Key takeaways:

• 35% of people have felt uncomfortable, intimidated, or excluded while shopping for DIY tools.
• 30% said product design contributes to a feeling of exclusion.
• 29% said that marketing or branding contributed to a feeling of exclusion.
• Men are as likely as women to feel this (35.9% vs. 34.6%), but women are over twice as likely to have never shopped for DIY tools (12.3% vs. 4.9%)
• Women are more likely than men to say that staff had made assumptions about their knowledge or ability  — 51% of women have experienced this in DIY spaces.

Objective:

To explore the impact of marketing and product design on the accessibility of DIY tools and spaces.

Question

Question One:  Have you ever felt uncomfortable, intimidated, or excluded while shopping for DIY tools? 

• Yes
• No
• I’ve never shopped for DIY tools

Question Two:  Which factors have contributed to a feeling of discomfort or exclusion in DIY spaces? (Select all that apply.)

• A lack of approachable information or instructions
• Staff made assumptions about my knowledge or ability
• The products felt designed for a specific gender or identity
• The environment felt overly masculine or unwelcoming
• The marketing or branding felt exclusionary

Audience: A representative panel of American consumers aged 16 – 64.

Overall Results

• 35% of people have felt uncomfortable, intimidated, or excluded while shopping for DIY tools.
• 30% said that marketing or branding contributed to a feeling of exclusion.
• 29% said product design contributed to this feeling.

Have you ever felt uncomfortable, intimidated, or excluded while shopping for DIY tools? 

Which factors have contributed to a feeling of discomfort or exclusion in DIY spaces? 

Gender Breakdown

• Men are as likely as women to feel intimidated or excluded in DIY spaces (36% vs. 35%).
• However, women are over twice as likely to have never shopped for DIY tools (12% vs. 5%).
• Women are more likely than men to say that staff had made assumptions about their knowledge or ability  — 51% of women have experienced this in DIY spaces.

Men

Have you ever felt uncomfortable, intimidated, or excluded while shopping for DIY tools? 

Which factors have contributed to a feeling of discomfort or exclusion in DIY spaces?

Women

Have you ever felt uncomfortable, intimidated, or excluded while shopping for DIY tools?

Which factors have contributed to a feeling of discomfort or exclusion in DIY spaces?

Age Breakdown

• Younger consumers are much more likely to have felt uncomfortable or excluded while shopping for DIY tools. 
• 42% of 16 – 34s have felt a sense of exclusion, vs. 20% of 55 – 64s.
• A lack of approachable information is the biggest contributor to feelings of exclusion, for 58% of 16 – 34s, and 53% of 35 – 54s.
• 33% of 35 – 54s say that the product design of DIY tools feels exclusionary.

16 – 34

Have you ever felt uncomfortable, intimidated, or excluded while shopping for DIY tools? 

Which factors have contributed to a feeling of discomfort or exclusion in DIY spaces?

35 – 54

Have you ever felt uncomfortable, intimidated, or excluded while shopping for DIY tools?

Which factors have contributed to a feeling of discomfort or exclusion in DIY spaces? 

55 – 64

Have you ever felt uncomfortable, intimidated, or excluded while shopping for DIY tools? 

Which factors have contributed to a feeling of discomfort or exclusion in DIY spaces?

Conclusion

One in three people say that either product design or marketing and branding has contributed to a feeling of exclusion or discomfort when shopping for DIY tools, presenting clear opportunities for both brands and marketers to reach and under-engaged audience.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into our findings, or asking your own questions on consumer, branding and worklife topics, contact thom@atomradar.com to learn more.

Further Reading

• Branding Data and Insights
• Authenticity Research: What Matters Most for Customers?
• Health and Wellness Brand Tips

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About The Author

Thom Davies

Thom Davies is a researcher at AtomRadar and content strategist for Atom.com. His background in quantitative and qualitative analysis is the foundation for data-led brand strategy.

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