What are the concerns about the future among AB socio-economic groups?
Are AB consumers different from other consumer groups?
Are luxury goods main priorities for the AB consumer?
This is the first report Mintel has produced based entirely on the spending habits and attitudes of consumers in the AB socio-economic group. The report is based partly on the TGI Premier survey, which is carried out annually among a sample of 5,517 AB adults, and which has been extensively re-analysed in order to give more detail about ABs in a number of key consumer segments. It also draws on exclusive consumer research specially commissioned by Mintel from BMRB in April 2001 among a large sample of adults (4,061), including 884 in the AB group. This research gives an insight into the attitudes and priorities of AB consumers, and compares them with those of the population as a whole. Finally, a number of other recent Mintel surveys have been re-analysed to focus on the AB respondents.
Other recent Mintel lifestyle reports of relevance include:
- Special Report, Healthy Lifestyles, 2001 - Special Report, British Lifestyles, 2001 - Special Report, 2020 Vision: Tomorrow's Consumer, 2000 - Special Report, Scottish Lifestyles, 2000 - Special Report, Third Age - A Time to Travel, 2000 - Special Report, Family Lifestyles & The Effect of Work, 2000 - Special Report, Ethnic Lifestyles, 1999 - Special Report, Pre-family Lifestyles, 1999 - Special Report, Men Living Alone, 1999 - Special Report, Student Lifestyles, 1999 - Special Report, Women 2000, 1999 - Special Report, Men 2000, 1998 - Special Report, Innovators, Early Adopters, Followers, July 2001
Recent Mintel Finance reports of relevance include:
- Targeting the Premium Pensions Consumer, Finance Intelligence, February 2001 - Wealth Management, Finance Intelligence, December 2000 - Financial Lifestyles 1 - The Affluent, 1999 - Financial Lifestyles 2 - Middle Englanders, 1999 - The Homes Elite Report, 1999 - The Investors Elite Report, 1999 - The Motoring Elite Report, 1999.
ABBREVIATIONS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Rise of the ABs
Money is not a problem in AB households - but there is a North/South divide and a gender gap
ABs want leisure time, not luxury goods...
...but work is bigger priority than leisure
ABs are keen home improvers...
...and they enjoy their gardens more than other people
Renewed interest in their appearance among empty nester ABs
Older ABs rely on newspapers more than television for information...
...but are no more loyal than other people
Financial pages are the province of the AB male, not the female
But more AB women than men support the arts
Many AB men are 'ageing rockers'
Pre-family ABs spend the most on paperbacks, empty nesters and post-family ABs on hardbacks
AB wheels
Holidays are an AB priority
ABs and the future
Are ABs really different?
How priorities shift through the AB lifecycle
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INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
The class issue
ABs in the population
Figure 1 Population profile, by socio-economic group, 1990-2000
Demographic characteristics of ABs
Figure 2 Demographic profiles of AB men and women, 1999
Figure 3 Comparison of demographic profiles: all adults and AB adults, 1999-2000
Figure 3a The importance of the 35-54s to the AB age profile, 1999-2000
AB incomes
Figure 4 Household income - AB adults, 1999-2000
Figure 5 Household income - ABs, by lifestage group, 1999
Figure 6 Household income - ABs who are pensioners/early retired, 1999
Figure 7 Whether chief income earner, or spouse/partner - AB men and women, 1999
Figure 8 Personal income - ABs, by whether chief income earner or spouse/partner, 1999
Figure 9 Working status of chief income earners and spouses/partners, 1999
Figure 10 Those with a personal income of £30,000 or more - demographic profiles, 1999
Figure 11 Personal income - ABs, by gender and working status, 1999
Figure 12 Number of separate incomes in households - ABs, by working and lifestage group, and household income, 1999
Education
Figure 13 Educational qualifications - AB adults, 1999
Figure 14 Educational qualifications - ABs, by gender and lifestage, 1999
Figure 15 Educational qualifications - ABs, by working/lifestage group, 1999
Figure 16 Educational qualifications - ABs, by household income, 1999
AB households
Figure 17 Household size - all adults and AB adults, 1999-2000
Figure 18 Number of people in household - ABs, by working and lifestage group, and household income, 1999
Figure 19 Presence of children in household - all adults and AB adults, 1999-2000
WHAT DO AB CONSUMERS WANT FROM LIFE?
