FASH 135: Merchandise Buying

Type a zip code into the search box to find tables, maps, and data about this area.

Click on VIEW PROFILE to see data about the population in this zip code, such as educational attainment, age, race & ethnicity, etc. Click on VIEW THIS RESULT to access more detailed numbers about more categories (e.g., family characteristics, transportation and commuting characteristics, etc.).

Claritas 360 will help you find information about customers engaging in certain activities and behaviors. The process can be confusing, so here is a step-by-step breakdown to get a report:

• Click on the link above, and then click "Claritas 360" from the top menu. Then click "Log In to Claritas 360."
• Click "Reports," then "Segmentation Reports"
• Click "Profiler Reports," then "Profile Worksheet"
• PRIZM Premier is the only option on the page, make sure it is grayed/selected, and click "Next" (if you are on a larger monitor, you may need to complete the "Select Profile" info before clicking "Next").
• Use the search bar to enter a keyword related to your institution, keeping in mind it has information about specific behaviors.
  • Try the name of the store: "Macys"
  • Terms that include "wear" do not work (i.e., women's wear), but try "clothes," "clothing," or "apparel." You can also try to be more specific, for example: "casual clothing," "maternity clothes," etc.
  • Alternatively, you can browse by clicking: Claritas Profiles -> Claritas Consumer Profiles -> Retail Shopping -> (scroll down to any relevant option, such as "Items bought in past 12 months, Athletic clothing, $100-500") 
• Click on your chosen behavior from the list (you can choose more than one), and click "Next."
• At the bottom of the page, change the "Analysis Area Profile Projection" to ON.
• Click "Next" again, and identify your Analysis Area (type the city, county, etc,). Choose the option by clicking on it and click "Next."
• Choose the demographics you are interested in, click "Next" (you may want all of them).
• Enter a report name (e.g., Macy's Customers) - this will help you remember what you were researching, especially if you need to go back into Claritas for this report; Click "Submit" (it may take several minutes).
• Click "Report Output" to download your report.

The first piece of information you will want to check on this report is the "Index," which is the very last column on the right.

• The higher the index number, the more likely that "segment group" is to participate in that behavior. (Below 100 = less likely to do, over 100 = more likely to do). Find the groups with the highest index numbers on the list, and those are the segments that are more likely to do the behavior(s) you include for this report.
• Each segment group has corresponding demographics such as age, household income, household composition (w/ or w/out kids), lifestage group, urbanicity (what type of area they live), education level, etc.

To site reports from SDRS/Claritas, use the format below for APA. The italicized part will change depending on the report you are citing - include the location (if there is one or more) and what is being reported, with the type of report in square brackets.

SRDS Media Solutions. (2020). Sacramento, CA [DMA profile]. Claritas 360. https://next.srds.com/

In-text citation:

(SRDS Media Solutions, 2020)