FYU: Prescription Drugs

As we reported in our most recent Executive Briefing, according to our Consumer Migration Index, Walgreens seems to be having a customer flow problem…as in, the drugstore’s Prescription Drug customers are flowing out its doors and to the competition. It’s time for this retail giant’s check-up, courtesy of our Retail Ratings Reports.

For Your Understanding this month, we’re going to look primarily at the top competitors in this category: Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart. As you can see in the chart below, while Walgreens and CVS have been keeping close company for most of the past year, it’s evident that in Q4 2011 the two retailers began to tangle for the top spot in this category:

For additional insight on Walgreens and its competitors, we can turn to our latest Retail Ratings Report. Just on the first few pages of this handy guide*, we can see that:

–  CVS fills more prescriptions for consumers in the lucrative $50,000+ and $75,000+ income brackets, while Walgreens is the top choice among those earning under $50,000.
–  There’s an occupational divide among the top three competitors. Walmart is the first pick among Labor/Blue Collar Workers, CVS is tops with White Collar/Service Workers, while Retirees and Disabled Workers head to Walgreens most often.
–  CVS bests Walgreens among customers in the 45 to 64 year old age bracket.  The two competitors are more evenly matched both among older (65+) and younger (18-44) consumers.
–  Walgreens maintains its surest footing in the Midwest and West, while CVS (and Rite Aid) rule the Northeast. CVS and Walgreens are neck-and-neck in the South (while Walmart a very close third here).

But let’s look a bit deeper with the Consumer Equity Index™ (CEI). The CEI – available exclusively within the Retail Ratings Reports – is a year-over-year index showing growth or decline of Consumer Preference Share (the % we collect each month for the store shopped most often). Here’s a key:

CEI = 100 (flat)
CEI = 105 (5% growth)
CEI = 95 (5% decline)

Our latest CEI ratings for Prescription Drugs show that Walgreens (+ others) continue to slip in a segment in which CVS shines:  those earning $50,000+/year. Here, CVS has experienced a 5% growth while Walgreens is suffering from a near 10% decline.

And, if you were to analyze the CEI ratings for those earning under $50,000/year (read: Walgreens’ core customer base), you would find that Walgreens’ share is remaining stagnant, but that CVS is increasingly curing customers here as well.

Now you understand: While Walgreens remains a top competitor in the Prescription Drugs category, three weaknesses are evident with just a quick glance at the latest Retail Ratings Report:

1.) Walgreens is dropping share among upper income shoppers.
2.) Walgreens is experiencing a flat/no-growth situation among its core shoppers.
3.) Walgreens is facing tougher competition in the form of CVS.

How’s that for a diagnosis?

For more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey, JAN-11 – JAN-12

* Retail Ratings Reports are available monthly for the following categories: Women’s Clothing, Men’s Clothing, Children’s Clothing, Shoes, Linens/Bedding/Draperies, Electronics, Hardware, Children’s Toys, Sporting Goods, Groceries, Health & Beauty Care, Prescription Drugs.

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

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Valentine’s Day 2012: Do Macy’s Shoppers Have the Biggest Hearts?

While it looks like consumers in general are feeling the love this Valentine’s Day, new analysis by BIGinsight shows that the hearts seem to grow fondest among Macy’s shoppers. For this exclusive report, we analyzed the Valentine’s Day plans among shoppers at five major U.S. retailers: JC Penney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Target, and Walmart (non-grocery).*

While about three in five consumers (59.4%) overall are planning to celebrate February 14 this year, this number rises among Macy’s shoppers (68.2%). Hearts are also beating a little faster among Target (64.3%) and JC Penney (63.4%) buyers, while Kohl’s and Walmart are closer to the national average.