Important things in life
Figure 20 Important aspects of life - AB adults, 2001
Figure 21 Important aspects of life - all adults and AB adults, 2001
Figure 22 The most important aspects of life, pre-family and family lifestage (all adults and AB adults), 2001
Figure 23 The most important aspects of life, empty nesters and post-family lifestage (all adults and AB adults), 2001
Figure 24 A summary of the most frequently mentioned most important aspects of life, all adults and ABs, by lifestage, 2001
Figure 25 The most important aspects of life - AB men, by lifestage, 2001
Figure 26 Important aspects of life (all mentions) - AB men, by lifestage, 2001
Figure 27 The most important aspects of life - AB women, by lifestage, 2001
Figure 28 Important aspects of life (all mentions) - AB women, by lifestage, 2001
Figure 29 A summary of the most important aspects of life, AB men and women, 2001
Figure 30 Consumer typologies (1): work and leisure - ABs, by demographic sub-group, 2001
Figure 31 Consumer typologies (2): materialism, family and friends - ABs, by demographic sub-group, 2001
ABs and their working lives
Figure 32 Work as a priority in life - ABs and all adults, by working status, 2001
Figure 33 Attitudes towards work: all working adults versus working ABs, by gender, 1999-2000
Figure 34 Reasons for working - those in full-time and part-time employment (all adults and ABs), June 2000
Figure 35 Reasons for working - ABs in employment, by gender, June 2000
ABs and money
Figure 36 Attitudes towards household money management - all adults and AB adults, by gender and lifestage group, 1999/2000
Figure 37 Attitudes towards spending and saving - all adults and AB adults, by gender and lifestage group, 1999/2000
Figure 38 Attitudes towards credit cards - all adults and AB adults, by gender and lifestage group, 1999/2000
Figure 39 Interest in following the stockmarket - ABs, by gender and lifestage group, 1999
The marketing perspective
THE AB CONSUMER AT HOME
Home ownership
Figure 40 Home ownership - all adults and AB adults, by working and lifestage group, and household income, 1999
The AB home - inside and out
Figure 41 Amount spent on paid-for interior decorating/design in the last 12 months (main residence) - ABs, by lifestage group, 1999
Figure 42 Improvements to bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, in the last 3 years, and amount spent (main residence) - ABs, by lifestage group, 1999
Figure 43 Improvements to bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, in the last 3 years, and amount spent (main residence) - ABs, by household income, 1999
Figure 44 Home improvements made in the last 3 years (main residence) - ABs, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 45 Those prioritising having a nice home compared to those who have actually carried out home improvements, ABs by lifestage, 1999 and 2001
Figure 46 Attitudes towards home and garden - all adults and AB adults, by gender and lifestage group, 1999/2000
Figure 47 Attitudes towards home and garden - AB women, by working status/lifestage, 1999
Figure 48 Size of garden (main residence) - ABs, by lifestage, 1999
Collecting things - art, antiques and ABs
Figure 49 Items collected as a hobby and/or investment - ABs, by gender and lifestage group, 1999
Entertaining at home
Figure 50 Home entertaining - ABs, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 51 Attitudes towards entertaining at home - all adults and AB adults, by gender and lifestage, 1999/2000
LOOKING GOOD
Buying clothes
Figure 52 Total expenditure on clothing in the last 12 months - AB men, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 53 Items of clothing bought in the last 12 months - AB men, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 54 Total expenditure on clothing in the last 12 months - AB women, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 55 Expenditure on clothing, AB men and women spending £500+, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 56 Items of clothing bought in the last 12 months - AB women, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 57 Total expenditure on clothing in the last 12 months - AB women, by working status and lifestage, 1999
Figure 58 Items of clothing bought in the last 12 months - AB women, by working status and lifestage, 1999
Skincare and cosmetics
Figure 59 Expenditure on skincare products in the past month - AB women, by lifestage and working status, 1999
Figure 60 Expenditure on cosmetics in the past month - AB women, by lifestage and working status, 1999
Beauty treatments
Figure 61 Beauty treatments ever had - AB women, by lifestage group and working status, 1999
Figure 62 Frequency of visiting a beauty salon - AB women, by lifestage and working status, 1999
Perfume and aftershave
Figure 63 Attitudes towards buying expensive perfume/aftershave - ABs, by gender and lifestage, 1999
Figure 64 Spending on aftershave for self in the last 12 months - AB men, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 65 Spending on perfume for self in the last 12 months - AB women, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 66 Spending on perfume for self in the last 12 months - AB women, by working status and lifestage, 1999
KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURE
How well informed is the AB consumer?
