Retail Report: Pokmon Go and How Millennials Define Foodie

What Does ‘Pokémon Go’

Mean for Retailers?

“Pokémon Go” has launched. Its fans are eagerly hunting down Pokémon, training at “gyms” and visiting “Pokestops” to collect game items. Both conventional and social media have been awash with stories of adults and children getting out, exercising and meeting their neighbors while playing the game.

The success of “Pokémon Go” hasn’t been lost on the retail community, either. Store owners benefit from foot traffic and some establishments have become Pokestops, further enticing consumers to come in and browse.

Some analysts see the possibility of “Pokémon Go” revitalizing indoor shopping malls. For years, malls have been on the decline with many of them closing. This is despite long-standing efforts by some malls to get walkers to make use of the facility as a safe, sheltered space to exercise. Now, though, the new game may provide the incentive people need to head out to the mall regularly.

“Beyond simply bringing shoppers into malls and other physical stores where players can collect rewards at so-called Pokestops, the app’s popularity is the first time augmented reality has taken off en masse,” CNBC retail reporter Krystina Gustafson wrote in an article titled “‘Pokémon Go’ Has the Power to Transform Retail.”

“That could have broader implications for retailers, who are trying to find new ways to engage with shoppers and build brand loyalty,” Gustafson wrote.

The ability to incorporate logos and other branding into the game is something that retailers and perhaps even suppliers may want to consider. Most retail transactions still take place offline, so it’s a neat trick if a retailer can use a smartphone app to lead a consumer directly to their stores.

Millennials Have Varying Ideas on
What Makes Someone a ‘Foodie’ 

Millennials may be a demographic, but they aren’t monolithic. While it is true that millennials have money to spend and are often pretty thoughtful about what they buy, they also differ in tastes and preferences.

Take food, for example. A recent study from Ypulse shows that while millennials are adventurous eaters and drinkers, there is a definite difference between various sub-demographics, such as gender, race and geography.

In fact, the study calls into question the very definition of the word “foodie.” Respondents to the study often defined themselves as “foodies,” but the self-definition did not necessarily correlate with someone who has explored a variety of food trends.

When it comes to gender, things get really interesting. Young men are definitely into craft beers and enjoy sampling different brews. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to have tried out healthy foods and trends such as quinoa or spiralized vegetables.

In addition, and perhaps not surprisingly, women also seem to be interested in eating food that is easy on the eyes.

“Aesthetically pleasing dishes — such as meals served in bowls or poké, which is a raw fish salad — were best at garnering female interest. [Ypulse trends editor MaryLeigh Bliss] attributed the hype those foods get on Instagram and Pinterest, which are majority women, to their female fandom, according to a report in The Washington Post.

What can suppliers take from this study?

• The first is to avoid a one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to marketing foods and beverages to millennials. Pay attention to demographics within the millennial age group and make marketing, packaging and development decisions with a targeted market in mind.

• Another obvious take away from the study is to make use of social media, particularly Instagram and Pinterest, which is where a lot of millennial women spend time looking for recipes and meal plan ideas. Health-conscious foods are plus, but it is also to make sure that posts include beautiful images showing off foods and dishes to their best advantage. Food photography can be tricky, so suppliers and retailers alike need to find and recruit quality photographers to produce social media images.

• Finally, keep an eye on geography. The Washington Post notes that many food trends start on the coasts and then trickle into other areas. Trying to introduce a trend too soon can be as disastrous as trying to play catch-up with other suppliers later.

Walmart Makes Progress
On Safer Products 

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. made headlines recently by asking suppliers to remove eight chemicals from household and personal care products, including formaldehyde and butylparaben. The story isn’t entirely new. However, the push to cut down on potentially hazardous chemicals began several years ago.

In 2013, Walmart began a plan of identifying certain chemicals in the products that it sold, as well as working with suppliers to remove them from formulations. The plan was put in place with input from the Environmental Defense Fund, which explained the plan in a recent press release.

According to the release, Walmart made three commitments with the policy:

• To increase transparency of product ingredients,

• To advance safer formulations of products and

• To attain U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice certification [formerly Design for the Environment] of Walmart private-brand products. The Safer Choice certification was introduced by the EPA in an attempt to encourage companies to improve the safety of the products that they sell.

In the same press release, the EDF applauds Walmart for making “major strides” in its efforts to curb the use of suspect chemicals in the products that Walmart sells.”

The release concludes by saying: “Equally notable, [Walmart] has set in place effective systems to measure and track progress over time — an ability that can’t be underestimated.”

Of course, Walmart is not the only company that is working to improve the safety of the products that it sells. Target implemented a similar program, and many environmentally conscious retailers have long supported strict sourcing standards for their products.

These recent developments are, however, indicative of retailers responding to an increasingly savvy consumer base. Millennials, in particular, are concerned about the environment and the impact that the products they use have on the well-being of the planet and other people. Retailers and suppliers are taking notice of this awareness and accordingly adjusting the ways they do business.