WorkPlaceImpact survey: Almost 2-in-5 women power through cold symptoms

CLEVELAND — Working women are powering through their cough-cold and flu symptoms and relying on drug store visits to get them through the workday, according to a new survey by WorkPlace Impact.

 

Nearly 2-in-5 (36.3%) of the women who responded to the WPI survey said that there are times when they will work through symptoms of illness. Of those who indicated that they would power through their symptoms, 73.7% said they would do so because they were concerned about not getting work done.

 

According to WPI, 91% of working women rely on remedy and treatment products to get the job done. At 45%, drug stores were the preferred location for respondents to purchase these products when they start experiencing symptoms. Many (43%) said they keep a supply of these products at their desk.

 

“All the behaviors indicate that working women want to stay on-the-go during cough-cold and flu season. The best thing that consumer packaged goods and drug store marketers can do for this demographic when it’s looking for relief is to make purchasing their products as convenient as possible," said Tara Peters, director marketing WorkPlace Impact. "We recommend they market to women in the workplace where many of these incremental purchasing decisions are made,” she said. “What’s more, marketers of these products will find enthusiastic partners in employers who are eager to support their employees’ health-and-wellness goals.”

 

When choosing which products to purchase, working women said their four leading influencers were doctors’ recommendations (71.2%), coupons (64.2%), word of mouth (57.2%) and sampling (44.8%). Brand loyalty fell in fifth place at 37.1%.

 

The survey’s findings are gathered in “Cough, Cold and Flu Season in the Workplace: How Working Women Shop for Prevention and Treatment Products,” which polled 6,683 American working female consumers earlier this year.