Ran across this post on Shopper Culture, a blog from the Integer Group, and it is an excellent example of how research can create new strategies and tactics for a company.

In this case, it helped Marks & Spencer, a UK retailer, better serve the needs of their 40 year old+ women shoppers by launching a new line of clothing.  Specific findings mentioned in the post include:

  • Nine out of 10 women over 50 believe they are not the 50-year-old their mother was.
  • Eight out of 10 women take pride in sharing their age.
  • Only 3% of women over 50 would describe themselves as over the hill.
  • 82% of women think turning 50 shouldn’t be a reason to stop having long hair.
  • 98% of women over 50 still wear makeup and 96% still enjoy wearing a pair of killer heels.
  • Almost nine out of 10 (87%) of them believe they can still flaunt cleavage.

Consumer segments are in constant flux and what worked yesterday won’t work tomorrow.  Research, like that conducted by Marks and Spencer, can give a company the insights they need to set them apart from the competition.