Nappies is a frequently shopped category, with 54% of those shoppers Visuality interviewed buying once a week or more frequently.
Four out of five shoppers buy nappies at least once every fortnight.
Shopping patterns reflect classic destination purchasing, with customers spending a minimum amount of time at the display and 89% saying they had intended to buy from the category that day.
Brand loyalty is high at 71%. Mothers tend to find a brand that they and their baby are comfortable with and then they stick to it on subsequent visits to the supermarket.
Shoppers, unsurprisingly, have a very pragmatic approach to this category. Some 42% of shoppers rely on past experience - in many cases buying the same brand that has proved successful with previous children. Only one fifth cited best fit/don’t leak as the reason for buying a specific product.
However, a fifth of shoppers had specifically moved to newer types of nappy offering specific benefits.
A third of all shoppers are prepared to leave empty-handed if their preferred brand is not available.
Several shoppers complained about lack of availability.
Although an important minority of shoppers are value-seekers, most were insistent that quality and fit were more important factors than price.
However, 32% would consider changing brands if there were an offer.
The most frequently given reason for considering switching to a new product in the nappies category was a ‘special offer’ although, at 21%, this is much lower than other categories that Visuality has reviewed. A recommendation would result in 18% considering changing brands.
After further questioning, however, a key prompt is when the baby is changing stage.
At this point the mother is forced to change product (although she appears likely to stay loyal to the brand) and so this will prompt a review of the options available.
This clearly represents an opportunity to trade up some shoppers to added-value lines and it is important that displays reflect this dynamic.
As a destination brand, the figures for actual interaction with the display by shoppers are low.
As you would expect, most shoppers pass by and do not even look at the fixture.
Among those who are looking for nappies, most shoppers are satisfied with the display. They are able to identify their destination brand and move on quickly.
The average time spent at the fixture was 25 seconds while the average number of packs picked up by purchasers was 1.4
But there is relatively little information on different sorts of nappies at the display.
It is possible that better use of point-of-purchase materials may increase awareness and understanding of newer products, thereby encouraging some shoppers to trade up to these higher-value lines.
Those shoppers who were looking for information had to rely on packaging and there was general agreement that the branded packs provided a better delivery of information about nappy use than own-label packs.