Back-to-school shopping is kicking into high-gear as children across the country prepare to head back to class over the next several weeks. Plenty of studies have shown that children influence household purchasing decisions. That got us wondering: just how much of a role do children play at the demonstration cart? We sat down with Sales Advisor Rita Reno to get her take.
“In my experience, children are often the ones who convince their parents to stop by my cart to see what I have,” says Reno. “About 90 percent of the time, their child is the deciding factor in whether or not to buy the product. If the child doesn’t like it or doesn’t want to try it, it becomes a lot harder to convince the parents to buy it.”
Fortunately, says Reno, the opposite is also true. “I’ve seen the persuasive power children can have when they like the product and convince their parents to buy it, even after first saying ‘no.’”
All of this assumes that the parents have given permission for children to sample in the first place. Sales Advisors must always ask for parents’ permission first to ensure children aren’t allergic to any items being sampled. “Most children come with their parents. But for children who run up to my cart alone, I kindly tell them that I will be glad to give them a sample as soon as their parents let me know that it is okay. That way they know I have a sample waiting for them and they don’t feel rejected.”
Engaging with children respectfully like this is just as important as it is with their parents, says Reno. “When you make a customer of any age feel acknowledged and appreciated, they will look forward to visiting your cart in the future.”