What really sets Macy’s celebrants apart from the rest is the amount they plan to spend on the ones they love. While the average consumer is allocating $126.03 towards gifts for significant others, children, friends, pets, and others, Macy’s shoppers are allotting about 30% more: $164.67. Every other shopper group we looked at for this report is planning to spend below average:

So why are Macy’s shoppers’ spending plans so robust compared to the rest of the retailers we reviewed? We found a few interesting insights here:

– Macy’s shoppers simply have more available to spend. The average yearly income of Macy’s shoppers exceeds the take home pay of the other shopper groups we looked at for this report.
– Macy’s shoppers are wooing and less likely “I doing.” Macy’s (and Target) shoppers were the groups most likely to check the “Single, never married” box in the marital status portion of our survey, while JC Penney and Kohl’s shoppers were the most probable to be hitched. Come to think of it, I did receive more flowers, candy, and – most importantly – jewelry before I was married…
– Sale shopping is less important to the Macy’s customers. In January, nearly one in five Macy’s shoppers reported that sales aren’t important to them when buying clothing, compared to just 9% of Kohl’s shoppers. BTW, Kohl’s customers are the most likely of these five groups to only buy clothing when on sale, probably accounting for at least part of why these deal-oriented shoppers have the most frugal Valentine’s Day budget. (Kohl’s Cash, anyone?)
– Macy’s shoppers are more optimistic on matters of the economy. Nearly two in five (37.3%) Macy’s customers were very confident or confident in chances for a strong economy in January, 20%+ higher than general population (30.4%). Confidence among Kohl’s, JC Penney, and Walmart shoppers indexed below average, and as we all [should] know, low confidence does not spur spending.

For more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

And, click to view the original National Retail Federation press release: Americans to Pull Out All the Stops This Valentine’s Day.

* “Shoppers” are defined as respondents who indicated that they shopped a retailer most often for at least one major merchandise category (including Women’s, Men’s, or Children’s Apparel, Shoes, Electronics, Heath & Beauty Care, etc.), unless otherwise noted. Shopper groups analyzed in this report are not mutually exclusive.

Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey – JAN-12 (N = 9317, 1/4 – 1/11/12)

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp

Consumers’ Hot/Not Predictions for 2012? To the [Word] Cloud!

Consumers Hot/Not Predictions for 2012? To the [Word] Cloud!

In our January survey, along with the list of items consumers rated “Hot” or “Not,” we asked respondents to name the  trends or personalities they thought would be Hot or Not throughout 2012. Posed as an open-ended question, we received a variety of answers, which I am excited to share with you today!

Much of the feedback we received could be classified into one of the five main “trend” groups. Here’s a sampling:

One respondent's astute prediction for 2012.

The Political:

“2012 Presidential Election”
“Employment and Healthcare”
“Getting rid of career politicians”
“The political climate”

The Economical:

“A Job”
“American Made Goods”
“DIY Home Remodeling”
“Couponing”
“Going back to ‘old school’ way of life”
“Saving money”

The Fashionable:

“90s styles and music with make a comeback”
“Animal prints”
“Bright Colors”
“Colored Jeans”

The Pop Cultural:

“Angelina Jolie”
“Definitely the Kardashians (Not)”
“Duchess Kate”
“Geeks will continue to be popular on TV!”
“More dumb reality shows”

The Technological:

“3D TVs”
“Apple products”
“Electric cars”
“Faster, cheaper smartphones”
“Tablets will continue their rule!!”

Of course, I’d like to throw in my personal favorite: “Abraham Lincoln will rise from the grave to hunt vampires.” [LOVED that book!]

But with write-ins for 9,000+ respondents a little daunting to sift through thoroughly, we loaded consumers’ predictions for the 2012 Hot [or Not] Trends into Wordle and extracted this fun word “cloud”:

From skinny jeans to new technology, from Tim Tebow to the Kardashians, and from the Obamas to the economy, consumers named a wide variety of sure-to-be-talked-about topics for 2012. Click to enlarge.

Do you get the picture?

For more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

Source: Consumer Intentions & Actions® Survey – JAN-12 (N = 9317, 1/4 – 1/11/12)

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

5 Facts You Need to Know About the 2012 Consumer

For the first BIG Call of the New Year, I had the privilege of presenting our new January data with Dr. Marianne Bickle, director of the Center for Retailing at the University of South Carolina and author of the soon-to-be-released book, The Changing American Consumer (written in cooperation with the Prosper Foundation).

This month, we discussed the 5 Fact You Need to Know About the 2012 Consumer:

1. Consumer Confidence is Questionable: Back in January 2007, 50.5% of consumers were very confident or confident in the chances for a strong economy. Our current level of confidence is 40% below that heyday, and we really haven’t made any headway on confidence as it compares to when we were weathering the recession.

