Buy a buyer
MARKET STORIES
Customers have reduced almost all "optional" expenses to the uttermost, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to get them to buy, experts say.
"The modern buyer is rational, no one should count on an impulse purchase today," Anush Gasparyan reflects. They either buy cheaper brands, or just shop less often and wait for sales, respond well to coupons and promotions. Skepticism is noticeable in the behavior of the buyer – all information is rechecked, they do not buy for the future. And, of course, the buyer began to appreciate speed and convenience, gravitate to online shopping and shopping within walking distance.
As a result, e-commerce has come to the forefront for many fashion brands, and advertising budgets are being redistributed to digital. With the help of mobile applications, the customer is now literally recognized in person even at the entrance to the store. According to the managers of the AIZEL online store.In principle, marketing has shifted towards more thorough work with the existing customer base, as well as tools for retaining and retaining customers. So, the company has changed its email marketing strategy and makes mailings for each client segment separately, introduced the service "stylist consultation", "personal shopper", "pre-order collections from the podium", "day-to-day delivery"..
Another important trend is collaboration, and over the past two years there have been several interesting and successful campaigns in Russian retail: "Econika" with Evelina Khromchenko, Baon with Laysan Utyasheva, Faberlic with Alena Akhmadullina.
"There will be no return to the so-called pre-crisis model of consumer behavior," Anush Gasparyan is sure. "Russians not only refused to purchase new things, but also began to switch to cheaper clothing brands and change places of purchase; consumers are ready to sacrifice the quality of goods and abandon their favorite brands."
Thus, in the first quarter of 2016, there was a noticeable drop in purchases of clothing brands of medium (from 34% to 30% of respondents) and high (from 7% to 5%) price segments. At the same time, purchases of low-price brands grew (from 59% to 65%). 3% of respondents admitted that they bought clothes for the future. In May 2016, Fashion Consulting Group conducted a survey among fashion-loving and indifferent shoppers in Moscow shopping malls. It turned out that 22% of those indifferent to new clothes agreed that they would have to save on things, among fashionistas, however, there are fewer of them - only 11%. At the same time, only a third of those who are passionate about new trends in the fashion world are ready to give up expensive brands. Half of the respondents, indifferent to fashion, began to buy fewer branded items without regret. In addition, market participants continue to state the boom of Russian goods and concepts.
"It's simple: three or four years ago, with a lower euro exchange rate, Russian designers were mostly uncompetitive," explains Dina Postolenko. But today, when prices for foreign brands have risen, they have been on the wave, primarily in terms of affordability. The main demand for clothes by Russian designers today is provided by an audience that is used to good-quality wardrobe items, but for which the usual foreign brands have become expensive. In general, Russian brands have a higher opportunity to develop in Russia today, which is associated with fewer costs.
In CBRE, in addition, they note a certain "fatigue" of consumers from network template solutions and the search for something unique while saving money. "Well, there are plenty of opportunities for success today," it is not necessary to open retail outlets in the most popular shopping centers,"Anush Gasparyan believes. The most successful sales channels for niche brands today can be online stores, showrooms, social networks, as well as multi-brand formats, both offline and online. Large multi-brand retailers (for example, TSUM, Fashion House, KupiVIP, Podium Market, Lamoda) and niche/design projects (Dressone.ru local brands of clothing and footwear, as well as models of Russian designers, are increasingly represented. In addition, a large number of multi-brand stores selling exclusively Russian brands have been opening in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the regions over the past two years, which indicates demand in this segment. Pop-up stores are also very popular &ldash;temporary” stores that offer an assortment for a short period – this format also presents Russian designers and local niche brands ».
Anna Panyukova from JLL supports: Russian goods will become more and more popular. «”Made in Russia” still means “cheaper”, – says Ms. Panyukova. – In the consumer's mind, it is not always better, but cheaper – this is now one of the key factors when making a purchase. Among the major Russian shoe brands, I would like to mention two: Zenden – the new market leader among Russian mass market brands (aggressive development, marketing and its own audience) and the manufacturer of children's shoes “Kotofey”, which is one of the successful Russian players in its segment ».
THERE WAS A KNOCK FROM THE BOTTOM
The mood of Russian buyers, however, is still assessed at the level of "everything is difficult": some customers believe that the bottom has been passed, others that they have not even knocked from the bottom. According to Fashion Consulting Group, the assessment of changes in one's well-being in 2016 has been consistently low since the beginning of the crisis. The decline in the consumer confidence index is comparable to the fourth quarter of 2009. 86% of the population noted an increase in prices for autumn-winter clothing. 76% are ready to buy in discount centers. 29% felt that the quality of clothing of previously preferred brands has deteriorated.
"Omnichannel trade opens up new opportunities against this background for both retail and shopping center managers," predicts Igor Chaplinsky. The points of growth today are constant monitoring, updating of concepts, and re-conception of existing projects. High-quality management of shopping centers comes to the fore. It's like working with the first movie projectors: in a shopping mall, you need to constantly "twist the handle" so that the movie does not stop. Today it's new entertainment areas, tomorrow it's an opportunity to plan the route of visiting the shopping center with the whole family in an online form, the day after tomorrow it's something else.
Ending
Author: Ekaterina Reutskaya
Photo: Shutterstock.com
