Business News
In Weak Economy, Club Stores Enjoy Increased Traffic
2008-08-20 14:00:00
- Upscale Consumers Leading the Way - NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /EMWNews/ -- As the economy has weakened, traffic at club stores targeting the budget-conscious shopper has grown faster than the U.S. population, with upscale consumers driving the increase, according to new data from Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI). The number of people who shopped at club stores such as Costco, B.J.'s and Sam's Club increased 3.6% from September 2006 to April 2008, while the total adult population increased just over 1% in the same time period, according to MRI's Survey of the American Consumer. Moreover, club store shoppers with household incomes of $75,000 annually grew almost 12% in the same time period.
CLUB STORE SHOPPERS vs. ADULT POPULATION % Increase '08 vs. '07 Total U.S. Adults 1.2 % Total Club Store Shoppers 3.6 % Club Store Shoppers w/ HHI > $75k 11.9 % Source: Spring 2007 & Spring 2008 MRI Survey of the American Consumer. Field Dates: September 2006-April 2007 & September 2007-April 2008 Almost four in 10 U.S. adults (39%) say they shopped at club stores in the last 6 months. Who are these frugal consumers? Not only is the recent growth in club store traffic driven by upscale consumers, club store shoppers are quite upscale in general. For instance, consumers who shopped in a club store in the last six months are 38% more likely than the average adult to have household incomes of $75,000 or greater; they are 26% more likely to have graduated college; and they are 32% more likely to hold management, business or financial operations occupations. Being a parent is also a significant influence in shopping in club stores, as parents are 9% more likely than the population as a whole to have shopped in this type of store in the last 6 months.
CLUB STORE SHOPPERS Adults who Shopped at Club Stores in past 6 months. 86.458 Million Percent of Total U.S. Adult Population 38.9 % Profile of Club Shoppers % More (Less) Likely than % of Total Average Club U.S. Adult Shoppers to... HHI $75,000 or more 49.4 +38 % HHI $75,000 or less 50.6 -21 % College Graduate (obtained Bachelor's Degree or higher) 32.7 +26 % HS Graduate and/or Some College 56.4 -4 % Occupation: Management, business & financial operations 12.9 +32 % Parents (of children still living with respondent) 37.3 +9 % Source: Spring 2008 MRI Survey of the American Consumer. Field Dates: September 2007-April 2008. "Upscale consumers have always been a large part of club stores' customer base. It's now clear that a greater number of affluent consumers are being careful with their hard-earned dollars during this economic downturn," said Anne Marie Kelly, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Planning at MRI. "Marketers may wish to take note that price-sensitive strategies and messages will increasingly resonate with even the well-heeled."
About MRI... Founded in 1979, MRI interviews approximately 26,000 U.S. adults in their homes each year, asking about their use of media, their consumption of products and their lifestyles and attitudes. MRI is the country's leading provider of magazine audience and multimedia research data. The company releases data from Survey of the American Consumer (adults 18+) twice yearly, in the spring and fall. MRI data have become the basic media-planning currency for the majority of the media plans that are created each year by national advertisers and their agencies. The company's 26,000 in-home interviews each year represent the biggest survey of its kind. MRI is part of GfK Group AG, Nuremberg, Germany. For more information, please visit http://www.mediamark.com/.
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