About 85 percent of online moms say having a baby changed their purchasing habits, according to the, “21st Century Mom,” report, a study published by BabyCenter, an online community for expectant and new moms, according to eMarketer, New York, NY, a firm providing digital intelligence to help business people make better decisions. Mothers control an estimated 80 percent of all household spending, or $1.7 trillion a year, and retailers must understand how women’s shopping behaviors change when they have children. “Moms rely heavily on the Internet to learn about the products they need, save on purchases and connect with other moms, to exchange opinions about retailers and products,” said Jeffrey Grau, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the report, “How Moms and Retailers Interact Online.”
Mothers, especially millennial moms (those between the ages of 20 and 34 in 2010), expect retailers to customize their business procedures and products to fit customers’ individual needs. Moms reward retailers that show they really care about their customers and explain how their products enrich people’s lives. Moms band together on social networks to share coupon codes and information about special product deals. And a disgruntled mom can exploit the viral effects of the Internet to pressure a business to fix a problem.
Since moms are active readers and writers of blogs, a number of retailers have formed relationships with influential bloggers who may act as brand advocates. After all, moms rely on other moms for product recommendations.
Retailers that put themselves in the shoes of mom shoppers will provide the tools to help busy mothers make informed purchase decisions and quickly find what they need. Easy to use websites with helpful features such as live chat, visualization tools, product reviews, easy returns and curbside pickup are key.
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