Loose change, lotion and expired coupons

Editor’s note: Kelley Styring is principal of InsightFarm Inc., a Newberg, Ore., research firm.

This article is based on an ethnographic project in which the contents of the purses of 100 women in Portland, Ore., and Plano, Texas, were analyzed in great detail. The women, ranging in age from 18 to 64, were recruited in shopping malls. The exploration began with taking each purse’s weight and measurements and photographing its contents (the women weren’t allowed to clean out their purse in any way prior to the research). The respondents then emptied the contents and were asked a series of questions regarding the purse: history, habits, likes/dislikes, etc. The contents were grouped by the respondent, and the groups were named and inventoried. Each respondent then participated in a qualitative interview to assess the bag’s emotional role, context and the woman’s history carrying a purse.

More than 30 product categories were represented in the purses we examined. There are 15 product categories that are found in more than half of all purses - demonstrating the vital nature of these items, since they must be carried on her person every day.

Access to finances comprises the most important category of items in the purse. Cell phones and keys comprise the rest of the top tier of items. Second-tier items include medications, sunglasses and beauty care items. Third-tier items include cigarettes, glasses and schedulers/planners.

The remainder of this article explores some of the top product categories in detail from most common to least common.

Finance: 99 percent

Nearly every respondent in this study carries some items of a financial nature: wallets, checkbooks, credit cards, debit cards and other bank information. Women who are married, college-educated and with higher incomes are more likely to carry credit cards and carry more types of cards. Those who frequently use coupons are more likely to carry store-brand credit cards, indicating a higher level of shopping involvement than the average respondent. Women who carry heavier bags with a higher number of items are more likely to carry credit cards and a checkbook. Conversely, smaller bags are less likely to contain a checkbook and more likely to bear loose cash.

Women carry $42 on average in their purses: $30 in the wallet, if they have one, $10 in cash loose in the purse or in a pocket and about $2 in loose change. Change is accumulated over time and rarely accessed at retail. An enterprising retailer might develop a system that stores change under $1 on a reward card. Upon next purchase, the reward card would apply that change as a discount to purchase. This rewards the customer and removes cost from the retail system in terms of coin management.

Reward cards and memberships: 98 percent

The rewards and memberships category comprises video/club cards, retail reward cards, punch cards for frequent buyers, library and gift cards. Nearly all respondents in this study carry some type of membership documentation in their purses. Retail reward cards are carried by nearly three out of every four respondents. This is followed closely by membership cards for video or club stores. Blockbuster Video tops the list of specific brands but is overshadowed by the total collection of punch cards for frequent purchases, most often for local merchants. Keychain cards are prevalent.

Given the numbers of cards carried, they contribute significantly to complexity and clutter in the purse. Alternatives to cards would be appreciated by women to streamline transactions and improve “findability” in the purse.

Office supplies: 93 percent

Almost every respondent had some type of office supply in her purse. Pens and other writing utensils are the most commonly carried items; promotional pens from companies or “various” sources are the most common type of pen. Pencils, on the other hand, are rarely branded.

Scraps of paper or notes and lists are the next most common, typically carried to remind the respondent of important information. These scraps are frequently forgotten and become trash that clutters the bag. This suggests opportunity for information management that could be leveraged by personal technology devices.

Beauty/hair care: 91 percent

Beauty care is one of the most extensive categories represented in the average purse. It consists of cosmetics, cosmetic accessories, fragrances, moisturizing lotions and hair care items. Lip cosmetics lead the way in terms of beauty care items in the purse with only 14 percent of all purses not containing a lip cosmetic.

Many of these products were purchased in attractive packages that, over time, were damaged, removing brand appeal and brand identification. This indicates an innovation opportunity for both packaging and printing technology.

Nearly a third of all purses contain some type of skin cosmetics. Powder/compacts top the list with nearly one out of every four women carrying it in their purse. Foundation, concealer and blush round out the other top skin cosmetics in the bag.

For almost half of those carrying a cosmetic accessory, that accessory is a makeup bag used to collect loose items into “findable” units in the purse.

One in five women carries a fragrance in her purse. Many of the fragrances observed were not in smaller travel sizes. Fragrances tended to be light in potency, like body mist or spray, and not high-end, designer fragrances.

