Consumer Behavior- Ethnographic Research on Victoria’s Secret and Target Essay Sample

The intent of this paper was to detect the consumers of a retail shop of my pick ; I chose to detect Victoria’s Secret and Targets consumers. because I myself am consumers of those shops rather frequently. so to analyse the behaviour of the consumers of Victoria’s Secret and Target. Victoria’s Secret and Target consumers differ because of the difference in type of retail they offer and sell. Victoria’s Secret consumers know what they are traveling to be shopping for adult females and certain demands or wants they are looking to fulfill. Target consumers shop for any age and any gender. in assorted sections that can fulfill demands and wants. Victoria’s Secret consumers are more likely drawn to the shop based on hedonistic motivations compared to a Target consumer who is more likely drawn to the shop based on useful motivations. Victoria’s Secret

One retail shop I chose to detect was Victoria’s Secret at the Geneva Commons. in Geneva. IL on Saturday. December 1. 2012 at 11:30 a. m. Geneva Commons is an upscale life style centre. located in an country of higher income households. which is expressed through the shops that are unfastened in the Commons. My first measure into Victoria’s Secret I notice Christmas ornaments. merchandise advertizements. and images of theoretical accounts. I smell Victoria’s Secret Angel aroma. and hear Christmas music playing over the talkers. little talk. and the joy of consumers Christmas shopping. A truly close friend of mine. Jackie Lesnick. is an adjunct director at the Victoria’s Secret in Geneva. and I asked her what is the mark market for Victoria’s Secret and she responded with “mainly adult females ages 15 to 60. But another manner we target the market is based on size. the mean client is 5 pes 4 burdening about 155 lbs. ” This marks adult females who are slender and are more body witting.

Customers of Victoria’s Secret were respectful to the ware ; I found that in Victoria’s Secret every consumer felt the demand to touch every merchandise. from bandeau to underwear. they wanted to experience a comfort to that point. Many drawing points out and looking over them before doing a determination. for illustration I observed a immature miss. likely around the age of 16. looking at Pink yoga bloomerss who pulled seven braces out. so would throw them back in the heap she pulled from. I observed how mussy the Pink subdivision of Victoria’s Secret was. many adolescents and immature grownups store in this subdivision. and it merely felt they did non desire to pass the clip to refold the points nicely and set them where they found them. The other consumers I observed were white adult females around the age of 35 to 45. They were more likely to voyage towards the intimate apparel. sleepwear. or beauty merchandises. These adult females were proving out every lotion or aroma. experiencing the cloths of robes and pyjama sets. These adult females were more likely to turn up the merchandises right and set the point back in the proper topographic point.

During my observation I noticed many consumers that were adolescents would look at an point for a speedy second and move on to the following point. I besides observed how fast they navigated towards points that were glitzier. Any point that had glister or spangles caught their eyes. and they spent more clip debating on if they should buy this point. I observed a immature grownup. college pupil. age 21. who was interested in a brace of beady faux-fur lined boots. She looked at the monetary value return and moved right along to the following beady point she seen. and looked at the monetary value ticket and turned about and walked out of the shop. Partss of me wishes I would of asked her why she looked at two points and left. but when I went over and looked at the monetary values besides. I understood why she walked out. No college pupil can afford $ 70 boots or an $ 80 zip-up hoodie. For those consumers who were ages 35 to 45. they spent more clip looking at ware. chiefly points that they were more interested in buying that twenty-four hours. They looked over points from top shelf to bottom shelf. One consumer who was around the age of 45 spent about 15 proceedingss looking through organic structure mists and aromas. between box sets of the 60 milliliter mists/perfumes to the 250 milliliter mists/perfumes.

I found that many consumers who were with more than one individual did kick about monetary values. They made remarks about how they can acquire the same point at Target or Wal-Mart for a lower monetary value. Those who were out shopping for Christmas nowadayss I found complained more. as if they were trusting for a particular trade due to the vacation. One client I overheard stated. “she is brainsick to believe I am traveling to pass $ 50 on one brace of yoga bloomerss. I’ll go to Target and acquire a brace for $ 20 alternatively. ” I did non hear many consumers ask about monetary values. Victoria’s Secret ticket every merchandise with a monetary value. so consumers are cognizant of the monetary value as they browse.

