Pay Attention to Different Shades of Grey
I was interviewed by the Montreal Gazette last month which reported on the many shades of grey in Canada. As I said in the interview, any retailer hoping to tap into the wallets of aging baby boomers must realize that there is no one size that fits all. We are probably entering an age of the custom fit. There are boomers shopping in plus-size stores. But there are also lots to be found in Lululemon shopping for yoga pants.
As we enter the new year, retailers should consider catering to boomers who are going to want more service and more advice. But they don’t want to be singled out as a group and they don’t want to be described as old.
Older women do not want to dress like an older woman. So they do not really want to shop at separate stores. Everyone thinks they are younger than they are, and to be seen shopping at a store for ‘older’ women is not good for their self-esteem. But, at the same time, they don’t want to walk out the door looking like mutton dressed as a lamb.
Retailers will have to understand the mindset of aging boomers and have floor staff trained to be helpful, to offer advice, and to make sure the customer does look good when he or she walks out of the store. The use of personal shoppers will not only be reserved for luxury shopping. Any retailer who offers personal shoppers to boomer customers will more likely succeed than others in winning a share of boomers’ wallets.
So far, everybody says yes, yes, we must do something about it. But very few retailers have addressed boomers’ needs in a comprehensive, thoughtful kind of way. Let’s hope the new year will bring a new approach to the retail world.