One in three purses contains a moisturizing lotion, principally for hand and body use. While some lotions may have contained sunscreen, this is clearly not yet a prevalent behavior or recognized benefit.

One in five women carries a brush and/or comb for grooming. Importantly, there were no styling products in any of the purses researched.

Identification: 91 percent

Most women in this study carry some type of personal identification. Most identification is in the form of a driver’s license. About half carry other identifying documents, most frequently a Social Security card. ID badges for employment, school or other purposes are carried about as often.

Very few respondents use a specialized ID holder. This may be an opportunity for innovation to help respondents quickly and easily retrieve identification when needed.

Security and access: 86 percent

Car lock/remote: 19 percent

More than four out of five respondents carry keys. Car lock fobs (electronic openers) are carried by nearly one in five women in this study. Garage door openers are carried in purses by 2 percent of women in this study. ID badges, carried by one in five, are included in this section because they give access to the workplace via bar codes or electronic swipe readers.

Interestingly, women carry keys and keychains in great big gobs. Women frequently use the sound of the keychain while shaking their purses to locate their keys. Keychains are often adorned with sentimental items, souvenirs and gift keepsakes. Innovation in this area would focus on what could help women streamline their keychains, yet find keys quickly or eliminate the need for keys altogether.

Receipts: 85 percent

Women carry receipts in their purses and hold onto them somewhat compulsively. Over time, these receipts become outdated, damaged and degrade into trash. When they are disposed of, it is en masse, as the bag is cleaned and restored to greater utility.

Cell phones/accessories: 74 percent

Nearly three quarters of all purses contain cell phones, and many also hold some type of phone accessory such as chargers, ear pieces, etc. The most common brands of cell phones include Motorola, Samsung and Nokia.

Some women carry their cell phones in an external pocket of the bag for quick access. Others used very loud ring tones as a way to locate the phone loose in the bag. Yet others purchase a cell phone pouch that attached to the bag. All of these behaviors suggest the importance of the cell phone, the premium placed on quick access when needed and how women use different methods to increase findability.

Insurance: 71 percent

Nearly three quarters of all respondents in this study carry insurance documentation in their purse. Medical/dental tops the list of types of items carried for insurance purposes.

Many respondents also carry insurance paperwork in their purse either as proof of insurance (medical) or to follow up on issues noted in the paperwork. In many cases, these important items are damaged and difficult to read. This suggests an innovation opportunity.

Food, gum, candy: 63 percent

More than half of all women with purses carry some type of food item. This is most often a mint, candy or gum item, though more than 5 percent carry some type of bar product, like a granola bar. This suggests a need for highly efficient foods or beverages or nutritive gums or mints that offer filling, nutritious, on-the-go benefits with little bulk in the bag.

Health care: 61 percent

Many women who carry a purse carry at least one health care item, mainly medications. Pain medications top the list of remedies carried in the purse. Birth control pills are carried by 6 percent of respondents.

Many prescription bottles are unmarked, unlabeled and contain unidentifiable medications. One out of every 10 respondents had at least one loose pill in the purse, typically discarded at the end of the interview along with other trash.

Packaging and organization of medical items could solve important problems for women including safety, hygiene, identification of medications and the ability to find these critical products when needed.

Coupons: 61 percent

One in three respondents uses coupons for more than half of her grocery trips, yet coupons are carried by nearly two-thirds of respondents. This suggests opportunity for innovative approaches to couponing and coupon-carrying mechanisms.

Brand coupons are underrepresented in purses, suggesting that they are not as appealing as store coupons or those for other outlets such as restaurants (coded as “various”).

Coupons were a frequent “discard” during the course of these interviews. Almost one in 10 women threw a coupon in the trash when her interview was complete. Most often this was due to expiration but sometimes due to interest that had waned between clipping the coupon and the opportunity to redeem.

Eye care: 61 percent

More than half of respondents carry items for vision care in their purse. Sunglasses are the most common vision care item, carried by a full 40 percent of women in this study. Eyeglasses are carried by about a third, and nearly one in six carries eye drops. Eye care items require special care and are generally in some type of case/holder. Sunglasses are not always stored in this way and so are subject to damage and wear.

Photographs: 59 percent

Nearly 60 percent of total respondents carry photographs in their purses. Generally, these are photographs of loved ones. Unfortunately, most of them are not enjoyed often because they are stuffed in wallets behind credit cards and other items. In fact, very few are kept in any type of photo holder or case.

