Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - Fall 2014 - 26

20 year old that eats organic, there is another that frequents fast-food restaurants.
Still, a bit of pigeonholing is necessary
for creating environments that appeal to
this group, and there is one solid thing
to remember: The content and environment must be fresh, relevant and ideally should add value to their lives. Hard
selling to this population likely will fall
on deaf ears.
INTERPRETING THE DATA
Now that you know something about
this demographic, how do you interpret
the data and create a retail environment
that effectively competes for their dollars?
Leslie Prevish, principal at Prevish
Marketing, Boulder, Colo., suggests that
one of the most important things retailers can do is to think outside of the box.
What worked in the past is old news;
millennials resonate with the new and,
because their world moves so quickly,
what works today may necessitate being
reviewed for relevancy tomorrow.
Prevish suggests finding ways of actively engaging this group's social aspect.
Store signage and graphics that target millennials should be group oriented versus

26 Fall 2014

Baby
Boomers

Preference
Text Messaging
44%
Social Media
38%
Instant Messaging 38%
Blogging
16%
Cell Phone
55%

Gen X

Millennial

MILLENNIAL
PREFERENCES

32%
19%
19%
7%
42%

15%
11%
8%
7%
31%

gender-specific or solo.
Events that pull groups
together, like team nights,
are more apt to get the attention of these shoppers,
as they include a social
focus.
Other options to get
millennials in the door
include connecting locally on national social
issues, like obesity or
conservation, through
indirect marketing and The Refill Shoppe in Ventura, Calif., caters to the causemessaging as part of the minded and frugal millennial by letting customers fill up their
own bottles with an inventory of shampoo, soap, detergent
retail environment. Gam- and more.
ing continues to be big;
establishing a group competition around
that serves organic coffee and food, all of
these things or supporting a brand that
which is sourced locally.
does may get more attention than a prodThe Refill Shoppe in Ventura, Calif., is
uct information tag or team color.
another example of an environment that
Also, remember not to market the same
caters to the cause-minded and frugal
old way for female members of the milmillennial. It does its best to be environlennial segment. "Pink it and shrink it"
mentally friendly by letting customers fill
will not work with these confident, comup their own bottles with an inventory of
fortable-with-the-opposite-sex women.
shampoo, soap, detergent, etc. If customIn fact, they are more likely to enjoy coers don't have their own reusable bottles,
ed classes and methods of learning new
they are available for purchase.
tricks than their older counterparts.
An edgy retail environment may group
millennial men's and women's products
SUCCESS STORIES
side by side, or (gasp!) create a co-ed
Following are short stories of two retailers
department for this demographic that
in different industries that nail the mesallows for social interactions with friends
sage. Even though they are not licensed
while they shop. Spark a movement or
sports product retailers, you can still use
align with an authentic cause while prothe examples of what they do well in your
moting social media games and interacretail setting.
tion in a fresh, clean environment, and
Philadelphia-based United by Blue layyou may be on your way to appealing to
ers marketing and merchandising mesmillennials. The power to not only ensages in its cause to clean up the nation's
courage sales, but also get these younger
waterways. The company pledges to reconsumers into the store in the first place,
move 1 pound of trash for every product
is yours to harness.
sold and organizes cleanups around the
country. This not only speaks to the enviRobin Enright is the founder of Merchanronmentally focused millennial, but also
dising Matters, an agency that provides
provides a social opportunity for youth
visual merchandising guidance to brands
to do good and hang out.
and retailers, as well as Permission to
United by Blue doesn't stop there.
Leap, an organization that leads womWhen building its flagship store, emen to leaping into their life-long dreams.
ployees developed a space that best repFor more information or to comment
resents its philosophy by using repuron this article, email Robin at robin@
posed materials. A "customer hangout"
merchandisingmattersnow.com or visit
space was added, as well as a coffee house
merchandisingmatters.com.
SportsFan Retailer

http://www.merchandisingmatters.com

Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - Fall 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - Fall 2014