After years of turmoil, shoppers have moved on, says WSL Strategic Retail’s 13th edition of How America Shops® MegaTrends study. Now, shoppers are wiser in ways of extracting value, more reserved about how much they need and they’re more moderate in their aspirations. In this new shopping order, here are the characteristics that define the new customer:

1.    Accepting of the New Reality: The economy is not getting better any time soon, said the vast majority of women respondents. They’ve accepted the new reality, and have moved on. Seven out of 10 have changed how they shop, including how they shop for beauty. Looking for better prices is the key reason two-thirds of the women have changed how they shop for cosmetics, skin care and hair care. No wonder drugstores have picked up the share of beauty shoppers over the last two years.

2.    Moderation Is Now Her Middle Name: Half of women said they can only afford “the basics.” They’ve become smarter about where to get the best price, do their homework before they buy and shop more places to get what they want, including and especially for beauty products. Women now shop an average of 15% more places (bricks and clicks) for cosmetics, skin and hair care than they did two years ago.

3.    Recognize “Real” Shoppers: Income segmentation has been sliced and diced and over-analyzed. The future depends on only two segments: the affluent and everyone else. It takes a significantly higher income to feel financially secure today: nearly 30% of shoppers with six-figure incomes ($100,000-$150,000) say they can only afford “the basics.”

4.    The Youth Market Is No Longer the Golden Beauty Ticket: Millennials are shaken, uncertain and more focused on buying “the basics” than older shoppers.  They need a new vernacular to be reached—only then will they buy. One in four Millennials say they only have enough money to cover the basics. That’s the highest percentage of any group.

5.    Stores Will Shrink in Number and Size: Technology and the economy mean that we no longer need so many physical stores. It’s critical to understand categories that will move out of the aisles first, and what to do about it. One in four women say they now buy fragrance online, while one in five buy cosmetics and skin care online.

6.    What’s Worth it Now?: Americans will buy, but only if it’s worth it. The key to the future is creating a new value proposition—and it’s not all about price.

For more information and to purchase How America Shops 2012 MegaTrends “Moving On”, click on www.wslstrategicretail.com.