Institute for International Research

When was the last time you took a trip down the cookie aisle of a grocery store? Can you recall the number of Oreo® flavors available? If you are feeling ambitious, try the cereal aisle…

What exactly drives customers to choose certain products, services or brands? What keeps them coming back?

The power has officially shifted to the consumer. Truly understanding what drives purchasing behavior has become the top priority of every organization today. For good reason … each day millions of shoppers decide whether or not to buy your product or your competitors'. They consider your store or your rivals'.

What's the retail prognosis for 2006? According to the National Retail Federation's annual industry forecast, retail sales are expected to slow to 4.7 percent in 2006 as compared to the 6.1 percent gain in 2005. Many factors are cited for the slowdown, including rising energy costs and a slowdown in the housing market. Regardless of the forecast, you still want to continue to win new customers and keep current ones loyal.

Retailers and manufacturers are charged with driving sales and winning consumers. Where are leading manufacturers and retailers turning for guidance in their quest to truly understand today's shopper to win their loyalty and their business? How can you forecast what customers will or will not do? Enter: the rapidly evolving field of Shopper Insights.

Shopper Insights has the power to give you a deep understanding of the key influences on shopper decisions. The findings provide you with insightful answers to your most pressing questions:

• Who is today's shopper? Since the days of "one size fits all" are in the past, how can shopper segmentation be leveraged to uncover unique opportunities for new products and programs?
• Why do consumers choose a certain store, a particular category, a specific product?
• How does in-store marketing come into play? How do promotions, digital signage, packaging, pricing and merchandising influence their decision to move from a browser to a buyer?
• What are THE most important influencers in the shopping decision?
• Where should you focus your resources to harness the power of those top influencers?

Answering these crucial questions is what IIR's 6th annual Shopper Insights in Action event is about.

Set in Chicago – one of the shopping capitals of the world – Shopper Insights in Action is the only event featuring best-in-class retailers and manufacturers revealing the newest methodologies for understanding why people buy, strategies for taking action and tips for ensuring survival in today's retail environment.

To give you more actionable "nuggets" to take back to the office and apply, the program features more speakers than ever representing a diverse group of industries and channels:

Success in today's retail environment doesn't just happen. It requires hard work, determination and an unrelenting focus on what shoppers really want. Looking for answers? Look no further. Attending the Shopper Insights in Action will provide you with the latest ideas you can implement to create a trifecta – a win for the manufacturer, retailer AND consumer.

Join us as we collaborate to chart the future of the retail landscape.