Table of Contents
Issues in the Market
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- Key themes
- Definition
- Consumer data
- Abbreviations
Future Opportunities
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- Stress Society
- Blowing off some steam
- Leisure and tourism likely to turn a corner
- Rebuilding Trust
- The blame game
- A controlled approach moving forward
Lifestyles in Brief
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- Recovery in sight – but challenges persist
- Trend 1: Resilience
- Trend 2: Reviewing and Re-evaluating
- Trend 3: Escapism
- Trend 4: Prove it – Accountability
- Trend 5: Stability
- How consumers have been affected by the downturn
- How consumers have reassessed their lives
- Post-recession – What are consumers most looking forward to?
Broader Market Environment
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- Key points
- From boom to bust
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- Figure 1: Economic outlook, NI and RoI, 2008-10
- RoI approaching stability
- NI growth likely to be moderate
- Interest rates to remain low
- Inflation turns into deflation in RoI
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- Figure 2: Comparative price level index, food and non-alcoholic beverages, 2009
- NI and RoI consumers paying heavily for cigarettes and alcohol
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- Figure 3: Comparative price level indices, alcoholic beverages and tobacco, EU27, RoI and UK, 2009
- Unemployment still rising
- RoI
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- Figure 4: ILO unemployment, Q3 2009
- NI
- Confidence returning in RoI, diminishing in UK
- RoI consumer sentiment at highest point in two years
- NI consumer confidence falls back in May
- Consumer spending still in decline
- RoI consumer spending down over 7% in 2009
- NI consumer spending faring better than in RoI
- NI and RoI consumers still command relatively high purchasing power
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- Figure 5: GDP per inhabitant in PPS, EU27, RoI and UK, 2009
Trend 1: Resilience
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- Key points
- Resilience or denial?
- Home as refuge for recession-battered consumers
- Socialising at home instead of venturing out
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- Figure 6: Agreement with the statement ‘I prefer to spend a quiet evening at home than to go out’, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- But pubs and restaurants remain popular among RoI consumers (in theory, at least)
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- Figure 7: Agreement with selected statements pertaining to out-of-home socialising, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- In-home alcohol consumption continues to increase
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- Figure 8: Percentage of consumers who consume alcohol in the home, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- Greater investment in in-home entertainment
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- Figure 9: Percentage of consumers with an internet connection in the home, NI and RoI, 2007-09
- PCs being used for fun as much as work
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- Figure 10: Reason for using only PC in the home, NI and RoI, 2009
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- Figure 11: Estimated and projected retail sales of PCs, IoI, RoI and NI, 2007-13
- TV viewing returning to favour
- Video gaming: A mainstream and good value form of entertainment
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- Figure 12: Consumers who own a video game console, NI and RoI, 2007-09
- ... but recession has certainly stymied console sales growth
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- Figure 13: Percentage of consumers who purchased video game consoles and games in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, 2007-09
- ... while gaming software still deemed to represent good value
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- Figure 14: Video game software sales, IoI, RoI and NI, 2005-09
- Revival of sense of community
- Growth in credit union membership and usage
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- Figure 15: Credit union account ownership, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- Consumers making more use of credit unions since recession
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- Figure 16: Percentage of consumers who have used a credit union in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- Recognition that we’re all on our own
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- Figure 17: Agreement with statement ‘Financial security after retirement is your own responsibility’, NI and RoI, 2007-09
Trend 2: Reviewing and Re-evaluating
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- Key points
- The value in re-evaluating
- Shopping trips planned and budgeted
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- Figure 18: Agreement with statement ‘I decide what I want before I do the weekly shopping’, NI and RoI, 2004-09
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- Figure 19: Agreement with statement ‘When doing the household shopping, I budget for every penny’, NI and RoI, 2004-09
- ... while unplanned spontaneity losing currency
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- Figure 20: Agreement with statement ‘When I see a new brand, I often buy it to see what it’s like’, NI and RoI, 2004-09
- Discounts and special offers – the new craze
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- Figure 21: Agreement with statement ‘I look for the lowest possible prices when I go shopping’, NI and RoI, 2004-09
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- Figure 22: Agreement with statement ‘I always look out for special offers’, NI and RoI, 2004-09
- It’s not all about price – value counts too
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- Figure 23: Most important factors (top four) when grocery shopping, NI and RoI, January 2009
- Focus on value extends to all sectors
- Awareness that cheap not always better
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- Figure 24: Agreement with statement ‘It’s worth paying extra for quality goods’, NI and RoI, 2004-09
- Trading down is the new trading up
- Non-food purchases in supermarkets proving popular
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- Figure 25: Purchase of non-food products at supermarkets in last six months, by type of product, NI and RoI, September 2009
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- Figure 26: Have purchased CDs, DVDs or videogames in a supermarket in last six months, NI and RoI, September 2009
- Non-food supermarket purchases largely value-led
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- Figure 27: Reasons for purchasing non-food items in a supermarket, NI and RoI, September 2009
