Time-Crunched Mothers Head To The Web For Shopping

NEW YORK (Feb. 23, 2010) -- About 85% of online moms said having a baby changed their purchasing habits, according to the “21st Century Mom” report, a 2009 study published by BabyCenter, an online community for expectant and new moms.

Mothers control an estimated 80% of all household spending, or $1.7 trillion a year, and retailers must understand how women’s shopping behaviors change when they have children.

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 the retailers that show they really care about their customers and explain how their products enrich people’s lives.

“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.”

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.

Source: eMarketer