Study: How Germany shops
What do Germans look for when shopping—and how receptive are they to advertising? A new study by the newspaper marketing firm Score Media Group sheds light on these questions.
The mood among people in Germany appears to be better than the general economic forecasts: 64% of the population as a whole describe their current personal economic situation as 'rather good' to 'very good' and expect it to remain so in the coming year. Readers of regional daily newspaper brands (print, e-paper, paid online offerings) are even more optimistic, with 70 percent rating their personal economic situation as good to very good. Another 70 percent expect no change in the coming year. Nevertheless, 46% say they are paying more attention to offers in advertising due to the inflation of recent years and are increasingly turning to cheaper own brands in stores (RTZ readers: 39%; total population: 42%). In general and across all sectors surveyed, Germans pay attention to value for money and high quality. Whether food or clothing, living or DIY, these items receive approval ratings of around 80 percent, while readers of regional daily newspapers are always slightly more quality-conscious.
What people look for when shopping
These are the findings of the latest "Germany, your shopping trends" study by the Score Media Group. The national marketing platform for regional daily newspaper brands wanted to know what people pay attention to when shopping, how they use new shopping services and tools, as well as their attitudes towards sustainability and fast fashion. Another aspect revolves around information behavior and attitudes towards advertising.
When it comes to the question of where people spend their money, there are clear differences between the individual sectors. While food is unsurprisingly predominantly bought in bricks-and-mortar stores (total: 87%; readers: 83%), consumer electronics often end up in the digital shopping basket (total predominantly online: 42%; readers: 41%). Interesting: Almost a quarter of paid online users already buy food primarily online (23%; RTZ readers: 9%). In the case of clothing, online and offline shopping are on a par (total predominantly online: 35%, predominantly offline: 33%; RTZ readers predominantly online: 34%, predominantly offline: 33%).
Information and advertising
How and where do people obtain information before making their purchases? How is advertising evaluated and used? Whether readers or the population as a whole: advertising in regional daily newspapers - printed, in the e-paper or on the news sites in front of and behind the paywall - enjoys the highest level of trust both in Germany as a whole (52%) and among RTZ readers (64%). Free weekly newspapers (readers: 58%; total: 47%) rank second, ahead of radio (readers: 54%; total: 45%) and linear TV (readers: 48%; total: 41%). In terms of the information content of advertising, free weekly newspapers and regional daily newspapers are the first choice for 55% of readers and over 40% of the total population. Radio (readers: 49%; total: 40%) and linear TV (readers: 48%; total: 40%) follow in second place.
These figures are confirmed by a look at purchase activation. Across e-paper, paid online offerings and the printed edition, two thirds of RTZ readers (67%), for example, specifically use brochures/inserts in their regional daily newspaper to plan their grocery shopping and 60 percent find advertising in their subscription newspaper useful. For 59 percent, advertising in the regional daily newspaper provides a good overview of offers and discount promotions. Of course, retailer apps are also relevant for offers and discounts these days: two thirds of respondents now use at least one app (RTZ readers: 65%).