Trend 3: Escapism
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- Key points
- Between frugality and frivolity
- Gratuitous spending not entirely off the agenda
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- Figure 28: Agreement with selected spending-related statements, NI and RoI, 2007-09
- Film and music – a popular means of escape
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- Figure 29: Agreement with selected leisure-related statements, NI and RoI, 2007-09
- Holidays as the ultimate form of escapism
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- Figure 30: Percentage of consumers who have taken a holiday in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- No retrenchment from boom-era outlook and values
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- Figure 31: Agreement with selected travel/holiday-related statements, NI and RoI, 2007-09
- ‘Joie de vivre’ remains alive among Irish consumers
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- Figure 32: Agreement with statement ‘I like to enjoy life and don’t worry about the future’, NI and RoI, 2005-09
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- Figure 33: Agreement with statement ‘I have a practical outlook on life’, NI and RoI, 2005-09
Trend 4: Prove It – Accountability
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- Key points
- Solid transparency
- Closer scrutiny of advertising claims
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- Figure 34: Agreement with statement ‘I look with interest at advertising for financial services, NI and RoI, 2008-09
- And a higher degree of general distrust
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- Figure 35: Agreement with statement ‘I trust banks/building societies to look after my money’, NI and RoI, 2009
- Consumers going it alone when in need of information
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- Figure 36: Agreement with statement ‘When I need information, the first place I look is the internet’, NI and RoI, 2004-09
- Newspapers regaining influence?
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- Figure 37: Agreement with statement ‘I rely on newspapers to keep me informed’, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- Brands under pressure to prove themselves
Trend 5: Stability
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- Key points
- Consumers spending with caution and prudency
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- Figure 38: Agreement with selected statements related to spending, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- Anything deemed risky likely to be rejected
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- Figure 39: Agreement with statement ‘Owning stocks and shares is too risky an investment for me’, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- Financial prudence a source of pride
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- Figure 40: Agreement with statements related to money management, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- No appetite to incur additional debt
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- Figure 41: Agreement with statement ‘I don’t like the idea of being in debt’, NI and RoI, 2005-09
- A reduced demand for new loans
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- Figure 42: Loan ownership, RoI and NI, 2008-09
- Most loans arranged more than a year ago
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- Figure 43: When loan taken out, RoI and NI, 2008-09
- Sensible rather than flippant reasons for taking out loans
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- Figure 44: Top five purposes of loans, NI and RoI, 2009
- Consumer focus is on debt repayment
- Savings account ownership on the rise
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- Figure 45: Percentage of consumers with one, two, three or more savings accounts, RoI and NI, 2007-09
- Level of savings not on a par with savings account ownership
- ... but savings mindset creeping in
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- Figure 46: Frequency of payment into savings accounts, NI and RoI, 2009
- Consumers want easy access to savings
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- Figure 47: Type of account owned, RoI and NI, 2009
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- Figure 48: Changes in savings deposits, RoI, April 2010
The Consumer – Aspects of Life Most Affected by Downturn
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- Key points
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- Figure 49: Areas where consumers’ lifestyles have been affected by the recession, NI & RoI, April 2010
- NI consumers still faring better than RoI consumers
- Consumers aged 65+ and retired most likely to be ‘unaffected’
- Recession weighing heavily on shoppers’ minds
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- Figure 50: Demographics most likely to cite ‘shopping habits’ as the aspect of their lives most affected by the recession, NI and RoI, April 2010
- Employment issues of more concern to RoI consumers
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- Figure 51: Demographics most likely to cite ‘job security’ and ‘career prospects’ as the aspect of their lives most affected by the recession, NI and RoI, April 2010
- Consumers aged 25-64 concerned about effect on finances
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- Figure 52: Consumers citing ‘savings/investments’ as area of life most affected by recession, by age, NI and RoI, April 2010
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- Figure 53: Average managed pension fund return, RoI, selected timeframes, July 2010
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- Figure 54: Pension fund weighted average returns, UK, June 2010
- Women feeling effects on holidays and socialising
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- Figure 55: Demographics most likely to cite ‘holidays/short breaks’ and ‘social life’ as the aspect of their lives most affected by the recession, NI and RoI, April 2010
The Consumer – Lifestyles Reassessed
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- Key points
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- Figure 56: How consumers have re-assessed their lifestyles due to the recession, NI and RoI, April 2010
- Changed spending habits holds biggest response
- Spending cuts not just focused on shopping
- Burden of budgeting falls to women
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- Figure 57: Demographics most likely to be more careful in how they spend money as a result of the recession, NI and RoI, April 2010
- Consumers aged 25-49 altering finance-related behaviour
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- Figure 58: Demographics most likely to cite adjustments to finance-related behaviour as a result of the recession, NI and RoI, April 2010
The Consumer – When the Recession Ends...
