American Express can spot “unusual” activity on Australian cardholders’ cards because their spending patterns are predictable. Its survey this month has found that only 10% of Australians are impulse shoppers. 85% shop the same way time after time.
Shelf shout bears the brunt of the burden. Packaging has to do a lot more than suggest, “look at me.” It has to scream something very desirable.
Here is what American Express learned about shoppers:
- 60% of Australian shoppers rely on a core of 10 different bricks-and-mortar and online shops they visit over and over.
- 49% always visit the same shopping strip or shopping centre.
There are eight different spending types and said most Australian shoppers fit into at least two of these.
Sale Seekers, hunting out bargains and offers, are the single largest group of Australian shoppers (41%). The biggest driver for spending disposable income was in-store discount offers (57%). Key sale periods such as the Boxing Day sales came second (34%). Women are more bargain conscious than men, with 65% motivated by in-store discounts and 40% by key sale periods.
Passionists (30%) mainly spend on a single interest or hobby.
Paydayers (28%) splurge on, or soon after, pay day every month.
Loyalists (24%) prefer to stick to the same brands.
Localists (29%) always spend in the same shopping centres.
Clock Watchers (21%) spend at the same time each week.
Planners (20%) spread purchases evenly throughout the month at a wide variety of stores.
Cyber Spenders (22%) like to do most of their spending online. Australians spend an average of 20% of their disposable income online.
Weekends are, unsurprisingly, the most popular time for shopping. Saturday afternoon (36%) is the preferred option, followed by Saturday morning (26%) or Sunday afternoon (23%). A significant proportion, 21%, also spend while commuting to and from work.
