The research reports provide a solid overview of the current consumer landscape at a granular, community level as well as the trends shaping local shopping. They cover eight main business categories where local consumer behaviour was surveyed. These include:

• Tech (cellphones, shopping retailers)
• Leisure (entertainment, gambling, eating, shows, travel)
• Loyalty (current use, best value/benefits)
• Food and groceries (shopping, retailers, categories)
• Fashion, beauty, health (clothing retailers, hair, treatments, supplements, fitness tracking)
• Transport (public, cars, servicing, purchases)
• Finance (banks, accounts, insurance, monthly outgoings)
• Home (structure, shopping, retailers)

The reports delve into the Roots data, answering pertinent questions around why consumers are switching products, brands and even retailers. They also take a closer look at the brands disrupting the existing consumer landscape, and the inroads they have made in influencing consumer spend.

For clients wanting a broader view of South African communities at a regional level, or drilled-down detail within specific local communities, BMi Research can customise the reports.

Michelle Daines, research manager at BMi Research, says the company draws on more than 50 years’ experience across the South African market value chain in providing these trends and analysis of ‘local South Africa’.

“For both companies with a national footprint and local community businesses targeting consumers, they need to know what these shoppers are thinking, how their shopping baskets are changing and why. They need insights into the trends to understand the key drivers behind these shifts in order to use this information strategically in making important business decisions,” explains Daines, who adds that consumers differ vastly at the community level, leaving no room for the homogenous, one-size-fits-all research approach of old.

Roots is a national survey, conducted within local communities, that surveys consumers’ shopping behaviour. From Polokwane in the north to Parow in the south, it asks economically active South Africans questions across several business categories, revealing deep insights into the decisions governing their retail spend.

Roots 8.1 was commissioned by Spark Media, undertaken by the India-based Borderless Access and published by Caxton Media

It surveyed 25,000 adults aged 18+ representing 10.8 million adults and 4.5 million households in 107 communities. The research was conducted via an online panel with supplementary face-to-face interviews taking place in communities where digital connection was limited.

The findings offer a highly accurate geo-targeted view of local shoppers, which BMi Research then has the capability to distill even further to help businesses really get to know their customers.

To book a presentation of the general trends and analysis of the consumer category most aligned to your business, email Michelle Saines at az.oc.imb@ellehcim.