[INSIGHTS REPORT] Parents Want Tools To Help Planning For Purchases For Home

On the topic of home retail we asked parents to tell us their views and to give us feedback on what is important to them, how they approach buying for their home, where and what they buy. Read on to find out more about Insights into Parents and Home Retail and to download our free report.
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This month’s Insights report gives feedback from parents and insights into their views on buying for their home. To gather this, we carried out an online survey as well as an online focus group.
Key Insights from Parents on Home Retail
Online Survey carried out on Mykidstime.com in November 2020 with 382 responses from parents and an Online Focus Group carried out on MyInsightsOnTime private platform in November 2020 with 15 panel participants.
Key Insights
The top five categories that parents bought for the home this year have been
- Bed/bath linen 52%
- Appliances 50%
- Soft furnishings 45%
- Paint/Wallpaper 43%
- Furniture 42%
When buying furniture for the home parents said that these three factors were the most important:
- Price/Value
- Quality
- Colour/Design/Style
When buying kids furniture for the home parents said that these three factors were the most important:
- Safety
- Durability/Reliability/Longevity
- Quality
38% of parents use Smart speakers (Alexa / Nest etc) while 27% say they use brand apps to order items.
A Selection of the Feedback from Parents
Specialist Retailers vs Larger Multi-purpose Retailers For Home Purchases
“If it is a large, specialist item like a sofa or BBQ then I’d prefer a specialist with a wide range of brands and knowledge of each. If it is smaller items like ornaments or decorative pieces then I don’t mind where I find them.”
“It depends on what it is, I bought a sofa recently and went to a specialist for quality.”
“If it’s a big purchase over €100 we would go to specialist retailer as I feel they have a wider knowledge and probably better after sales service.”
Getting Ideas for the Home
“Pinterest, Instagram, TV shows, for example, Grand Designs.”
“Makeover programmes on TV. Instagram. Facebook. Magazines. Instore magazines. Internet search.”
“Friends and family mainly. We also read brochures, watch TV shows and browse online for inspiration.”
Impulse Home Buys in Last 12 Months
“Bedding, it was on offer and very cosy.”
“We bought home furnishings, paint, and garden seating.”
“I bought 2 light fittings that I’d been looking at for ages because they went on sale. I’ve also impulse bought candles and Christmas decorations.”
When Planning Changes What Helps/Would Help
“A way of showing the item in your room. Like a 3d model website.”
“An interior designer would be useful, or such a website for a reasonable fee. This could include Zoom meeting & assessment of interior.”
“When we bought new mattresses and a new sofa in June we went to the furniture shop and looked around to see what we liked. If I’m buying furniture I would want to see it in person. However, if I’m looking for paint ideas or curtains etc I like to see online instead of books so you can have videos and see what curtains look like hanging up.”
Key Recommendations for Retailers
- Many parents are using Pinterest now to get ideas for their home and garden so having a presence on this channel could be a good opportunity.
- If you have a retail app, how are you encouraging parents to download and use it for orders?
- Ask customers to share photos of items they have bought from your store once they have placed them in their home, to your website or social media channels. It helps others visualise how it could look in their home and gives them design ideas.
Download Our Free Insights Report
For more recommendations, survey results and in-depth insights, download our free Insights report on Parents and Home Retail.
In the report you’ll get in depth stats, insights and recommendations to help your business.
Would you like insights from parents for your business? Talk to our panels of engaged mums and dads, using our dedicated private platform to gather critical insights to help influence and activate them. Contact us now to find how we can help.