2. Economic Rebound is Becoming Less Realistic: This month, we found that about a third of consumers are positive that the economy will rebound to its pre-recession glory. That’s down a couple of points from last year’s reading, but represents a full 20% decline from January 2010. More consumers today have a pessimistic take on any potential bounceback or just view our economic situation with a big question mark.

3. Budgeting is BIG: A couple of times a year, we ask consumers if they think that the current economic crisis will impact their lifestyles over the next 5 years. This month, the top lifestyle impact was sticking to a budget, which edged out considering purchases more carefully and becoming more price conscious when shopping for food and clothing (the latter two had been slightly more popular for the past two January readings.)

4. Practicality is Rising, while Impulse Spending is Declining: Over the past five years, practicality has been steadily increasing. This month, nearly 50% indicated that they were pragmatic in their purchases, up almost 10 points from five years ago. Those focused on needs over wants – and thus less focused on immediate impulse buys – follow this same trend, only on a slightly higher plane. This month, about three in five are only focused on the necessities when at the store, much higher than the 48.5% who said the same in January 2007.

5. Targeted Spending Hits the Bull’s-Eye: While spending may be perking up from the heart of the recession, we certainly aren’t seeing a recovery in spending…but that doesn’t mean that consumers have clamped their wallets shut. BIG Ticket purchase plans over the next six months for items like Autos, Computers, Furniture, Mobile Devices, and TVs, have improved from one year ago.

To listen to the recorded webinar, click here.

P.S. Dr. Marianne Bickle is also a regular contributor on our Prosper Now Blog on Forbes.com. Click over to read her latest entry, JCPenney’s Consumers Voice Opinions Regarding Sales.

For more information on this data or for release information on The Changing American Consumer, please contact BIGinsight™.

Source: Consumer Intentions & Actions® Survey – JAN-12 (N = 9317, 1/4 – 1/11/12)

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

2011 Customers’ Choice Award Winners

For those of you unable to attend the NRF BIG Show this year (or who may have been hibernating under the retail rug), winners were announced this week for the 2011 Customers’ Choice Awards.

For the past several years, we’ve been pleased to provide the research behind the Customers’ Choice Awards to the NRF Foundation /American Express…research which (of course) comes straight from the thoughts of more than 9,000 consumers in our monthly survey.

While finding out which retailers rated tops among consumers is exciting, it’s always interesting to see why a particular retailer received a vote [because we ask that, too.] Results to this unaided, write-in question are available by request to the relevant retailer on a case by case basis, but we thought it’d be interesting to share a few for the Top 10 retailers:

1.       Amazon.com

“Amazon always does an excellent job fixing any problems that come. They’ll give you a quick refund or send a replacement item immediately. If the shipping takes longer than expected, they’ll refund the cost of shipping or give you store credit. They really got the extra mile to prove that they actually care about your business.”

“I have shopped with them for many years now. They have always been very helpful and have always gone out of their way to be helpful sometimes even going above and beyond the call of duty, so to speak.”

2.       L.L. Bean

“I called once because an item was missing in my order…the lady who took my call was pleasant professional and really fast at figuring out how to help me. I received my item two days later…which to me indicated that she had the item ready that same afternoon to ship out immediately.  That’s Customer Service.”

“They stand behind their products 100% and no questions or hassles should you need to return an item, even years later.”

3.       Zappos.com

“No charge for shipping (either way) and returns without a hitch. Attentive to a problem if it arises, which it usually doesn’t.  These people know how to run a business.  They should be in Congress.”

“24/7 live customer service, free shipping and free returns with no hassle, video of products to see what they look like on real (not models) people!”

4.       Overstock.com

“I love O.co! They have wonderful selections that are ever changing and ever growing. They offer sales and promotions more than anywhere else. Their shipping is fast and secure and usually less than anywhere else. You can call and speak to someone live about any issue or question. What’s not to love?”

“I just think they stick out more to me because whenever I had issues with the products I purchased through them, they were always so quick to help me find a solution regarding the problem.  They were quick in shipping out a replacement product and followed up with an email.  They are awesome!”

5.       QVC

“Because they are the best at customer service. They strive to make sure all orders are correct and are very helpful whether on the phone or online. They are the best!”

“QVC means quality, value and convenience.  As a result, no matter what day or time I call or online chat, return a product or ask questions, they are always friendly, engaging and interested in my issue, concern or purchase.”

