Mind The Gap

About Mind The Gap

There is lack of knowledge around the shopping needs, barriers, and experiences of culturally minoritised groups navigating today’s retail landscape. They are then underrepresented and underserved across their shopping journeys.

We don’t believe this is fair. We believe all shoppers deserve smooth, accessible, and engaging experiences that meet their needs. Our mission is to help make this happen.

We set up the ‘Mind the Gap’ initiative to shine a light on the experience gap for marginalised communities in commerce spaces. Through research and the development of thought leadership pieces, we are spotlighting the unmet needs of these underrepresented shoppers. With the launch of our first paper, we will circulate our findings to inspire brands and retailers to be more authentically inclusive as a moral, as well as commercial, imperative.

The Black Beauty Shopping Experience

In our first report, The Black Beauty Shopping Experience, we have explored Black women in the UK navigate and perceive the beauty retailing industry.

Following in-depth interviews, survey, and analysis, the report reveals their product needs, top drivers of discovery and consideration, where and how purchases are made (channels), shopping experience frustrations and barriers, and what shoppers wish to see from retailers and brands.

More About Our Mission

It’s not fair that many shopping experiences are created with only some audiences in mind. That others must settle for unsatisfactory solutions that they waste precious time, money, and effort to attain.

The imperative for the industry to take action is clear:

54% of global consumers believe “Brands have an important part to play in the social conversation about issues like gender equality, race or immigrant relations” (Kantar Global Monitor, 2021)
84% of British people from all ethnic groups agreed that it is important for brands to promote diversity and inclusion (The Consumer Equality Equation, WPP, 2022)
£16.7 trillion is the projected cumulative disposable income of people from Minority Ethnic groups in the UK by 2061 (The Consumer Equality Equation, WPP, 2022)

Actively listening to the voices of discerning shoppers can help brands and retailers accelerate cultural transformation and growth. Our insights are designed to help marketers understand and unlock these opportunities in commerce and create more desirable retail experiences for shoppers.

The Black Beauty Shopping Experience project was originally developed by our colleague, Tamara Seabrook. Her passion and dedication to inclusion serve as a lasting inspiration, driving us to forefront necessary topics and conversations in our work.

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