Figure 67 Those agreeing and disagreeing that 'I'm not interested in current affairs' - AB adults, by gender and lifestage group, 1999/2000
Figure 68 Use of television and newspapers for information - all adults and AB adults, by gender and lifestage group, 1999/2000
Figure 69 Attitudes towards newspapers - all adults and AB adults, by gender and lifestage, 1999/2000
Use of the Internet
Figure 70 British Internet penetration, by all adults and AB adults, 1998-2001
Figure 71 Usage of modern communication media, by all adults and AB adults, May 2001
Figure 72 Usage of the Internet for finding information, by all adults and AB adults, May 2001
Interest in the arts
Figure 73 Arts/culture watched on television - ABs, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 74 Arts/culture activities ABs enjoy reading about in newspapers/magazines, by lifestage group, 1999
Figure 75 Arts/culture activities ABs ever attend, by lifestage, 1999
Books
Figure 76 Purchasing of paperback and hardback books in the last 12 months - all customers and ABs, by gender and lifestage group, 1999/2000
Figure 77 Spending on paperback books - ABs, by gender and lifestage, 1999
Figure 78 Spending on hardback books - ABs, by gender and lifestage, 1999
Figure 79 Type of books bought in the last 12 months - AB men, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 80 Type of books bought in the last 12 months - AB women, by lifestage, 1999
OUT AND ABOUT: CARS, LEISURE, HOLIDAYS
Cars in AB households
Figure 81 Attitudes towards cars - all adults and AB adults, by lifestage, 1999/2000
Figure 82 Important factors when purchasing a car - AB adults, by gender and lifestage, 1999
Figure 83 Household car ownership - ABs, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 84 Household car ownership - all adults and AB adults, by lifestage, 1999/2000
Putting on the pounds - ABs and eating out - at work and play
Figure 85 Eating out in restaurants at lunchtime for business and pleasure - ABs, by gender and lifestage, 1999
Figure 86 Eating out in restaurants in the evening for business and pleasure - ABs, by gender and lifestage, 1999
Figure 87 Eating out at work and on business - working ABs, by gender, 1999
Figure 88 Eating out at restaurants with family and friends - ABs, by working status/lifestage, 1999
Taking off the pounds - ABs and sport/exercise
Figure 89 Participation in sport, by socio-economic group, March 2000
Figure 90 Sports participated in regularly - all adults and AB adults, by gender, March 2000
Figure 91 Attitudes towards sports participation - all adults and AB adults, by gender, March 2000
ABs on holiday
Figure 92 Any holiday abroad in the last 12 months - all adults and AB adults, by lifestage, 1999/2000
Figure 93 Holidays abroad during the last 12 months - ABs, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 94 Holidays abroad during the last 12 months - retired ABs, 1999
Figure 95 Booking arrangements for last holiday/short break abroad - ABs, by lifestage, 1999
UK holidays
Figure 96 Holidays in the UK during the last 12 months - ABs, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 97 Holidays abroad and in the UK - ABs, by lifestage, 1999
Figure 98 Holidays in the UK during the last 12 months - retired ABs, 1999
THE FUTURE
Forecast
Figure 99 Forecast of the number of ABs in the UK population, 2000-2005
Future fears
Figure 100 Future fears - all adults and AB adults, by gender, June 2000
Figure 101 Future fears - pre-family and family lifestage - all adults and AB adults, June 2000
Figure 102 Future fears - pre-family and family lifestage - ABs, by gender, June 2000
Figure 103 Future fears - empty nester and post-family lifestage - all adults and AB adults, June 2000
Figure 104 Future fears - empty nester and post-family lifestage - ABs, by gender, June 2000
Figure 105 A summary of future fears, ABs compared to the total population, June 2000
Figure 106 Work-related future fears - those in full-time and part-time employment (all adults and AB adults, by gender), June 2000
Are AB consumers really different from other people?
YS, SX June 2001
