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Home and office workers adopt different purchasing habits: Criteo

A recent survey by global technology company Criteo delved into the working habits around the world and discovered Australia was the top nation working from home with almost one in three (28%) stating they mostly work from home now, ahead of the UK (26%), US (23%) and Japan (22%).

It found Millennials and Gen X made up the majority of home workers (81%), and people working from home were more likely to earn more than their office-based peers and have quite different shopping habits.

The survey found home workers were more likely to purchase alcohol (beer, wine, spirits), footwear and clothing, while other workers bought more essential products such as groceries, household products and personal hygiene products. This survey sample size involved 5,626 Australians and took place between May 2021 to March 2022.

Additionally, Millennials and Gen X made up 81% of home workers and 73% of other workers.

From those surveyed, home workers were in higher paid jobs than other workers with 55% earning above A$100,000.

Furthermore, 95% of home workers had their online deliveries sent to their home via mail or carrier, compared to 92% of other workers. 77% of home workers purchased online then picked up in store, with only 70% of other workers choosing this option, and 61% of home workers purchased online and picked up from the parking lot or curbside, compared to 56% of other workers.

Criteo managing director, Colin Barnard, told Mumbrella the most surprising aspect of the research is the difference between purchase behaviours from those at home, compared to the office.

“With home workers more likely to purchase alcohol, clothing and footwear, compared to other workers who are predominately buying essentials, marketers need to keep this differentiation in mind when developing their content and targeting consumers as we continue to work in new environments,” Barnard said.

He explained why it is important for advertisers to be on the front foot with personalised advertising during this time of hybrid work.

“A recent Criteo study confirmed that the majority of Australians now see online ads for products they would like to buy and more than two in three Gen Zers and Millennials confirmed they click on ads while using the internet,” Barnard said. “While this is becoming more common, it is important for marketers to have a deep understanding of their target consumer, its changing purchase behaviours and priorities.

Knowing the consumer’s work arrangements could be an extra piece of the puzzle that can allow marketers to personalise content to reach and resonate with their customers on a deeper level.

Barnard added targeting the consumer with personalised products will only get marketers so far if they don’t have the right message to accompany the right product.

“Marketing a set of headphones to someone working from home could focus on the ease of connecting to laptops or smartphones, increased comfort for wearing through multiple meetings and the quality of the microphone for clarity.

“While targeting those commuting to the office, marketers could centre their messaging around portability and noise cancelling features. Our research also reveals a difference between home workers and other workers’ choices in chosen route of delivery such as picking up in store or click and collect.

“Understanding this important, final step in the purchasing journey highlights new behaviours and preferences that may impact the marketer’s choice of messaging moving forward,” he said.

Barnard also explained how commerce-focused AI and data work together to help brands and retailers create smarter consumer experiences.

“As marketers prepare for the future of addressability, they need to develop and leverage first-party consumer data to continue to provide Australians with the hyper-personalised targeting they have become accustomed to,” he said. “Leveraging Criteo’s Shopper Graph, boasting one of the world’s largest sets of commerce data, marketers can gain a more holistic view of their consumers from online and offline shopper identities across devices, browsers, apps and other environments.

“This data, paired with AI technology, delivers richer consumer experiences and ultimately drives commerce outcomes across sales, revenue, and leads. It’s important to note that this is made possible through the open internet, where marketers and media owners are connected to essentially create an open internet marketplace and drive smarter consumer experiences.”

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