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Executive Summaries - The Shopping Traveler
Shopping Traveler Market Overview
- Among the many common activities Americans do while on trips away from home, shopping continues to be the most popular. In fact, 63 percent of past year travelers, or about 91 million people, included shopping as an activity on at least one trip. Because people can go shopping on more than one trip away from home, TIA estimates that over 335 million U.S. person-trips included shopping as an activity on a trip in 1999 (one person-trip equals one person on one trip.) Indeed, TIA's Travel Economic Impact Model (TEIM) estimates that in 1999 travelers spent approximately $37.3 billion* on retail purchases while shopping.
- Most person-trips that include shopping as a trip activity are for leisure. Nearly half of all shopping person-trips are made to visit friends or relatives. Business trips account for 16 percent of all person-trips taken by shopping travelers. Most shopping travelers drive their own car, truck, or recreational vehicle on their trips, still one in five travels to their destination by air transportation.
- Most trips that include shopping involve an overnight stay. For those shopping travelers who stay overnight, the trip lasts an average of 4.8 nights. Among overnight trips, shopping travelers are just as likely to lodge in a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast establishment as in a home of a friend or relative. Shopping travelers spend an average of $531 per trip on all trip-related expenses excluding transportation to their destination.
- Often, shopping is just one of many activities in which travelers participate. On trips including shopping, travelers most often visit historical places or museums as well. Engaging in outdoor recreation, going to the beach, visiting national or state parks, and/or attending cultural events or festivals are also somewhat popular activities among shopping travelers.
- Understandably, there are differences in trip characteristics between shopping travelers on leisure trips compared to those on business trips. Most shopping travelers on leisure trips drive their own car, truck, or recreational vehicle, more so than those on business trips. On the other hand, shopping travelers on business trips are more apt to travel by air. Air shopping travelers stay longer, on average, than auto shopping travelers and they are much more likely to lodge in a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast establishment. Overnight trips including shopping are twice as likely as day trips to be taken to visit friends or relatives. Day trips including shopping tend to be for entertainment purposes, more so than overnight trips. Among shoppers, trips involving a stay at a home of friends or relatives are somewhat longer, on average, than those involving a hotel stay. Hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast trips that include shopping are more often for entertainment or business.
*Preliminary figure. Consists of traveler spending on retail trade purchases including gifts for others, medicine, cosmetics, clothing, personal services, souvenirs, and other items of this nature.
- Shopping travelers are likely to be Baby Boomers and have higher-than-average household incomes. Shopping travelers tend to be Baby Boomers, aged 35 to 54. One-third are Generation Y or X'ers, aged 18 to 34 and about one-quarter are Matures, aged 55 or older. Over half are married and most are employed. Four in ten have children at home. Their median annual household income is $46,900.
Attitudes and Behaviors of Shopping Travelers
- Travelers' attitudes about going shopping while traveling reinforce that these shoppers want to visit different, rather than familiar, stores. Most shopping travelers want to shop at stores they do not have in their home city or town. This is not surprising considering that most shopping travelers are on leisure trips. Over half of traveling shoppers say they go shopping on trips in order to find items that represent the destination they are visiting. Also, many shopping travelers agree that because they are away from home, they have more time to go shopping. And, some also state that they feel that they have more money to spend on shopping when traveling.
- Shopping Travelers feel convenience and unique stores are extremely or very important in a positive shopping experience. Most often, shopping travelers feel that stores should be unique or different from stores they can find at home. Indeed, many traveling shoppers also say it is important that they can find items they cannot get at home.
- Shopping is a top priority for travelers. Shopping seems to be a top priority for many shopping travelers, as half say that shopping was the primary or secondary purpose of one or more trips taken in the past year. In fact, about four in ten shopping travelers agree that a trip is not complete without going shopping during the trip. Most travelers say that their most recent trip that included shopping was for leisure purposes.
- Overnight shopping travelers most often lodge at hotels, motels, or bed and breakfast establishments. Half of overnight shopping travelers lodge at a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast establishment; four in ten stay at a home of friends or relatives. One tenth stays at a cabin, condo, vacation home, or timeshare.
- Traditional enclosed shopping centers or malls are the most popular places to shop on a trip. The most popular place to shop on trips is traditional enclosed shopping centers or malls. Half shop at major downtown shopping districts or outdoor 'mainstreet' shopping areas and/or strip malls or plazas that are not enclosed. Four in ten shopping travelers shop at outlet centers.
