Project Overview
The Home Visits ethnographic research project by an online retailer aimed to gain deep insights into consumer behavior related to fashion. The project focused on understanding how personality and style influence purchasing decisions and shopping behaviors, particularly in relation to technology usage.
Objectives
The primary objectives of the home visits were:
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Understand Consumer Personalities and Styles: Explore how consumers' personalities and styles impact their choices in clothing and footwear.
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Examine Shopping Behaviors: Analyze the complete shopping journey from inspiration to purchase and beyond, with a focus on the role of technology.
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Identify Key Insights: Distill actionable insights on consumer mindsets, preferences, and behaviors to inform the retailer's strategies.
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Provide recommendations: Work with key stakeholders in Tech, Marketing, and Merchandizing to ensure adoption of the recommendations
Implementation
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Methodology: Conducted contextual inquiries and field studies in five major cities (Chicago, LA, SF, Dallas, NYC).
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Data Collection: Performed 20 home visits, capturing extensive qualitative data through interviews, audio-visual recordings, and mental map sketches.
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Data Analysis: Reviewed AV files and transcripts, applied affinity diagramming to distill insights, and created detailed mental maps for each participant.
Key Results
The key results from the survey highlighted the following:
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Personality Insights: Consumers' fashion choices are deeply tied to their identities and life stages. Wardrobe management, including purging and repopulating, reflects significant life events.
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Technology Use: There is a wide range of technology usage among consumers. Matching "jobs to be done" with appropriate devices is crucial for enhancing the shopping experience.
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Shopping Behaviors: Value, rather than price, is a key driver for purchase decisions. Consumers exhibit complex interactions between online and in-store shopping.
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Gaps and Workarounds: Identified gaps in the shopping experience that lead consumers to use various workarounds outside of official channels.
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See example insights here.
Outcomes and Impact
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Deep Customer Understanding: Gained nuanced insights into how consumers define their style, manage their wardrobes, and use technology in shopping.
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Improved Customer Engagement: Insights on consumers' emotional and psychological drivers informed more effective communication strategies.
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Strategic Adjustments: Identified areas for improving the retailer's shopping experience, leading to the development of features and services tailored to different consumer segments.
Conclusion
The Home Visits ethnographic research project provided the retailer with invaluable insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and the role of technology in shopping. By understanding the intricacies of consumers' personalities and shopping habits, the retailer can enhance its customer experience, address gaps in its service, and better meet the needs of its diverse customer base. This project underscores the importance of ethnographic research in developing a customer-centric business strategy.
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See complete research report.