Everyone from economists to marketers to social-media experts has an opinion about how the recession will change forever the way people shop.
The market-research firm Hartman Group, in Bellevue, takes a longer view, saying a radical transformation was happening before the recession hit.
Based on years of studying people’s shopping habits, Hartman’s researchers predict consumer loyalty is shifting from products and brands to retailers, particularly those that offer shoppers an experience rather than just goods.
“People don’t relate to brands in the same way they used to when there weren’t that many products to choose from,” said Hartman Senior Vice President Michelle Barry. “Capturing the attention of the consumer requires different tactics, getting a lot more intimate and experiential.”
Hartman hails Apple as one of the few companies that gets it and applauds Procter & Gamble for buying chains in the car wash and men’s grooming-products businesses, seeing that as a sign the Cincinnati-based products giant is dipping its toe into retail.
Locally, it points to Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in Pike Place Market.
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