- Most shopping travelers have been to particular shopping areas before and most say they decided to visit shopping areas after arriving at their destination. Six in ten shopping travelers say it was not the first time they visited particular shopping areas. Nearly two-thirds of shopping travelers are spur-of-the-moment shoppers, called on-trip planners, having decided to visit particular shopping areas after arrival at their destination.
- Shopping Travelers rely on people they know for information about where to go shopping. Interestingly, six in ten shopping travelers obtain information about shopping areas from friends, family, or co-workers. Another popular information source for shopping areas is the hotel or motel where travelers are staying, such as in-room maps, brochures, a TV, or a hotel/motel concierge. Fewer obtain information about shopping areas from travel guides, books, or magazines, the Internet, a newspaper travel section, and/or a destination brochure they ordered from a destination tourism office, chamber of commerce, or visitor center.
- Shopping travelers most often spend money on clothes or shoes for themselves or others, rather than on souvenirs. In general, shopping travelers are most apt to report buying clothing or shoes out of a list of 14 items. Men are keeping pace with their women counterparts as similar proportions report making this purchase. As expected, many purchase souvenirs. Books or music, and/or kid's toys are also popular items to buy. Many shopping travelers also purchase jewelry or accessories, and/or home accessories or furniture. Fewer shopping travelers indicate buying home electronics, a camera and/or camera equipment, artwork, sports equipment and luggage.
- One in five shopping travelers spend $500 or more, in total, on purchases on their trip. Nearly half of shopping travelers report spending approximately $250 or more, in total, on purchases on their trip. Nearly one in five shopping travelers spend $500 or more on purchases. And, about one in ten spend $1000 or more.
Shopping Habits By Traveler Segments
- Frequent shopping travelers are more inclined than infrequent shopping travelers to visit enclosed shopping centers or malls on a trip. They are also more likely than infrequent shopping travelers to obtain information about shopping areas from a hotel or motel where they are staying. And they have a greater tendency than infrequent shopping travelers to purchase jewelry or accessories, specialty foods or beverages, kid's toys, and/or artwork. Indeed, frequent shopping travelers spend more on shopping than infrequent shopping travelers.
- Those who decided to visit particular shopping areas after arriving at their destination, called "on-trip planners" in this study, are more inclined to obtain information about shopping areas from a hotel or motel where they are staying. These shopping travelers are also more inclined than those who made plans to go shopping before leaving home, called "pre-trip planners" to visit strip malls or plazas that are not enclosed. Hotel shops and/or airport shops are also more popular for on-trip planner shopping travelers. On average, pre-trip planners spend more, in total, on purchases on their most recent trip.
- High-spend shopping travelers know where they want to shop before leaving home. High-spend shopping travelers (spend $250 or more on purchases on a trip) are more likely than low-spenders (spend under $250 on a trip) to indicate they decided to visit particular shopping areas before leaving home for their trip. Indeed, they are much more inclined than low-spenders to visit several types of shopping centers or areas and to indicate that family, friends, or co-workers are the leading sources of information about shopping areas.
- Generation Y and X shopping travelers are the most likely to obtain information about shopping from friends, family, or co-workers, while Baby Boomer shopping travelers have the highest incidence of obtaining information from a hotel or motel where they are staying. In fact, Baby Boomers (aged 35-54) are the most likely of all generations to stay at a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast establishment while on trips including shopping. Lodging at a home of friends or relatives is more popular for Generation Y and X'ers (aged 18-34) and Matures (aged 55+). Matures and Generation Y and X'ers are the most apt to visit traditional enclosed shopping centers or malls on a recent trip. On the other hand, the ever cost-conscious Baby Boomers are more apt than Generation Y and X'ers to visit outlet centers. And, as Baby Boomers are the most apt to travel for business, it is no wonder they have the highest incidence of visiting hotel and/or airport shops. Also popular with younger shopping travelers are downtown shopping areas.
- Among overnight shopping travelers, men are more likely than women to stay at a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast establishment. On the other hand, women are more inclined to stay at a home of friends or relatives. Purchasing habits while traveling vary among men and women shopping travelers on several items. However, men are keeping pace with their women counterparts as similar proportions report purchasing clothes or shoes. In fact, men slightly outspend women when it comes to making purchases on a trip
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