Consumer Shopping Habits for Wellness and Environmentally ...
Consumer Shopping Habits for Wellness and Environmentally ...
Consumer Shopping Habits for Wellness and Environmentally ...
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least amount of consistent H+W activities (e.g. exercise) among Periphery-oriented consumers,<br />
though there are exceptions.<br />
ROBERT – A PERIPHERY H+W CONSUMER<br />
29 years old, from Charlotte, NC<br />
Single, lives with a roommate <strong>and</strong> his two dogs<br />
Began participation in Health <strong>and</strong> <strong>Wellness</strong> 6 years<br />
ago by working out at the gym, <strong>and</strong> taking a Centrum<br />
multi vitamin most days<br />
Views his H+W activities as personal, <strong>and</strong> does not<br />
think of it as connected in any meaningful way to the<br />
environment, his community, or other aspects of the<br />
world beyond him<br />
Seeks fresh fruit <strong>and</strong> veggies, looks <strong>for</strong> ―low fat‖ <strong>and</strong> ―lite‖ products, <strong>and</strong> is concerned about<br />
portion control, but mostly this relates to ―looking good‖ rather than overall H+W<br />
Shops mainly at mainstream mass, grocery, <strong>and</strong> drug stores<br />
Mid-level H+W <strong>Consumer</strong>s: “Experimenting”<br />
Mid-level consumers as a whole demonstrate a more involved level of awareness about H+W<br />
products than Periphery consumers. These consumers are generally exploratory, as they are in a<br />
―learning mode‖ when it comes to H+W. Because of this, Mid-level consumers are quite attentive to<br />
H+W in<strong>for</strong>mation, particularly from their social networks, retailers, the Internet, magazines, <strong>and</strong><br />
television. They also tend to find shopping in certain channels quite enjoyable, as a sort of<br />
―adventure‖ in H+W. This ―Experience‖ dimension has important implications <strong>for</strong> retailers.<br />
While these consumers value Knowledge <strong>and</strong> to some degree Sustainability, they still tune in to<br />
more conventional values such as Price <strong>and</strong> Convenience in their shopping patterns. Although price<br />
may dissuade consumers from purchasing some H+W products, those products consumers consider<br />
―must haves,‖ meaning those typically ingested or put on their bodies, often justify a higher price<br />
margin.<br />
Figure 4- Example Cleaners in a<br />
Mid-Level Home<br />
Mid-level consumers often have begun to think about H+W<br />
in broader terms, outside of their own immediate bodies<br />
<strong>and</strong> households. Ideas about the environment <strong>and</strong> social<br />
justice may drive some of their H+W purchases to a limited<br />
extent. However, they are not highly driven in such regards<br />
as Core consumers often are, <strong>and</strong> will tend to lack fully<br />
integrated ideas about ―sustainability‖ (see section on<br />
sustainability toward the end of this chapter) as a complex<br />
of health, environmental, social, <strong>and</strong> even political concerns<br />
that we often find in the Core.<br />
Mid-level consumers have generally waded into every key ―gateway‖ H+W product category such as<br />
specialty supplements <strong>and</strong> natural home cleaners, though they may not be fully committed to H+W-<br />
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