In our 2022 Consumer Product Content Benchmark Report, we asked 1,650 respondents to describe their shopper persona. In this blog, we will explore the shopping habits of the self-proclaimed “Scientist.”

19% of survey respondents described themselves as the Scientist. 

We’ll break down how the Scientists shop in this blog. To learn more about other shoppers and get a deep dive into the data on product content, download the full report here. https://go.1worldsync.com/Consumer-Product-Content-Benchmark.html 

The top categories Scientists shop for are: fresh groceries (35%), clothing (33%) and health and personal care (31%).

Compared to all respondents (41%), 44% of scientists report that they have been significantly affected by inflation. Scientists’ reaction to inflation is to purchase fewer nonessential goods (66%). Of the nonessential goods getting the ax by Scientists, clothes/accessories are the first to go (71%).

The key differentiator of Scientists compared to other shopper types is their commitment to research and product content details. Scientists are increasingly shopping on mobile applications operated by retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, BestBuy, Etsy, etc. This group of shoppers spends more time researching products prior to purchase. 93% of Scientists research more than one product when making a significant purchase; while 41% research more than four products. In the same vein, 96% of Scientists visit more than one site while shopping for a significant purchase and 66% visit more than three.

Scientists are increasingly shopping online and participating in immersive, omnichannel experiences. 52% of Scientists have scanned a QR code on a product while shopping in-store. While researching a product on their phone, 66% of Scientists use a search engine to find products and choose a retail location where the product is available and/or has the best price.

An interesting point from the survey is that even the most data and detail-focused shoppers regret purchases. 58% of Scientists have made returns in the last 18 months. 58% of those returns have been clothing and 59% of Scientists blamed inaccurate, misleading or poor product information (imagery, descriptions, size, weight, color, ingredients) featured on the e-commerce website for their returns. 57% of returns were caused by inaccurate product specifications. 

This data clearly demonstrates that accurate product content can make or break a brand. It’s not enough to have product content available, it needs to be detailed, accurate and consistent across all channels to ensure customers are getting what they need. 

Thorough product content can increase sales and decrease returns, which pads your bottom line. Some features that are helpful in landing and maintaining a sale include various multimedia. Despite declaring their preference for product details over imagery, the following imagery types were preferred by the majority of Scientists.

Learn more and download the full report here: https://go.1worldsync.com/Consumer-Product-Content-Benchmark.html