I decided to label along with Lesnick and detect what sort of inquiries she was asked. or how she was treated when she would near a client. The retail staff was really friendly. and helpful. I did detect that many consumers were annoyed of this ; I witnessed one client who was approached by six gross revenues associates. She eventually threw her hands up and said. “I truly am O.K. . no I do non necessitate any assist picking out underwear for myself. and no I do non necessitate a basket. and yes I have already read the marks stating Buy on bandeau get the other 50 % off. ” and she walked to the registry really angry. ” Lesnick was approached by several consumers who asked for suiting suites. or asked if they had this bandeau size in the dorsum. otherwise Lesnick spent her clip refolding apparels and doing little talk with her colleagues.

Now to do sense of what was observed. Victoria’s Secret is a retail shop that brings consumers in who know what they are traveling to be looking for. and are non traveling to necessitate much aid from an associate. The consumer feels comfy shopping on their ain. and looking at points that will fulfill their privation and in some instances a demand. Aside from those Christmas shopping. consumers looking for themselves at Victoria’s Secret are most likely purchasing based on a hedonic motivation. The trade name label for one is hedonic. for we can purchase these same points at a shop that sells them for half the asking monetary value. Many consumers who buy Victoria’s Secret are besides willing to pass more money for merchandises that they know are of great quality. this pleases the client after the bargain. Victoria’s Secret is besides portion of the consumer civilization. American consumers value Individualism. and VS allows consumers to accomplish that personal demand in buying points that say something about their ego that is still easy to conceal from others.

I besides feel that Victoria’s Secret gives adult females a feeling of satisfaction. cognizing that they can have on the same under garments as VS theoretical accounts ; they turn the privation of the point into a benefit no affair the monetary value. I had besides found that Victoria’s Secrets selling schemes helps convey in clients looking for those particular trades ; such as spend over $ 65 and you get a free limited edition iPhone instance. or the Secret Rewards Card that includes a value of $ 10. $ 50. $ 100. $ 500. these are promotional tools to assist pull consumers in. Overall. a typical consumer of Victoria’s Secret is like any other consumer. looking to carry through some demand or want. even if that need or want is a new bandeau or new underwear ; they choose to pass the excess money on points from Victoria’s Secret because they have a personal value of the trade name. Target

The 2nd retail shop I observed was Target off of Route 59 and Liberty Street in Aurora. IL on Friday November 30. 2012 at 9:30 a. m. This Target is located on a north–south province main road in northeasterly Illinois that is centered in a really populated metropolis. When I foremost walked into Target I smelt the Zea mays everta from the small cafe located following to Target Starbucks. The colour red truly pops out at me. and I noticed the Christmas ornaments hanging from the ceiling. Walking through the shop I heard little talk between household. friends. and colleagues. and some employees work wirelesss. The typical client of Target is basically a in-between aged adult female. who has a household and has a high average family income. Target’s mark market so would include work forces. consumers of the younger coevals. and lower average family incomes.

As I observed the consumers of Target I found they were respectful of the ware. there were times where clients would take an point out of their cart and topographic point it in a random topographic point because they had decided they no longer wanted to do that purchase. The consumers seemed to pass a few excess seconds looking at merchandises they were more intrigued by. or points that caught their attending as they walked through the shop. I heard multiple consumers say. “We could utilize this. ” or “They may wish this. ” and so they would walk off without the merchandise. I did non hear many kicking about monetary values. I think as a consumer you would cognize that you can salvage more money by traveling to Wal-Mart or K-Mart but the consumer chooses to shop at Target and knows they may hold to pass a few dollars more for points. and they are all right with that. I know as a personal Target consumer that I choose to pass more money when I shop at Target versus traveling to Wal-Mart. I went shopping with one of my foremans. Rae Smith. Friday forenoon. while I observed other consumers I observed how she made determinations. she is a female parent of two misss ages 3 and 5. she works 40 hours a hebdomad. and so does her hubby.

