Victorian consumers are going to local shopping centres for essentials but also to seek community connection during the stage 4 lockdown, according to a Shopper Media study.
The study, conducted in Shopper Media’s network of Victorian centres August 12-16, surveying more than 670.
Matt Adams, Shopper Media group sales director southern states, says the study offers valuable insight into the attitudes and shopping behaviours.
Almost two-thirds (62%) of Victorians are visiting their local shopping centres to top up on essential items, supporting previous findings that Australians are now more mindful of having a well-stocked pantry.
“Meanwhile, 17% of Victorians admit they are sometimes visiting their local shopping centres as an opportunity to get out of the house, suggesting there is a mental health aspect to visiting local centres," says Adams.
“Our study showed that 47% of Victorian shoppers want to see more community-focused messaging in centres, with 34% requesting that uplifting and positive messaging be displayed throughout their local centres.
"This signifies how important local shopping centres are to the community, which is a valuable insight for brands advertising during this time of upheaval."
The dwell-time in Victorian centres has dropped by 6.7% in Victoria (according to Shopper Media’s August visitation trends), which is to be expected due to the restrictions imposed.
However, consumers are clearly still visiting. 35% of shoppers claim that while their visits to local shopping centres are shorter, they visit more often, and 9% state that their visiting patterns have stayed the same.
"Our local centres remain a cornerstone of Victorian shopping behaviours and continue to be the perfect environment for highly targeted advertising, giving marketers a way to create meaningful, personalised and highly engaged campaigns,” says Adams.
“Victorian shoppers remain confident of the health and safety practices being employed in their local shopping centres, with 53% not harbouring any worry or concern, and 33% saying they only feel somewhat worried or concerned. This is undoubtedly why the visitation numbers have stayed consistent across our centres.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.