6.       Kohl’s

“Always a hello and smile when you walk in the door. A no haggle return policy and great sales are the biggest assets to the company.”

“Kohl’s has not lost sight of the “little people.”  Unlike [Retailer Withheld], who seems to be more concerned with having the lowest price on everything possible….which is not ALWAYS what the customer wants.  I had worked in retail myself for over 17 years and can tell that Kohl’s has the same mentality that I had learned many years ago….customer service is the key!!!!”

7.       Lands’ End

“They give exact measurements of every garment and are the friendliest people I have ever encountered. When I have to exchange or return something, they go out of their way to help me.”

“The consistently provide the most efficient and friendly customer service in all formats.”

8.       JCPenney

“JCPenney always goes out of their way to help the customer.  They have a fair return policy.  The store associates are on the floor and easy to find if you need help.  The company has wonderful sales and reward incentives for shopping with them. I have never had a negative experience shopping at JCPenney!”

“You would have to be in the store to experience what I’m talking about.  It’s like all of the staff had been trained at the same place as Nordstrom.  They have put the emphasis on customers.”

9.       Newegg

“They provide the customer with the tools to rate and complain (if needed) and give overall feedback on each product and the store in general.  They are always willing to work with you if you have a problem.”

“I work with this company a lot. As such, I see some less than stellar attempts at delivery that result in high dollar items being destroyed. All of my contact with them is great and these people are ones that I feel like I can sit and have a beer with.”

10.   Nordstrom

“I have never been to a Nordstrom where employees did not go far out of their way to help me. They will help you pick out clothes. They will ask other employees to help find things if they need it. They have extraordinarily good return policies. They actually care about customers. I do not shop frequently yet I have had employees remember me and what I purchased.”

“They care, offer plenty of time for you to make a decision… unhurried, pleasant experience all around.  The merchandise isn’t all jumbled together, rather it is laid out logically. The dressing rooms are spectacular with good lighting, mirrors and almost a hushed atmosphere.  I fell well taken care of there.”

To read more about the 2011 results as well as methodology, click here.

Source: BIGinsight.com

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

2011 in Review: Calling All Fashionistas!

In our earlier review of the Hottest Trends for 2011, were you wondering where all of the fashion trends landed in our list? As it turns out, due to the male opposition to anything termed “fashion,” none of the 27 sartorial trends we surveyed in 2011 cracked the Top 50 in our overall list. And thus our reasoning for this very important post…

Top 10 Fashion Trends for 2011:

1. Color Red for Clothing (Sept-11)²: Who doesn’t love a vampy pair of red pumps? Or a great crimson-colored bag? Though it appears that consumers crave red in small doses: the Red Jeans/Pants trend (Jun-11) came in at #22 on this list (of 27).
2. One-Piece Swimsuits (Jul-11): Maybe a monokini qualifies here? At any rate, it’s nice to see a little modesty on this list.
3. Denim Cutoff Shorts (Jun-11): Daisy Duke called…a lot of consumers are still ripping off this trend [literally].
4. Ankle Boots (Sept-11): The vertically challenged cousin of the classic knee-high stomper, these boots work well with skirts, crops, dress pants, and denim, making them a versatile option for trendy girls on a budget.
5. UGG® Boots (Jan-11): Try wearing these in the middle of winter. You’ll convert.
6. Pajama Jeans® (Mar-11): You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.
7. Pale Denim (Feb-11): While it may be a more relaxed and a less figure-forgiving than its dark denim counterpart, this was a relatively safe trend that a lot of consumers seemed to try.
8. Plaid Fashion Trend (Dec-11): For the non-lumberjack look, try pairing a plaid shirt with a statement piece of jewelry. Perfection.
9. Sheer Hosiery/Pantyhose (Aug-11): If it’s good enough for Duchess Kate and her sister Pippa, it’s good enough for us gals stateside.
10. Clutch Handbags (Jul-11): When you can store just about anything on a smartphone, who needs to haul around a big handbag anymore? [OK, I do…but Clutches can come in handy].

And now for the trends that ended up at the bottom of the pile…

– “Mandals” (Oct-11): Men + Sandals, a fashion trend that President Obama inspired us to ask about. #allingoodfun
– Griege Nail Polish (Jan-11): Another mash-up (Grey + Beige), which consumers found more bleak than chic.
– Colorblocking Fashion Trend (May-11): Perhaps because it goes against what Garanimals taught the masses? It appears, though, that this trend is sticking around for 2012.

