Mom2020: Shopping Around

 

Mom2020: Shopping Around

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This is part 4 of Mom2020, an exploration into what makes the moms of America tick. Click here to view the rest of the articles in this series, or click here to download the full report from Suzy.

Every hacky comedian and sitcom writer from the 20th century knows exactly one thing about women: they love to shop. There’s some truth to the stereotype (although there’s no telling whether it’s because the stereotype exists in the first place, of course!) – as we’ve been saying throughout this series, moms control over 85% of purchasing decisions for their households and have $2.4 trillion in spending power. That gives women, and especially mothers, a lot of influence over what kind of products become successful in the marketplace. 

In fact, one psychologist even theorizes that this is exactly why shopping is linked to womanhood in the first place. Starting in the 19th century, department store retailers began to position their stores as being places of liberation for women, where their desires were taken seriously and where they were encouraged to make their own choices. Considering that American women weren’t even allowed to sign up for their own credit cards without a husband’s signature until 1974, it’s no wonder this marketing strategy worked like gangbusters. Feeling like you have agency in your life can be a powerful motivator!

So when moms decide to act on their agency and spend their hard-earned money (remember, a majority of them currently work outside the home in some capacity!), how do they decide what to buy? That’s what we decided to find out.

What we learned

As you’ve come to expect if you’ve read our previous Mom2020 content, Suzy reached out to the same pool of over 2,500 mothers from across the United States to gauge how they approach shopping – both for their household, and for themselves.

First, we found that 60% of moms say they’re willing to pay more for a product or service that would “make their lives easier” in some way. When we probed deeper, the most popular area where moms wanted a little bit of help from the products in their lives was with cleaning (44%), cooking (43%), childcare (30%), and organizing (30%).

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Q. What are some products/services that you’d be interested in buying or paying for to make your life easier? (Select all that apply)

However, when it comes to products that Mom buys for herself, her priorities are very different. When asked to select the top 3 factors that influence their decision to purchase a product for self-care, the moms we polled were most likely to cite budget (35%) over any other factor – although products that improve how they feel and relax them came in close behind. 

Q. Which of the following has the most influence on your decision to purchase a product for your self care? (Select up to 3)


Suzy Says

Those 19th century department store tropes still have a little bit of truth to them today; for most moms, shopping isn’t something they do to own things as much as it’s a way for them to empower themselves. That means they’re interested in purchases that will ultimately save them time and effort down the line – and they’re willing to spend more on things that can offer this value. Make sure that this is an integral part of how you develop and market your product to them!

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There are a lot more valuable insights like this in our new 40+ page report, Mom2020: The Definitive Guide to the Modern Mom. Download for free today to learn more.

 
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