51% of all American women are single! This is probably not a surprise to most of the design center managers who are in touch with their clientele, but the single woman home buyer is now making 22% of all US home purchases! Builders are starting to listen to what this home buyer wants and needs in their home, and the experience they seek in the home purchase experience.
While writing an upcoming article, I began to see just how much opportunity there is in gearing our sales approach to this consumer, and offering the amenities she needs.Despite the title of this post, this segment is not just the young, urban career woman. Single woman home purchasers are young singles, single moms, middle-aged singles and active adults. Each of these groups has specific needs your design center staff can speak to.
Meagan Kato, a consumer strategist, indicates there are five values that will help you connect to this woman: Empowerment, Identity, Control, Security and Family. She will relate to lifestyle photos of a single mom, or of a single woman entertaining friends for dinner. Ask manufacturer partners for point-of-sale signing and marketing materials designed with this segment in mind.
From a merchandising perspective, it is very important that your design center feel as 'retail' and consumer centric as possible. She will expect nothing less. This consumer will gather information and research from many different arena's, including gathering friend's advice, printed material, the Internet, and repeat visits to your design center (and to the competitor's, I will also add). An electronic selection tool/virtual design center is a fabulous selling tool that will also give this consumer the information she wants at the time she needs it. (Hearth and Home has been very successful reaching this consumer using the Envision selection and education tool).
Krisann Parker-Brown is the merchandising manager for Hearth and Home Technologies, the leading manufacturer and retailer of fireplaces and hearth systems. Krisann supports design centers and new construction builders in presenting Heat & Glo, Heatilator and Quadra-Fire hearth systems, and consulting on design center merchandising, point of sale and the consumer experience. Contact her at brownkr@hearthnhome.com or 952-985-6537
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