanation seems to be greater psychological identification with the same-sex child. There was also evidence that the pattern of preferences extends beyond parent-child pairs. Therefore aunts may be more comfortable making purchases for nieces, and uncles for nephews.
     When families shop together with you, it’s useful for you to identify the retail influencers. However, an important limit on the value of this set of studies is that the participants were required to choose between an expenditure either on a boy or on a girl. In many circumstances, a parent can choose to purchase items for each of their children. In these circumstances, adults could endeavor to spread the expenditures equitably. It is when the extent of resources feels limited, such as when the retailer wants to upsell, that it pays off to sell through the same sex parent.
     Also, in tight economic times, both parents become highly receptive to spending more retail dollars on daughters than on sons. In any case, none of this should be used in a way which would alienate the father of the daughter or the mother of the son. To show how you like having the parent buy from you for the child, make clear that you respect the preferences each parent expresses.

For your success: Retailer’s Edge: Boost Profits Using Shopper Psychology

Click below for more:
Identify Influencers in Family Decision Making
Upgrade Your Upselling
Lift Up the Tutus When Times Are Tight
Let Mother-Daughters Shop at Leisure