Shoe shoppers are equal parts frugal and fancy
Would you rather be fit, fashionable, or thrifty? Many consumers are more than likely to be all three, according to those who recently shopped at a sports shoe retailer.
- 44% of our survey respondents update their sports shoes regularly, so they can perform at their best.
- 62% factor colour and design into their decision, because they want to be considered “fashionable”.
- 36% say price is more important than shoe functionality / performance. This is especially true for men (42% agreed as such, versus 29% of women).
Speaking of price, a reasonable proportion of New Zealanders are happy to trade personalised service for price, with nearly a quarter of shoppers buying shoes online at a cheaper cost … after trying them on in store beforehand. At least a quarter do say they buy sports shoes online from New Zealand retailers. Hearteningly for bricks and mortar stores, around 88% still like to buy shoes face to face, with 75% of respondents enjoying the specialised service from a physical shoe store.
So there’s value in shopping both online and in store – but where should you go? We surveyed sports shoe shoppers, both those who shopped online and those who shopped in store. Looking at eight different brands in these results, Shoe Clinic was fastest off the mark – receiving our Most Satisfied Customers Award – Sports Shoe Retailers, 2014. They did so with five star ratings in overall satisfaction, customer service, and its range of accessories.
Smith’s Sports Shoes, Stirling Sports, The Athlete’s Foot, Rebel Sport, Number One Shoes, Footlocker, and The Warehouse were all rated in these results as well. In other top results:
- Number One Shoes received the five star nod for value for money, and
- Smith’s Sports Shoes received five for its shoe /brand range.
Our full results are available in the table above.
