Buying Trend$: Solutions Survey Reports Buyers' Attitudes In Canada

All the research presented so far in this column deals with consumer behavior in the U.S. But what about its neighbor to the north? What are the music-buying habits and attitudes among Canadians?
Solutions Research Group Consultants, a Toronto-based research and consulting firm, has provided some of the answers.
In random phone calls throughout Canada in April, the company polled 1,214 people aged 15 and older. Both English- and French-speaking consumers were queried. The results were tallied and compared with a study done last November. Solutions calls the survey "In The Name Of Cool" and plans to make it an annual event.
One line of questioning, the results of which should be of great interest to labels, was "How many songs off an album by a new act did consumers need to hear before going out to buy the recording?" The results indicate the importance of labels continuing to market and promote an album through several releases to radio and music video channels.
Of those queried, 40% said they had to hear one or two songs before buying, 27% said three, and 23% said four or more.
And it was the youngest consumers‹aged 15-19‹who needed to hear the most songs before purchasing: 67% said three or more.
As for genre, it was fans of "new rock" who required hearing the most songs before heading to the store‹65% said three or more.
The study also determined the most popular places to buy music in Canada. The top three selections, in descending order, were the HMV multimedia chain, the Columbia House record club, and the Sam the Record Man music store. Solutions declined to break out market share, saying it was "proprietary to subscribers."
But the research did distinguish buying according to the type of store frequented. Music shops attracted an equal number of males and females, while department and discount stores got 62% of females and only 38% of males. For record clubs, it was 55% males and 45% females.
As for age, 15-34s preferred music stores (56%), 35-49s liked record clubs (46%), and those 50 and older shopped at department/discount stores (33%).
Solutions also asked people if they thought CDs were a "good value for the money."
Overall, 58% said yes, just about the same percentage who said so last November. Some 55% of males agreed with the statement, as did 61% of females. The age group with the highest degree of agreement was 20-29 (65%), and that with the least support for the sentiment was 50 and older (52%).
Nonbuyers of music agreed with the statement the least (38%, down from 45% last November) and heavy buyers the most (73%, up from 66% last year). As for genre, the greatest dissatisfaction with prices seemed to be among soft rock fans. Some 43% said CDs were a good value, down from 55% last year.
The CD's possible successor was also part of the study. Researchers asked people about their awareness of and interest in DVD.
Of the total population, 68% had heard of the format and 45% expressed interest in it. Males were more likely to be up on it‹74% had heard of it, 50% were interested. For females, awareness was 62%, interest 40%. The age group most aware of DVD was 20-29, at 82%.
Heavy buyers of music had the greatest awareness (85%) and interest (60%) in DVD. And those consumers whose primary musical taste is the hits had the highest awareness (85%) and interest (71%) in the format.
Another topic was attendance at live-music events. There was a five-percentage-point drop in the number who had gone to at least one concert during the previous six months‹from 49% last November to 44% this year. For males, the decline was from 50% to 46%; for females, 48% to 43%.