How do you know where to open your next business venture? You might have been thinking of opening a new coffee shop. What if you could harness the lifestyle and travel patterns of your customers to understand their needs better? Believe it or not, this information is essential for your business. Let’s explore why.
Everyone has a lifestyle.
Whether you’re a busy executive or a stay-at-home mom, you have a lifestyle that affects how and where you spend your time. And as a business owner, it’s important to understand these lifestyles to cater to your customers.
For example, if you’re targeting young professionals, you might want to open your shop in an urban center. If your target market is retirees, a beach town may be a better location. Also, lifestyle changes over time, so knowing lifestyle patterns can help you predict where your customers will be.
If you’re selling coffee beans and brews, you also need to consider how travel patterns affect your business. People are constantly on the go, and their travel habits change depending on their lifestyles.
When you think of lifestyles, start thinking of early retirement.
According to census data, the fastest-growing age group is people aged 65 or older. That’s a lot of free time to travel! Census information also shows that retirees are often interested in scenic getaways and personal enrichment activities, like learning new languages or visiting museums. Keep this in mind when choosing locations for your coffee shops. The location should appeal not only to the retired set but also to their lifestyle interests to attract them as customers.
You’re already targeting lifestyle factors when deciding on menu items and store design, so why not consider lifestyle when choosing locations? Knowing lifestyle needs can help you get started with your next business venture.
Lifestyle and travel patterns by lifestyle type:
- Retirees: beach towns, scenic getaways, personal enrichment activities
- Young professionals: urban centers, coffee shops on the way to work
- Empty nesters: small town downtowns or suburbs away from main routes with kids grown and gone
- Families: suburban neighborhoods with parks and schools nearby, midday meal stops, drive-thru service
- Students: areas near colleges and universities, late-night spots with Wi-Fi
- Stay-at-home parents: specialty coffee shops on the way to kids’ activities
- Working parents: areas near work, coffee spots with Wi-Fi and comfy seats, drive-thru service
What about travel patterns?
In addition to lifestyle, travel patterns are also essential to consider when opening a business. After all, people don’t just stay put. They travel for work, for pleasure, and sometimes even for both. Even homebodies want to get away on occasion.
Understanding your target market is vital. For example, if you’re targeting business travelers, you’ll want to locate your coffee shop near airports and other transportation hubs. Pleasure travelers will be looking for exciting places to explore, so consider historical districts or areas with a lot of tourist attractions.
It’s important to remember that travel patterns change over time. What’s popular now may not be in a few years. Keep an eye on the latest travel trends to better understand your customers.
People love to travel.
Americans take almost 2.3 billion trips every year. That’s a lot of potential customers out there. So as a business owner, it’s essential to understand the travel patterns of your customers as well.
It’s important to know what types of trips your customers take. Are they weekend getaways or week-long vacations? Do they like to explore new places or visit their favorite destinations? This information can help you tailor your marketing efforts and ensure that you’re reaching your target audience.
The fact is that lifestyle and travel patterns are essential to understanding and catering to your customers. By knowing what makes them tick, you can create a business that appeals not only to them but also to their lifestyle interests.
How can you use this information?
Well, if you know that most of your customers are stay-at-home moms, for example, you might want to consider opening a coffee shop near a park or other family-friendly destination. Or if you know that your customers love to travel, you can consider expanding your business to include online sales or shipping.
It’s easy to forget that lifestyle and travel factors can affect your business since you tend to focus on more tangible things like menu items, store design, and location factors. But lifestyle and travel patterns are just as important—if not more so—than these issues. So don’t forget about lifestyle information when making crucial decisions for your coffee shop.
Lifestyle and travel patterns can influence your business. When you know lifestyle factors such as age, lifestyle interests, and travel patterns of your customers, you can better understand how to appeal to them. That’s why lifestyle and travel information is essential for business owners.
