Unlocking Customer Insights with Usage and Attitude Segmentation

1. What is this in one sentence?

Usage & Attitude (U&A) consumer segmentation divides customers based on what they do (usage) and how they feel (attitudes) toward a product, brand, or category.

2. What it means to businesses

This type of segmentation helps retailers move beyond basic demographics, uncovering why customers behave a certain way and how often they engage with a category or brand.

3. Customer opportunity

It lets you tailor offers and experiences to different types of customers—like frequent users who need efficiency, or occasional users who need education or inspiration—driving relevance and connection.

4. Business threat

Without U&A insights, retailers risk assuming all customers act the same, leading to one-size-fits-all marketing that misses the mark, wastes budget, and can even push people away.

5. Business examples of this effect

• Boots (UK): Used U&A segmentation to identify “Routine Purchasers” vs “Beauty Explorers” in skincare, leading to different messaging and cross-sell strategies in stores and online.
• Tesco: Discovered that occasional wine buyers were overwhelmed by choice and lacked confidence. They simplified shelves and messaging for these customers, increasing basket size in the wine aisle.
• Peloton: Identified segments with different motivations—performance-driven vs wellness-focused users—and personalised content and coaching accordingly, improving engagement and retention.

6. How can we use data to maximise this effect?

• Survey data gives direct insight into attitudes, motivations, and habits—essential for building the initial segmentation.
• Purchase and CRM data can then be used to size the segments, validate behavioural patterns, and track over time.
• Linking U&A data with digital engagement metrics (e.g. app use, email open rates, site clicks) helps brands evolve content strategies for each group.
• Use machine learning to cluster consumers and predict likely segment membership in the absence of full survey completion—great for scaling across your full base.
  

Retailers that combine what people do with how they feel uncover deeper insights, build better relationships, and sell smarter. U&A segmentation turns basic customer data into strategic gold.