ASSINGMENT

#1
Digital Marketing: Technological
Presented By: Polina Burkova
Innovation in Service
Table of informants
Respondents were chosen based on their familiarity with a store, gender diversity was as well a goal while choosing the respondents.
Due to the time restraint, the availability of interviewees was a crucial factor. That's why the participants are students. That might be
considered as a weakness of the interview. All interviews were taken personally and were recorded with respondent's permission. The
average tie of an interview was 20 minutes. Recordings were further transcribed. The questions were open and broad, some of the
topics were appearing again in the questions in order to get different opinions without affecting the answer by an interviewer. The
goal of the questions were to better understand needs, problems, desires of customers.

Name Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Epsilon

Gender Female Female Female Male Male

Age 18-24 18-24 18-24 18-24 18-24

Full-time student,
Full-time student, Full-time student,
Occupation part-time teaching Full-time student Full-time student
part-time worker part-time worker
assistant

Frequency / length 2-3 a month, 10 to 2-3 a month, 10 >1 a month, less

1 a year, 20 mins 1 a year, 15 mins
of a visit 30 mins mins than 10 mins
INTERVIEW GRID Do you have any loyalty or reward program that this store offers, and how has that impacted
1 How frequently do you shop at this store, and what items do you typically purchase? 12
your shopping behavior?

2 How long do you approximately stay in the store? 13 Are there any other similar stores you frequently shop at, and how does this store compare?

3 What made you choose this store over others in the area?
Are there any changes or improvements you would like to see the store make in terms of
14 sustainability or environmental impact?

Are there any specific products or brands that you wish the store carried but don't
4
currently offer?
15 Have you recommended this store to friends or family, and if so, why?

5 Do you search for the brand/product online before visiting the store?
16 How important is affordability to you when shopping for groceries and personal care
products?
6 Have you ever visited their website?

17 Are there any specific products or deals that keep you returning to this store?
7 How satisfied are you with the quality of the products available at this store?

18 Have you noticed any changes or trends in the store's offerings or prices over time?
8 Do you have any suggestions for how the store could improve its product selection or
quality?

19 How would you describe the overall atmosphere or vibe of the store while shopping there?

9 Are there any issues you have encountered while shopping at this store, such as product
availability or long lines?
20 How would you rate Normal’s design and branding?

10 Are there any customer service experiences that stand out to you, either positive or
negative? Do you have any suggestions for how the store could better cater to the needs of the local
21
community?

11 How would you rate the overall shopping experience at this store, and what could be
done to improve it, 1-10? 22 What would make you switch to a different store for your grocery and personal care needs?
 Interview Insights
THE CHEAPEST PRICE
As the informants are
students, affordability plays
a crucial role in decision
making while purchasing
personal care products.
Respondents come back to
the store because they know
that they can get the
cheapest price for day-to-
day products like
toothpaste, make up
removals, shampoo or
cosmetics.
BIG VARIETY OF
PRODUCTS
Except the price,
respondents value a big
variety of products.
Interviewees often
mentioned that the quantity
is adequate and wouldn't
imagine neither more nor less
brands and products in the
store. They also expect that
they can find any personal
and household care products
there.
LOCATION
Respondents choose Normal
because of its convenient
locations and/or because it
will be quicker than going to
the supermarket and search
for products there. Some
respondents also remember
the location of their favorite
products.
PURCHASE
Respondents mostly buy the
same products over and over
plus something fun they
don't really need on top. For
example, candies, face masks,
home decor.
PRICE TO QUALITY
RATIO
Respondents value the
quality they get for the price.
Nevertheless, the
expectations for the quality
are not high.
BRANDING
Normal has attractive bright
colours and is easily
recognized. Respondents
highlighted eye-catching
turquise bags which could be
seen everywhere in the city.
7.3
Respondents' average score for the store
 Interview Insights
DIGITAL APPEARENCE
None of the respondents
heard about Normal's
website, neither of their
application. Some of them
mentioned that they would
not use them even if they
knew about them.
PERSONAL CARE
Some of the interviewees
would buy self care products
like skincare or haircare for
special needs from other
stores which offer
professional care
RECOMMENDATIONS
Respondents won't
recommend Normal, because
the store doesn't correspond
with their values. Most of
them value sustainability and
prefer buying in local niche
stores or thrifting. Their
families and friends mostly
have similar values, that is
why some informants are
ashamed to recommend the
store. Nevertheless, they
would definitely recommend
Normal to someone who is
searching for he particular
products or the cheapest
option.
LOCATION
Those who rarely buy in
Normal claimed that they do
not have it near their location
or on the way from their
work/university.
PROMOTIONS
Respondents didn't register
any special offers or
promotions except TikTok.
But none of them were
bothered because of that
due to the cheapest price.
LAYOUT
Labyrinth layout is
something that bothers most
of the respondents.
Sometimes it is hard to
squish through other
customers in order to find
the product you need.
Moreover, it enhances
impulsive purchasing
behaviour.
ATMOSPHERE
Respondents described
atmosphere in the store as
hectic, tacky and
overwhelming. All of them
mentioned long lines at the
cash desk.
Desk research: Reviews
Google Reviews: 4.1 - 4.2, >160 reviews
Trust Pilot: 4.7, 4 722 reviews

"A good deal for the price".

"Quite OK. I found a lot of
products that I couldn't
have otherwise hunted for,
and affordable prices. But
it's a bit cramped and the
queuing system doesn't
work."
"Good products at an affordable price 👍🏼"
"Good prices, long queues"
"Corridors too narrow"
"One of the most unusual shops I checked in Helsinki.. it got anything
you want. I bought from there hair dye, purple shampoo, and some
snacks (the snack section is amazing). They also got beauty products
and the prices are so reasonable"
DESK RESEARCH:
CONSUMERS
Marketing touchpoints
Decorative cosmetics users access the internet
via a desktop PC less often than the average
onliner.
On social media, decorative cosmetics users
interact with companies more often than the
average onliner.
Decorative cosmetics users remember seeing
ads in printed magazines and journals more
often than the average onliner.
Decorative cosmetics users remember seeing ads
on social media more often than the average
onliner.

Demographics

Decorative cosmetics users tend to be younger,

32% are between the ages 18 and 29
37% of decorative cosmetics users have a high
annual household income.
48% of decorative cosmetics users have a
college degree Source: Decorative cosmetic
users in Finland, Statista
DESK RESEARCH:
PURCHASE CRITERIA

The most important criterias are: most of the customers purchase

low price products offline
skin compatibility
Source: Statista quality
Desk research: industry

Revenue in the Beauty, Health, Personal & Household Care segment is projected to reach €616.50m in 2023.
Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 11.36%, resulting in a projected market volume of €948.10m
by 2027.
In the Beauty, Health, Personal & Household Care segment, the number of users is expected to amount to 2.33m users by 2027.
User penetration will be 37.0% in 2023 and is expected to hit 42.0% by 2027.

Source: Statista
 Summary
strengths weaknesses industry

cheap prices valued by long lines targeting at young

customers people
no motivation to use
recognizable brand website and app industry is growing

positive reviews unwelcoming, hectic offline purchases

atmosphere in the store prevailing
big variety of products
with decent quality choice of location is printing magazines and
important social media are main
touchpoints