DDi - July 2011 - (Page 14)

14 | Shopper Insights Smart shoppers aren’t born… they’re trained J eff Nickles, author of “The Super-Charged Guide to Smart Living” and the blogger behind MySuperChargedLife.com, believes that we need to train our kids to be smart shoppers and it will serve them well their entire lives. I agree with him. Not only is teaching our kids good for them, but retailers and manufacturers also are finding that a better-informed young shopper is good for business. It turns out that kids are a huge influence in the path to purchase. To learn more about this opportunity, I reached out to Linda Brennan, the newly appointed president of Field Trip Factory—one of the leading companies in the area of educating young consumers on the art of shopping. They manage more than 30,000 in-store “field trips” annually, interacting with more than 1 million children (pre-K through high school) in all 50 states. The company provides all of the material and curriculum that engages educators, scout leaders and other influencers of our young folks. According to Brennan, Field Trip Factory has been turning communities into classrooms for more than 18 years, making learning relevant to real life through hands-on educational experiences. “We turn the aisles of leading retailers into a live experience,” she adds. It appears that more and more schools are using field trips to bring learning to life. In Philadelphia, William D. Kelley Elementary School got out of the classroom for a day of fun and learning. But rather than touring the museum or zoo, they went to the grocery store for a field trip that supports their community mission: teaching children to develop healthy habits. Field Trip Factory-trained leaders guided three Kelley Elementary first-grade classes through the aisles of the local grocery store, teaching the kids the benefits of eating a well-balanced diet and staying active. The feedback that parents have provided after field trips indicates that it works. As one parent said: “My son asks for vegetables instead of chips during snack time now—because carrots are healthy!” George Wishart Interestingly, it is clear that retailers are also seeing the short-term benefit. Field Trip Factory data shows that there was a 46 percent increase in basket size of participants versus the average shopper, and 100 percent of participants will shop at the participating retailer more often because of the field trip. And the kids are truly learning about healthy eating. The Field Trip’s research indicates: • 82 percent of kids changed their snacking habits • +11 point change with grades K-2 who, post-field trip, enjoy eating apples for breakfast • 16 percent increase in kids able to correctly identify a whole grain • 10 percent increase in kids able to correctly identify three fruits • 81 percent of participants who shopped at a competitor said their perception of the host chain improved after the trip All of these statistics are encouraging, both for growing smarter kids and for retailers. Many shopper marketing programs focus on short-term promotional results—trade one product for another, one retailer for another. A shopper marketing program like the Field Trip Factory demonstrates changing shopper behavior, and increasing loyalty and basket size. Now that’s a win-win. —A pioneer and consultant in the shopper marketing industry, George Wishart is the president and CEO of Edgewood Industries LLC. He shares his shopper marketing insights with DDI in this regularly appearing column. | July 2011 www.ddionline.com http://www.MySuperChargedLife.com http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - July 2011

DDi - July 2011
Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Channel Focus: Big Box
Carlo Pazolini
2011 Fixture Super Section
State of the Fixture Industry Roundtable
2011 Fixture Leaders Listing
2011 Fixture Leaders Company Index
Fixture Products
Right Light
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Think Tank

DDi - July 2011