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- Key points
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- Figure 59: What consumers are most looking forward to once the recession is over or personal circumstances improve, NI and RoI, April 2010
- Above all else, consumers want a ‘break’
- Evidence of ‘recession fatigue’ among RoI consumers
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- Figure 60: What consumers are looking forward to once recession ends, psychological-related, NI and RoI, April 2010
- A return to ‘everyday normality’ high on the agenda
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- Figure 61: Consumers who are looking forward to ‘less penny pinching when doing the weekly grocery shopping’, by gender, NI and RoI, April 2010
- Women eager to get back to having fun
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- Figure 62: Consumers who are looking forward to selected leisure-related activities when the recession ends, NI and RoI, April 2010
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- Figure 63: Consumers who are looking forward to selected leisure-related activities when the recession ends, by gender, Ni and RoI, April 2010
- Return to pre-recession extravagance unlikely
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- Figure 64: Consumers who are looking forward to selected major spending-related activities when the recession ends, by gender, NI and RoI, April 2010
- Freedom to borrow at will now seen in new light
- Instead of borrowing, consumers eager to pay off debt
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- Figure 65: Consumers who are looking forward to ‘paying off some or all of my debt’ when the recession ends or personal circumstances change, by age, NI and RoI, April 2010
Consumer Target Groups
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- Key points
- RoI target groups
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- Figure 66: Consumer target groups, RoI, 2010
- Social Butterflies
- Characteristics
- Who are Social Butterflies?
- Targeting Social Butterflies
- Carefree Consumers
- Who are Carefree Consumers?
- Targeting Carefree Consumers
- Worry-laden Recessionists
- Characteristics
- Who are Worry-laden Recessionists?
- Targeting Worry-laden Recessionists
- NI target groups
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- Figure 67: Consumer target groups, NI, 2010
- Concerned Consumers
- Characteristics
- Who are Concerned Consumers?
- Targeting Concerned Consumers
- Philosophical
- Characteristics
- Who are the Philosophical?
- Targeting the Philosophical
- Thrill Seekers
- Who are the Thrill Seekers?
- Targeting Thrill Seekers
Appendix
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- Figure 68: Areas where consumers’ lifestyles have been affected by the recession, NI & RoI, April 2010
- Figure 69: How consumers have reassessed their lifestyles due to the recession, NI & RoI, April 2010
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- Figure 70: What consumers are looking forward to once the recession is over, NI & RoI, April 2010
- Figure 71: Areas where consumers’ lifestyles have been affected by the recession, RoI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
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- Figure 72: Further areas where consumers’ lifestyles have been affected by the recession, RoI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
- Figure 73: How consumers have reassessed their lifestyles due to the recession, RoI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
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- Figure 74: How consumers have reassessed their lifestyles due to the recession (continued), RoI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
- Figure 75: How consumers have reassessed their lifestyles due to the recession (continued), RoI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
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- Figure 76: What consumers are looking forward to once the recession is over, RoI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
- Figure 77: What consumers are looking forward to once the recession is over (continued), RoI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
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- Figure 78: What consumers are looking forward to once the recession is over, RoI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
- Figure 79: Areas where consumers’ lifestyles have been affected by the recession, NI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
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- Figure 80: Further areas where consumers’ lifestyles have been affected by the recession, NI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
- Figure 81: How consumers have reassessed their lifestyles due to the recession, NI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
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- Figure 82: What consumers are looking forward to once the recession is over, NI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
- Figure 83: What consumers are looking forward to once the recession is over (continued), NI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
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- Figure 84: What consumers are looking forward to once the recession is over (continued), NI, by demographic breakdown, April 2010
- Consumer typologies
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- Figure 85: Consumer target groups, by agreement with statements relating to the recession, RoI, April 2010
- Figure 86: Consumer target groups, by demographic breakdown, RoI, April 2010
- Figure 87: Consumer target groups, by agreement with statements relating to the recession, NI, April 2010
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- Figure 88: Consumer target groups, by demographic breakdown, NI, April 2010
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