She did non travel into Target with a rigorous list. she was merely freely devouring what she pleased this twenty-four hours. and I found she bought apparels for the misss. picked up a new brace of baseball mitts for herself. picked up a few new Christmas ornaments that she debated on for quite a piece. and grabbed a few new books for her 5-year-old to get down reading on her ain. Her value of these merchandises seemed to be based on a demand or desire that are hedonic and needed blessing from her primary groups to do the determination to buy the merchandises because. she asked for my sentiment on about everything. Smith asked. “What do you believe of this shirt?

I don’t know if I like it that much. but it’s cute. ” She besides would inquire. “Cute book. what do you believe? Do you believe Lauren would read this? ” Smith acted as if she needed reassurance that she should buy the merchandises. she besides would take a image of the merchandise and direct it to her hubby to acquire blessing. After we checked out and were heading back to the auto. Smith said. “Man. I truly should hold bought a few more Christmas ornaments. I got some good trades today. ” Smith left Target experiencing unsated that she did non buy more. but she felt satisfied that she saved money.

Retail associates at Target are treated really nicely. as you walk through the shop you see many associates working difficult to re-stock and re-shelf points in all sections. They are helpful to clients looking for way towards a specific point. or need assisting acquiring an point that may be locked. The typical client in Target seems to be really independent. they are shoping and taking the clip to look around the whole shop. but the client I think feels satisfied that if they needed aid an associate is ever near by. I observed one client who was debating on what picture game to acquire her boy. an associate approached her and asked. “Do you need any aid girl. ” she responded. “no merely looking. ” and the associate responded with. “well. if you need any aid merely allow me cognize. ” and walked off. After their conversation I approached the adult females. Leslee Schilb 31-years-old. and we engaged in a private conversation. I asked how she felt about associates inquiring if you need assist every clip you look interested in a merchandise. she responded with. “it can be trouble oneselfing sometimes but when they give you the option to near them if you need assist. I don’t experience rushed. ”

Schilb so explained how she enjoys experiencing comfy when shopping. Target is a retail shop that brings consumers in looking to carry through demands and wants. these consumers can merely be shopping for food markets. family merchandises. place decor. vesture. children’s plaything. electronics. featuring goods. vacation ornaments. etc. Some motivations will be useful. like buying food markets and family merchandises. Many purchases made from Target can be hedonic. consumers receive this emotional feeling about the merchandise. it makes the consumer feel happy or that outfit makes them experience reasonably. so they buy that merchandise based off the assorted choices of merchandises in the shop that are emotionally fulfilling. I personally as a Target shopper. hold a difficult clip walking through Target and non falling in love with a merchandise and stop up purchasing that merchandise based on the emotional satisfaction I receive.

With associates in Target non invariably nearing the consumer. consumers are so allowed to do fond regards with these points without person carrying them about the trades they have or presenting them to more merchandises similar to the 1 they are interested in. From my observation of my foreman. Rae Smith. I found that many consumers who were shopping with another household member or friend. They relied on their external influence from their primary group to assist them do determinations when it came to the merchandises they were buying. Overall. the Target consumer is independent and has a intent for come ining the shop. They are most likely traveling to hold certain points they need to buy. but are given the chance to seek for merchandises they may non hold originally wanted to purchased.

To reason. the behaviour of Victoria’s Secret and Target consumers are similar in the manner that they are independent during their shopping experience. consumers found shopping on their ain clip more comfy and felt less rushed. Consumers of Victoria’s Secret and Target are more likely to shop the shop and happen privation in those selling schemes that motivate the hedonistic value unlike a retail shop like Wal-Mart that focuses on the mundane low monetary values that bring in consumers who are looking for certain merchandises for the best monetary value. Overall. I found this undertaking really helpful in understanding the consumer and how they make determinations and act when shopping in retail shops.

Mentions

Babin. B. J. ( 2012 ) . Cb4. ( 4th ed. ) . Mason. Ohio: South-Western. Cengage Learning.