Click the link below to watch KIZER & BENDER discuss
Millennials as consumers and in the work place:
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Think you know the Millennials? Think again.
Each year we do as many consumer focus groups as humanly possible. We like to know what shoppers are thinking so that we can share their thoughts in our keynotes ans seminars. One of our favorite things to do is host live focus groups at trade shows -- the panel / audience interaction is priceless.One such program involved a room full of shocked retailers, nine young consumers, and some nifty thinking-on-our-feet action. Not so easy for us to do when our mouths were hanging open because of something one of those nine young consumers just said.
Let us explain.
We hosted “Meet the Millennials”, a live panel discussion where we gathered those nine young ladies, ages 20 – 24. We asked the questions and these articulate young women responded. And while we did not always like what they said, we were sure glad that they said it. Suffice to say, everyone learned a lot about how our group of Millennials choose stores. Eight Millennials focus groups later, hearing some of the same things, we know they were speaking for their generation.
A few years ago no one really paid too much attention to the Millennials, the 73 million Americans born between 1982 and 2000. But they are now: by the year 2010 the Millennials will out number both Baby Boomers and Generation X. And if you think you know all there is to know about the Millennials you’d be wrong. They are too mercurial to pin down.
Millennials believe they can do it all and do it very well. They do not believe that just because they are young they are less capable of holding a job Boomers and Xers worked long and hard to get. Millennials are team players; they play to win and they are not afraid to let you know that. And they want what they want, right now. They are the generation of instant everything and the 10-second attention span.
We were all pretty complacent, thinking we could handle the Millennials when the time came, but we were wrong. Their elder statesmen are out of college now and they are wreaking havoc in the workplace. Our phones have been ringing off the hook the past few months as businesses of all kinds call to book our GenerationSpeak! and Millennial-Think keynotes and seminars.
See, the Millennials believe that the rest of us should change to accommodate them, not the other way around. And they are not budging. You want them to work on a weekend when they have other plans? Good luck. Friends and family come first. Think a training session, classroom style, is a good idea? Not anymore. Video games and interactive websites are a huge part of a Millennial’s world; they tend to learn better when things are interactive. Ask
Our panel gave us an insight into their preferred shopping experience. (Note: our panel consisted of college students, newlyweds and moms. It’s interesting to note that three were college educated, but have chosen to be stay at home moms. This might be a new trend to watch for.)
Here are the highlights:
What makes you choose one store over another that sells similar products?”
“Price and location.” This was an issue with our panel, but it makes sense: they were all either in school or raising children on a budget.
“Product selection.” They mentioned H&M, a trend-setting, moderately priced apparel retailer with an ever-changing selection. Like any customers, they want a strong selection of basics as well as new items. They included projects in with product selection – a variety of new ways to use product is desired as well. Remember that Millennials have short attention spans – you will need to change models and classes more frequently to keep their interest. And just as important, change the feature areas on your sales floor at least once every two weeks.
Tell us about what you like about your favorite retailers.
“The stores have a unique personality.”
“The stores are funky and fun. There’s always something going on.”
“The product is fresh and the store is easy to shop; aisles are clutter-free. I can easily move a stroller through the store.”
“There are places to sit and chat.”
“They are nice to me and welcome my children. They let me use the restroom and have a place for me to change my baby.”
“Clean shopping carts or strollers so I don’t have to haul in mine.”
“The people who work there know what they’re selling. They have lots of good ideas.”
“I love coupons!” Newsflash: They all love coupons. They will sign-up to receive your e-mail blasts and/or newsletters if they include coupons. However, if your e-mail is too long or does not include photos, they hit the delete button right away.
“We like to shop to music, but don’t play boring music.”
We got into a discussion about this comment – what did she mean? Well, they all despise instrumental music; the direct quote was: “Play music with words!”, which made us all laugh. Then the panel called out names of bands we might play in our stores; bands that most of the audience had never heard of. If Lady Gaga and Green Day ring a bell, you’re ahead of the game. Bottom line, pick uplifting music with a good beat. They like Disco too, and you know what we always say: Disco is the sound of money.
What drives you nuts about stores?”
They each had a variation of “I hate when I am ignored because of my age. Sales people always help older people before they help me.” This isn’t new either; we heard it years ago from Gen X shoppers, and from Baby Boomers before them. The baton has officially changed hands.
Tell us about your life on-line.
The average Millennial spends approximately 10 hours a week online. Our panelists were no exception:
“I go to blogs and websites my friends recommend. I shop online and I do a lot of Internet searches.”
By now you should have an interactive website that is frequently updated. You need a blog as well. Consider this study from Pew Internet & American Life Project:
• 33% of online teens share their own creations online, such as artwork, photos, stories, or videos; 32% of online teens say that they have created or worked on web pages or blogs for others, including those for groups they belong to, friends or school assignments; 22% report keeping their own personal web page.
• Internet users ages 12 to 28 years old have embraced the online applications that enable communicative, creative, and social uses. 18 to 28 year olds are also significantly more likely than older users to send and receive instant messages, play online games, create blogs, download music, and search for school information.
Our panelists prefer websites that load quickly, are easy to navigate, have simple names, and offer plenty to do and lots of stuff. If you don’t have time to create a blog, Twitter account or Facebook page, ask a Millennial store associate or customer to do it for you. You can brainstorm the content together.
We asked which television shows and/or magazines influenced them. They like The View, The Rachael Ray Show and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Oprah and Martha, not so much. Their comments included, “Martha’s too old and too much of a perfectionist.” and “Her projects cost too much.”
At the end of the program we asked each of them to tell us one thing that would make them choose one store over another. Here’s the condensed version of what they said:
l Do it better
l Respect me. See me as a customer, not as an age
l Offer carts and strollers
l Be kid-friendly
l Offer incentives
l Hold upbeat classes and not just baby, vacation and holiday themes
l Stay fresh! Change it up often so I won’t get bored and want to go somewhere else.
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