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How Restrooms Shape Shopping Behavior: 3 Women Share Their Stories
Tue, 03/11/2008 - 04:15 — lindaloo
- My neighbor, Paula, raised five daughters, and that’s a lot of mouths to feed. When we chatted in the back yard recently, she shared that she shopped exclusively at the Alpha Beta grocery store when her girls were young — for one reason alone: they had the best bathroom. Price was not a factor. Whether the groceries were priced higher or lower than the competition, she didn’t know or care. What she did know was that at least one of her kids would need to use the bathroom during the shopping trip . . . and she wanted them to have a clean place to go. Multiply Paula’s story times many other shoppers and the impact of restrooms on shopping behavior adds up.
- Last month at PMA, magazine editor Jennifer told me that she has 3 young children and a choice of two malls. One is 10 minutes from her home and the other is 30 minutes away. Which does she choose? The farther one. Why? Because it has six family restrooms. These restrooms make the outing so much easier on her that it is worth the extra drive. And on the way to and fro, she knows exactly where to stop for potty breaks and a snack. She patronizes the same tried and true places every time. (Be sure to read another of Jennifer’s stories in Potty Talk. Poor quality toilet paper and a locking dispenser keep her away from a particular eatery each week.)
- My hairdresser, Vickie, shared with animation her bottom line when it comes to restaurant restrooms. If the bathroom is dirty, she will leave and never go back. When she is out to eat, she knows she will have to go, and she will not tolerate facilities below her high standards. Her family teases her that they can eat in her bathroom which she fastidiously keeps sparkling. (She keeps disposable cleaning wipes at hand and swabs it down multiple times daily.)
These are definitely
These are definitely certified restroom stories.
porta johns
I won't go near most
I won't go near most supermarket restrooms. The exception is Whole Foods - I know I can count on them to be clean, pleasant and easily accessible, whatever town I'm in. And I always buy something from a store or restaurant that lets me use the restroom, even if it's just a token amount.