Some 98% of Black consumers have shopped at a mass merchandiser within the last year, making these stores the primary location where they can fulfill their shopping for multiple personal and household needs at competitive prices. Some stores have a reputation as being upscale and hip while other stores are considered crowded but cheap, which drives a brand narrative, but Black consumers primarily associate mass merchandisers with offering a good value due to a large product mix and low prices, which drives their choice of where to shop.

This Report covers Black consumers’ attitudes, behavior and perceptions regarding mass merchandisers.

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has defined a mass merchandiser as a large retail store offering a wide range of product categories, often at discounted prices, including but not limited to appliances, clothing and accessories, shoes, furniture, office equipment, household products, health, beauty and personal care products, electronics, music and entertainment, sporting goods and food. These stores have central customer checkout areas, generally in the front of the store, and may have additional cash registers located in one or more individual departments. Walmart, Target, Kmart and Meijer are the mass merchandisers included in this Report.

Additionally, Amazon.com is included alongside the aforementioned brick-and-mortar mass merchandisers. While Amazon is not typically included in Mintel's definition of a mass merchandiser, it is included in this Report to provide competitive context among Black shoppers.

Findings in this Report can be supplemented by the analysis presented in Mintel’s Mass Merchandisers – US, December 2017, Black Consumers and Shopping for Groceries – US, January 2020 and Black Consumers and Shopping the Perimeter Store – US, November 2019. Readers may also be interested in Hispanic Consumers and Shopping at Mass Merchandisers – US, January 2020 and other relevant titles in Mintel’s Retail and Multicultural libraries.