Dallas, TX, June 26, 2006--Shoppers are more likely to spend more time and money during their shopping excursions during days with extreme weather conditions, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 mystery shoppers.
The survey, conducted by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, the world's largest trade association dedicated to the use of mystery shopping, pinpointed shopping trends during cold or rainy weather compared to warm or sunny weather.
More than 64 percent of shoppers said they will stay longer in a store on extreme weather days--hot, cold or rain--and consequently, more than 46 percent will spend more money than they would during a typical shopping trip.
Mystery shoppers who said their shopping experiences were impacted by the weather noted they were nearly five times more likely to take personal shopping trips on warm and sunny days compared to cold or rainy days. In addition, more than 30 percent said they were more likely to spend the most money on a single shopping trip during warm weather compared to only 12.5 percent who said they would spend more money during cold weather.
The shoppers also found that sales associates were twice as likely to offer complimentary products to their purchase on warm or sunny days. This is something for retail managers to consider, as nearly 85 percent of shoppers surveyed said the mood and helpfulness of the sales associate impacts how much money they are willing to spend in the store.
"This survey reveals a need for retailers to ensure their sales associates are providing the best shopping experience possible--something mystery shopping certainly helps to enhance," said John Swinburn, MSPA executive director. "By engaging in a mystery shopping program, retailers can pinpoint areas where they may need to polish up their customer service or operations, and ultimately, drive repeat customer visits and increase sales--especially on days of extreme heat or cold."
When it comes to the shopping experience, 27 percent of shoppers said sales associates seemed to be slow to greet them and more than 24 percent said store cleanliness was poor during cold or rainy days.
During warm and sunny days, the results were significantly better. Shoppers found store cleanliness to be poor only 7.8 percent of the time and sales associates were slow to greet them only 12.8 percent of the time.
Mystery shoppers are independent contractors who provide first-hand anonymous and objective feedback on customer service, merchandising, operations and other elements of the customer experience. Mystery shopping has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is used in nearly every consumer industry, including retail, restaurant and hospitality, banking and financial services, real estate and health care.
