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The 8 Items That Moms Value When Buying
by Dottie DeHart

Listen to your mother. It’s good advice for practically everyone. But if you own or manage a store, restaurant, amusement park, sports arena, museum, or any other location where families go to spend money, this friendly little admonishment takes on a whole new meaning. Simply put, mothers control America’s purse strings. And that truth, according to a new book from the Urban Land Institute, is reason enough to get them firmly in your corner.

“It is estimated that women engage in 80%-88% of all consumer spending in the United States,” says Nora Lee, author of “The Mom Factor: What Really Drives Where We Shop, Eat, and Play.” “Now, consider that three-fourths of America’s 108 million adult women are mothers. It doesn’t take a mathematician to see that Moms make well over half the consumer buying decisions in this country! That is staggering financial power.”

Lee has studied what happens when companies ignore Mom and what happens when they acknowledge her. And she has concentrated her findings into what she calls “The Mom Factor Checklist,” eight elements that make a store, restaurant, or other family venue appealing to mothers. Here, condensed from her book, is her list:

1. Health And Safety: Planting The Seeds Of A Customer Dynasty. Moms can see danger around every corner. Spills in the aisle, cholesterol-laden food, inedible decorative plants, rickety roller-coaster wheels, bad sightlines at the arcade, and nasty restrooms at the stadium all represent a very slippery slope. On the other hand, if a business provides quick cleanups, appetizing healthy alternatives, barriers to overly inquisitive little fingers, evidence of regular safety inspections and maintenance, a clear view of the little ones, and sparkling restrooms, it might well have a customer for life.

2. Customer Service: The Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow. Mom says, “Pay attention to me,” but often in a soft, self-deprecating voice. Snooty waiters who prefer adults lose both tips and repeat business, but the waiter who brings the toddler some crackers and the first-grader a set of crayons—without being asked—is golden.

3. Value: Cheap Does Not Always Equal A Good Deal. Some of the wealthiest among us could be found at Target on a Saturday afternoon. Mom’s idea of value translates to a balance of reasonable prices, decent quality, and good selection. Just as Mom will pay more for good customer service, so will she pay more for good quality, but it’s always a balancing act. Cheap flip-flops make sense for one summer of beach-going. But it might be worth it to get a good, warm, more expensive coat (maybe a size too large) to last her youngest the whole winter.

4. Efficiency: When Money Buys Time. Efficiency is why grocery stores now have banks and Jamba Juice, and banks have a Starbucks, and ATMs sell stamps—for those moments when time is of the essence. It’s often a little thing. For instance, there are grocery chains in the United States and the United Kingdom that actually listened when Moms asked them to remove the gum and candy impulse items from the checkout areas. Moms were tired of ending their trips to the store with a battle with the kids over the “I wannas!” Grocery shopping instantly became more pleasant and more efficient.

5. Story: The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of. At a zoo, establishing a personal connection with an orangutan named Clyde, who’s 22 years old, loves blueberries, and has a jealous mate named Audrey, helps both Mom and child immerse themselves personally in Clyde’s story and, more broadly, in the story of a Southeast Asian forest habitat in danger. Story helps not only in theme parks, zoos, museums, and attractions, but also to a lesser extent in malls, stores, restaurants, and sporting events. Even the flashing lights and thunder that accompany the misting of produce in many grocery stores represent a kind of storytelling.

6. Comfort: Now, It’s Personal. OK, my feet are killing me, and I’ve spent $213 for bags full of stuff that are now dragging me down. Where do I sit for a minute? How about my kids, who of course have all the energy I lack? Mom wants to be comfortable. She wants clean restrooms and plenty of them, good ventilation and smoking control, effective queue management, tables that don’t smash Dad’s knees when he sits down, room to maneuver around racks of merchandise, and maybe even a peaceful place to retreat to for a few minutes, before tackling the to-do list again. Invest in her comfort and she will invest in you.

7. Learning And Teaching Opportunities: The School Of Mom. Mom looks for education everywhere: the milking display at the county fair, the furniture factory tour, the traveling display on the life of Ray Charles at the mall, the hayride outside of town, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland, and Hall of Fame displays at the football stadium. Even restaurants can offer lesson opportunities, if Grandpa draws on the paper tablecloth while the little ones watch, or the décor consists of World War II flyers’ memorabilia.

8. Fun: The Pursuit of Amusement Equality. Whether the destination is a family entertainment center, museum, local mall, sporting event or the beach, Mom aims for the most fun for the most people, and all too often sacrifices her own enjoyment for that of others. After all, she knows firsthand the cost of disappointment; it’s written on the faces of her kids. The destination that helps her in her quest will win her dollars and her loyalty. The one that considers her pleasure and then delivers will win her devotion—and a small shrine on which she will place generous offerings of chocolate and comfortable shoes!

There’s one more undeniable reason to cater to Mom: she has lots and lots of influence. She’s doing the purchasing not just for herself, but also for an average of three additional people. Make her happy and she’ll see to it that those additional people continue to be loyal customers for years to come.

“You know the old adage, ‘If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy’?” queries Lee. “Stitch it on a sampler and hang it over your desk. Mom should drive every business decision you make if you want to entertain her and her family. It’s simple. If you build it so that Mom will come, she will bring everybody else with her and they will love it, too. If it’s good for Mom, it’s good for others. And it’s especially good for your bottom line.”

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