This all is, of course, according to the What’s Hot/What’s Not section of our monthly Consumer Intentions & Actions® survey¹. Each month, more than 8,000 respondents have the opportunity to rate a list of trends, personalities, events, etc. as “hot” or “not”; the items we ask about are based on input from our respondents from the previous month’s survey as well as a variety of current trending topics.

And, for more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

¹ Hottest Trends for 2011 are limited to the 145 trends, personalities, events, etc. that were included in one of the 12 2011 Consumer Intentions & Actions® Surveys. Looking for Ryan Gosling, Charlie Sheen, Pippa Middleton, Keurig Coffee Makers, Occupy Wall Street, or Groupon? We got ‘em. Sorry about your luck on George Clooney, Zooey Deschanel, beach vacations, any of the Real Housewives, or Sperry Topsiders; they just didn’t make the our cut this year.

² The month/year each item was asked is denoted in parenthesis (MMM-YY).

Source: Consumer Intentions & Actions® Survey, JAN – DEC 2011

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

FYU: Sporting Goods & Exercise Equipment

With the college bowl match-ups all over the airwaves and that other little game – the Super Bowl – soon to be played, we thought it would be apropos to bounce down the Sport Goods & Exercise Equipment section of the monthly Consumer Intentions & Actions® survey, courtesy of our Retail Ratings Reports.

For Your Understanding today, we’re going to take a look at the top competitors in this category: Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Much like the Women’s Clothing segment, Walmart has experienced a little difficulty when it comes to maintaining its #1 ranking in Sporting Goods:

As you can see in the chart above, Walmart placed second to Dick’s in November, while the two retailers were pretty evenly matched in January, February, August, September, and December 2011.

So where are the weaknesses in Walmart’s game? For this, we can turn to our latest Retail Ratings Report. Just on the first few pages of this handy guide*, we can see that:

– Dick’s outscores Walmart in both the $50,000+ and $75,000+ income shopper segments (and by a wide margin);
– Among those planning to spend more on Sporting Goods over the next 90 days, Dick’s is the preferred retailer over Walmart. Walmart leads among shoppers planning to spend less;
– Dick’s is the favored Sporting Goods retailer in two out of the four census regions: Northeast and Midwest;
– Walmart’s got a Southern stronghold and places second to Big 5 Sporting Goods out West.

But let’s look a bit deeper with the Consumer Equity Index™ (CEI). The CEI – available exclusively within the Retail Ratings Reports – is a year-over-year index showing growth or decline of Consumer Preference Share (the % we collect each month for the store shopped most often). Here’s a key:

CEI = 100 (flat)
CEI = 105 (5% growth)
CEI = 95 (5% decline)

Our latest CEI ratings for Dick’s indicate that the big box baller is growing among its core shopper group – those earning $50,000+/year – as well as Female shoppers, while Walmart is declining in each of these groups. A graphical representation of the CEI for the top five retailers in Sporting Goods/Exercise Equipment (among $50,000+ income households):

Check out Walmart in this chart: it’s the lone Top 5 store for this segment in the red (read: the only one of these retailers seeing a decline among $50,000+ income shoppers). #sadface

Now you understand: With Dick’s and the rest of its big box buddies growing customer share among higher income consumers (who, let’s face it, typically have more money to spend on these types of items), Walmart’s getting left out in the cold, which is affecting the discounter’s overall standing among the general population.

For more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

Source: Consumer Intentions & Actions® Survey, DEC-10 – DEC-11

* Retail Ratings Reports are available monthly for the following categories: Women’s Clothing, Men’s Clothing, Children’s Clothing, Shoes, Linens/Bedding/Draperies, Electronics, Hardware, Children’s Toys, Sporting Goods, Groceries, Health & Beauty Care, Prescription Drugs.

© 2012, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

2011 in Review: The “In” Crowd

While our previous post confirmed that Betty White was the most famous face of the year, we thought it’d be fun to dive a little deeper into the data to find out – among the 35 celebrities and personalities we asked about this year – who lands at the top of the “In” Crowd list for 2011.