Trash and scrap paper: 51 percent

Trash was accounted for in two ways in this study. First, women were asked to designate a pile for trash. This tended to include obvious things like gum and candy wrappers (most common), loose tobacco, straw wrappers and other debris, typically made of paper. About half of all women in this study could create such a pile.

Respondents would then add “discards” - what they wanted to throw away at the end of the interview - to the trash pile. While wrappers are trash automatically after the item is unwrapped, other things become trash over time. Coupons expire, receipts become irrelevant and other items like cough drops, pens and pencils and even tampons can’t survive the harsh purse environment. Packages that dispense product without leaving wrappers behind and products that are packaged sturdily are two of many potential avenues to pursue.

Nail care: 31 percent

Nail files and clippers are carried by close to one-third of all women in their purses. Nail polish is carried by only 4 percent of all respondents. This suggests that the occasions for nail care are quick touch-up or damage repair and not beautifying moments. This could open doors for innovative new products.

Feminine care: 28 percent

One in four women carries tampons or pads in her purse. This number is surprisingly low, given the number of women who claim that the need for feminine protection is why they started carrying a purse. It may be that women carry them only in anticipation of need. Equally as likely, however, is the fact that keeping these products in the purse long-term leads to damage and lack of usefulness because of insufficient packaging protection for purse storage.

Tissues: 27 percent

One in four women carries facial tissues, often loose or in sandwich bags from home. Only 6 percent of women discarded tissues at the end of our interview. This suggests that the tissue is considered important by those who carry them but insufficiently protected, so they compensate by bringing their own bags or just tossing them out when they become too grimy to use. This situation offers many avenues for package innovation in this category.

Hand sanitizers/moist wipes/skin cleaners: 23 percent

About one in four carries a cleansing product for personal use. Hand sanitizer outpaces moist wipes by about 50 percent. This suggests a strong need to clean hands without water.

Food/drink supplies: 23 percent

Almost one in four respondents carries an eating or drinking implement of some type. Most of these are napkins or toothpicks, but a few are carrying utensils, straws and even bottle openers in their purses. All of these items are susceptible to the unclean environment of the purse. Some of them were wrapped but not wrapped well and most were unwrapped.

Oral care: 22 percent

Oral care items are carried by one in five respondents in their purses. Dental floss is the most common item, but toothbrushes, breath strips and even tooth wipes were found. Almost none were in any type of protected, closed package. Toothbrushes were the item most likely to be carried in a plastic sandwich bag.

Religious items: 15 percent

Items of religious significance are carried in a modest number of purses. These take the form of rosaries, funeral cards, medals, crosses and even notes from Bible study classes. Most of these items were carried as reminders or tokens.

Weapons: 14 percent

Fourteen percent of women in this study carry items that could be considered weapons, and the knife is the weapon of choice. Several of these knives are more of the utility variety (Swiss Army), but, more often than not, these knives were carried for protection. This is interesting because a knife is an intimate method of defense. Close proximity is necessary in order to use a knife as a weapon. Perhaps a better form of protection designed for a woman’s needs and for ready access in her purse would be useful. Other protection items, carried at much lower levels, included flashlights and pepper spray.

Personal technology: 13 percent

More than one in 10 women carries some form of personal technology in her purse. These items typically take two forms: electronic storage media and MP3 players. Innovation opportunities could include dust/dirt protection and crush-proof storage. Functionality of these products could be further leveraged to replace scrap paper and other information collection methods and help keep track of a woman’s schedule. Only about one in six carries some type of time-management tool, yet for those who carry them, it’s a very important item. This is fertile ground for innovation.

Keepsakes: 10 percent

Many women carry irreplaceable keepsakes and mementos in their purses. They perceive this as a safe place, yet purses are lost and stolen every day. When a purse is stolen, it is the personal keepsakes that are missed most.

Keepsakes are frequently damaged or destroyed and not accessed often for enjoyment. There could be innovation opportunity to help women showcase and enjoy their keepsakes in the purse or innovation to help women keep better track of their purses.

Cameras/accessories: 8 percent

Cameras and camera accessories are carried by only a handful of respondents. Digital options outpace disposable cameras by more than two to one. Given the number of photographs carried, this might suggest an opportunity for digital photo capture and display in a single device and device integration.