A quarter of Romanians are not keen on shopping, says GfK

Newsroom 23/02/2011 | 19:12

About a quarter of city dwellers in Romania say they do not like to go shopping, reveals GfK’s Roper Report on Romanian consumers. Overall, their average age is slightly higher than that of shopping fans. Out of the total number, two thirds are men, according to the same source.

This attitude however, has nothing to do with lack of resources, says GfK. Both those that avoid shopping and those who enjoy it have similar incomes and “are not more pessimistic or optimistic, either as to how their financial situation will evolve in the future”.

Consumers who do not like to go shopping are less likely than others to buy something just to pamper themselves (38 percent vs. 68 percent). At the same time, fewer of them are actively looking for novelties in terms of products (13 percent vs. 34 percent).

However, this behavior does not mean that they are less attractive consumers. Both categories shop almost as often, but on the other hand, those who are not amused at going out shopping are also more difficult to attract, particularly to new products, reveals the report. “In addition to the fact that they do not actively look for it, there are fewer points of contact with them,” reads the report. People who don’t like shopping also read newspapers less, especially magazines, and are less interested in socializing networks.

Nevertheless, the main channel of information is the same for both categories of consumers. 54 percent of them talk to friends or acquaintances when they want to get informed on the possible purchases.

GfK Roper Reports aim at analyzing personal values and lifestyles of consumers worldwide. Globally, the study has been conducted annually since 1997, and in Romania since 2008.

Simona Bazavan