This all is, of course, according to the What’s Hot/What’s Not section of our monthly Consumer Intentions & Actions® survey¹. Each month, more than 8,000 respondents have the opportunity to rate a list of trends, personalities, events, etc. as “hot” or “not”; the items we ask about are based on input from our respondents from the previous month’s survey as well as a variety of current trending topics.

Let’s first cover 2011’s Top 5, and then we’ll attempt to answer some burning questions about some of the most talked about people of the year.

The “In” Crowd List

“Girl Power” could be the theme for 2011’s hottest celebrities. The incomparable Betty White leads the ladies-only Top 5 list, while two singing sirens and a pair of America’s sweethearts follow:

1. Betty White (Feb-11)²: Please…who doesn’t love Betty?
2. Jennifer Lopez (May-11): The American Idol beauty has been around the block, but she seems to be all the better off for it…diva-in-training Lady Gaga (Mar-11) peaked at #10 this year.
3. Beyoncé (Jul-11): Even pre-baby bump, Beyoncé was a hit…but that seems to come with the territory when you are recognized by a one-name moniker.
4. Reese Witherspoon (Apr-11): While respondents weren’t quite so receptive to Water for Elephants, they still really responded to Reese. Girl also got hitched this year…and who doesn’t love a happily ever after?
5. Anne Hathaway (Mar-11): Recall that Anne was the more successful of the OSCAR® hosts this year. (Co-host James Franco (Mar-11) landed at #27 on this list, out of the 35 contenders).

Q&A

While these aren’t necessarily questions from our readers, we thought we’d give a little insight on a few other famous faces turned trending topics in 2011…

Q: When it comes to Pippa Middleton and Kim Kardashian, who has the best…um…well…you know?
A: Pippa (#14, Jun-11), who nearly stole the show at the Royal Wedding, is the fanny favorite over Kim K. (#16, Aug-11). Interestingly, the post-“wedding” Kardashian family isn’t fairing so well with consumers (#30, Dec-11).

Q: Aren’t there any guys on this list?
A: Two and A Half Men newbie [and pre-split-from-Demi] Ashton Kutcher (Sept-11) was the highest ranking male on the “In” Crowd list at #7. But he faced some tough competition from the Muppets (#6, Nov-11), and Alvin & the Chipmunks (Dec-11) were HOT on his tail.

Q: Where’s the Biebs? I love him. [OK, I added that last bit for dramatic comic effect.]
A: Justin Bieber (Dec-11) was actually the next highest ranking male to make it in the “In” Crowd this year (at #13). The Boy with the Amazing Hair [the sarcasm should be palpable now] bested several of Hollywood’s hottest hunks: Ryan Reynolds (#18, Jun-11), Matt Damon (#19, Jan-11), Tom Cruise (#25, Dec-11), Bradley Cooper (#26, May-11), and Ryan Gosling (#28, Nov-11…please see Crazy, Stupid, Love. for my rebuttal on his low ranking).

Do you have a suggestion for the 2012 What’s Hot/What’s Not list or see anything surprising in this list? Please leave a comment below.

And, for more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

¹ Hottest Trends for 2011 are limited to the 145 trends, personalities, events, etc. that were included in one of the 12 2011 Consumer Intentions & Actions® Surveys. Looking for Ryan Gosling, Charlie Sheen, Pippa Middleton, Keurig Coffee Makers, Occupy Wall Street, or Groupon? We got ‘em. Sorry about your luck on George Clooney, Zooey Deschanel, beach vacations, any of the Real Housewives, or Sperry Topsiders; they just didn’t make the our cut this year.

² The month/year each item was asked is denoted in parenthesis (MMM-YY).

Source: Consumer Intentions & Actions® Survey, JAN – DEC 2011

© 2011, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

2011 in Review: At the Movies

Grab your popcorn…it’s showtime for the year’s Top Movies, as we continue our year-end review of our What’s Hot/What’s Not selection (courtesy of our monthly Consumer Intentions & Actions® survey¹).

As you already know, we ask respondents to rate a list of trends, personalities, events, etc. as “hot” or “not”; the items we ask about are based on input from our respondents from the previous month’s survey as well as a variety of current trending topics.

