Financial Services Shopping Preferences: A Comparison Of African American And White Households

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to generate information for financial services marketers who are seeking to reach and provide more effective service to the growing African American segment. This information is needed because research has shown that the shopping behavior of African American consumers differs from that of their white counterparts in terms of information gathering and patronage patterns.  Therefore, different marketing communications techniques may be needed to reach these people. Nevertheless, there has been a paucity of contemporary empirical studies of how shopping behaviors manifest themselves with regard to the purchase of financial services. This paper uses the Federal Reserve System's most recent Survey of Consumer Finances to analyze differences between black and white household financial services shoppers.  Findings indicate that there are similarities and differences in the ways that blacks and whites seek to access the offerings of this industry.  Suggestions are offered to financial services marketers based on these findings.