New year, new starts

Entering the new year, the months of preparing for Christmas and stocking the store high with boxes of chocolates and bottles of Champagne are long gone. So as it’s 
out with old and in with the new, it’s helpful to know that 32% of men and 42% of women are 
this year making a new year’s resolution. As a result, retailers may need to think about changing their strategy and helping out shoppers with their resolutions, write’s HIM’s Chloe Kent.

With 33% of people saying their resolution this year is to eat healthier, retailers could consider offering healthier alternatives in their store for their shoppers.

For example, when shoppers were asked what they would like to see offered in a meal deal as an alternative to crisps, 35% answered bagged fruit and 26% answered veg and dip pots. Evidently, a focus for January needs to be skewed towards fresh and healthier options for shoppers and 
away from confectionery, unhealthy snacks and alcohol.

As well as healthier eating, 17% of people claim to be going dry for January. Given the rise in choice of non-alcoholic beers and alcohol-free alternatives, such as those from the likes of Heineken and Kopparberg, retailers can avoid losing out on sales from shoppers usually buying alcohol, while also helping out those who struggle to stick to their new year’s resolution. As 15% of people only stick to their resolutions for less than a week, alcohol-free options could help those struggling to quit.

Lastly, the new year is a prime time for smokers to decide to quit; 8% say they are planning on quitting or cutting down in the new year, and cigarettes and tobacco are continuing to be a declining footfall driver. This January could be an opportunity for retailers to embrace changing trends and switch their focus to e-cigarettes and smoking alternatives.

While not all shoppers will be making new year’s resolutions to be healthier, retailers undoubtedly need to move away from focusing solely on unhealthy options for shoppers this January.