While we only asked about 13 productions in 2011, it’s clear that consumers were most eagerly anticipating sequels. With the exception of The Help (Sept-11) – the overall favorite among Women – our Top 5 movies were continuations of storylines previously viewed on the big screen:

1. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Jul-11)²
2. X-Men: First Class (Jun-11)
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (Jul-11)
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May-11)
5. [tie] Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Dec-11)
   [tie] The Help (Sept-11)

Interestingly, it doesn’t seem that moviegoers were eager to declare their allegiance to Team Edward Robert Pattinson, at least according to our Adults 18+ [read: non-tweens]. His two major outings for 2011, Twilight: Breaking Dawn (Nov-11) and Water for Elephants (Apr-11), landed at the bottom of our list. Now does this mean that consumers thought that these were the worst movies for 2011? Absolutely not (and box office results dispute this…as well as yours truly). But, among the movies we surveyed, our lower ranking ones were simply less anticipated than the likes of Transformers, X-Men, and the gang from Hogwarts.

Be sure to click the chart below for the full ranking of our 2011 films.

Hottest Movies in 2011 (click to enlarge)

And, stay tuned…in a few days, we will also be releasing our list of Top Celebrities/Personalities for 2011.

Do you have a suggestion for the 2012 What’s Hot/What’s Not list or see anything surprising in this list? Please leave a comment below.

And, for more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

¹ Hottest Trends for 2011 are limited to the 145 trends, personalities, events, etc. that were included in one of the 12 2011 Consumer Intentions & Actions® Surveys. Looking for Ryan Gosling, Charlie Sheen, Pippa Middleton, Keurig Coffee Makers, Occupy Wall Street, or Groupon? We got ‘em. Sorry about your luck on George Clooney, Zooey Deschanel, beach vacations, any of the Real Housewives, or Sperry Topsiders; they just didn’t make the our cut this year.

² The month/year each item was asked is denoted in parenthesis (MMM-YY).

Source: Consumer Intentions & Actions® Survey, JAN – DEC 2011

© 2011, Prosper®

BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp.

FYU: Women’s Clothing

For Your Understanding this week, let’s take a closer look at the Women’s Clothing category…

It was pretty big news this month when – for the first time in the 10 year history of our Monthly Consumer Survey – Kohl’s overtook Walmart as the store shopped most often for Women’s Clothing. Since late 2002, Kohl’s has been climbing steadily in this category, while Walmart has dropped precipitously since its early 2000s glory days:

To get a better understanding of where Walmart has been crumbling, we can turn to our latest Retail Ratings Report. Just on the first few pages of this handy guide*, we can see that:

– Walmart is out-shopped by Kohl’s, Macy’s, and JC Penney among those earning $75,000+ per year (and even among though earning $50,000+/year);
– Walmart’s sweet spot of Women’s Clothing customers earn less than $50,000 per year;
– Kohl’s trumps Walmart in the Northeast and Midwest;
– Walmart enjoys loyalty in the South, while it’s a closer call between the two retailers out West.

But let’s look a bit deeper with the Consumer Equity Index™ (CEI). The CEI – available exclusively within the Retail Ratings Reports – is a year-over-year index showing growth or decline of Consumer Preference Share (the % we collect each month for the store shopped most often). Here’s a key:

CEI = 100 (flat)
CEI = 105 (5% growth)
CEI = 95 (5% decline)

Our latest CEI ratings for Kohl’s indicate that the department store darling is growing among the general population (Adults 18+), Women, Men, those earning $50,000+/year, as well as those earning less than $50,000/year (Walmart’s core shopper group). And, while Kohl’s is climbing across the board, Walmart is declining in each of these groups. A graphical representation of the CEI for the top five retailers in Women’s Clothing (among female shoppers):

Here, we can see that Walmart is experiencing a 6% decline with Women, while Kohl’s is growing 4.5%. Among the top five retailers, JC Penney is faltering the most (at 12.5% decline). Macy’s is relatively flat, while Target is enjoying 5% growth.

Now you understand: With Kohl’s growing in each major consumer group while Walmart declines, it was inevitable that these top retailers would tussle for #1. It should be an interesting New Year for this category…stay tuned.

For more information on this data, please contact BIGinsight™.

Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey, NOV-10 – NOV-11

* Retail Ratings Reports are available monthly for the following categories: Women’s Clothing, Men’s Clothing, Children’s Clothing, Shoes, Linens/Bedding/Draperies, Electronics, Hardware, Children’s Toys, Sporting Goods, Groceries, Health & Beauty Care, Prescription Drugs.

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