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Shopping Centers Today -> November 1999
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Whitaker: Niche marketing key to global appeal
By Mac Keliher
Asia-Pacific
Convention 1999
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These are the words of Fatima Whitaker, president and founder of Whitaker International, a New York-based retail strategic planning firm, who addressed a Taipei audience during the ICSC Asia-Pacific Convention earlier this fall.
"We can't judge people on how they think and what they are thinking, but must pay attention to the customer's lifestyle — how they dress, for instance," said Whitaker, during a session called "The Evolution of Consumers and Lifestyles in a Global Economy."
Whitaker has 20 years of experience in predicting and identifying trends and tracking consumer lifestyles around the world.
When it comes to merchandising, the retailing industry has evolved into a contradiction almost as diverse as the consumer — plaid shirts are hung next to leather pants, and silk jackets next to running shoes. While the consumer may very well pull these eclectic pieces together to make his or her own style, retailers cannot afford to cross styles. Instead, they must isolate and distinguish different trends, Whitaker said.
During her travels around the world to study fashion as it relates to lifestyle, Whitaker segmented lifestyle trends into 11 basic categories, among them: clamming, belonging, basics, black, traditionalism, contemporary style, the eco-thinker and the show-off.
Clamming, or couples dressing alike, is a trend Whitaker has noted all over the world. Using such a strategy for retail marketing can lead to increased sales of the same type of product to couples or friends, she said.
The belongers are part of the generation that go with the latest fad and watch MTV. This category is not associated with a specific country or region; rather, it fits in with globalization.
Basics transcend age and sex and are what Whitaker terms a global uniform. The Gap is a good examples of a basics retailer.
The color black also has gone global; no longer just a fashion statement, black has been embraced as a regular uniform. Pictures from all over the world show children to the elderly dressed in the color.
The traditional market encompasses a whole lifestyle that can range from dress to home decorating. Styles include crests and prints to create a traditional atmosphere. The consumer preference does not hold with any one age group, but can transcend age as well as country boundaries. The retailing center catering to this market must create a traditional atmosphere and shopping environment, Whitaker said. The family values of the traditionalist woman move in descending order from children, to husband, to wife.
Conversely, the contemporary style values the woman first, followed by the children, and lastly the husband. Stores such as Banana Republic and Ikea serve as good examples of the contemporary style. The niche for this market is global, moving from Singapore to Istanbul.
The eco-thinker is characterized by a strong feeling for the forest and nature. Eco-thinkers like neutral colors and shop in understated places. The marketing strategy for this niche has been used to sell products from beer to watches by using outdoor-related advertising.
The show-offs like to flaunt their success. They mix styles together and dress elaborately. They like gold jewelry and expensive fabrics; Whitaker's pictures of people from all over the world dressed in zebra prints show the style is not just limited to one region, but has become universal.
 | Current Issue February 2012 |