As competition for consumer attention and share of discretionary spend increases it is increasingly important that retailers and shopping destination managers can engage and attract “leisure shoppers” and the attitudinal research in this report provides the basis for improving levels of understanding about what today’s consumer wants and expects of their leisure shopping experiences. Detailed research in the report identifies those that like to shop for pleasure and enjoyment, including as part of a day out, and assesses different behaviours in the context of the leisure shopping options available to them and what else they might be doing with their time.

As competition for consumer attention and share of discretionary spend increases it is increasingly important that retailers and shopping destination managers can engage and attract “leisure shoppers” and the attitudinal research in this report provides the basis for improving levels of understanding about what today’s consumer wants and expects of their leisure shopping experiences. Detailed research in the report identifies those that like to shop for pleasure and enjoyment, including as part of a day out, and assesses different behaviours in the context of the leisure shopping options available to them and what else they might be doing with their time.

This report assesses:

the extent that consumers today differentiate shopping trips and classify them as being undertaken not for provisioning or replenishment reasons but as trips undertaken for pleasure as part of their leisure lifestyles.

whether shopping for pleasure is an exclusively feminine trait rather than something masculine. Many men say that they do not enjoy shopping but research in this report questions the strength of the perception that many men simply don’t do shopping unless it is an absolutely essential act of replenishment.

whether leisure shoppers, especially men, have to be targeted in an indirect way, that is, encouraged to visit a location where shopping can take place without shopping itself as being perceived by the visitor as the sole purpose for visiting that location.

the importance of the role of leisure and entertainment facilities at shopping locations. Consideration is given to how the provision of leisure facilities can influence usage and attitudes and whether those visiting leisure attractions that have shops also use them while they are there.

future opportunities for developing the appeal of shopping and leisure destinations to all consumer groups. Special reference is given to developing appeal among those in the grey age groups who have time as well as wealth, which make them key targets to retailers.

The future challenge for retailers and destination managers is to get more leisure shoppers, men as well as women, old as well as young, to visit their destination more frequently. Only by improving the quality of the experience can retailers and destination managers hope to maintain, let alone increase the frequency of visits.