Table of Contents
Introduction
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- Definition
- Report structure
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
Executive Summary
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- The mum population
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- Figure 1: Population projection of women aged 20-49, Total and urban China, 2006-21
- Two important demographic changes are taking place
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- Figure 2: Mums in China, by age demographics, 2013 vs. 2018
- Uniqueness of Chinese mums
- The consumer
- Mums’ top concerns reflect the importance of family over self
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- Figure 3: Mums’ top concerns, July 2013
- Mums place importance on quality but are also spending in a savvier way
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- Figure 4: Changes in shopping habits, July 2013
- Spending on children’s education, premium food and drinks rise the most while that on personal luxury items falls
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- Figure 5: Changes in spending allocation, July 2013
- Friends and professionals are a greater influence on mums than parents, with online also taking over from traditional media
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- Figure 6: Influencing persons and channels, July 2013
- Health, fashion and beauty, and entertainment shows still garner strongest interest
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- Figure 7: Programmes watched most often, July 2013
- Key issue: Attitudinal differences across Chinese mums
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- Figure 8: Typologies of mums, July 2013
- Key issue: Capitalising on online opportunities in marketing and selling to mums
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- Figure 9: Market size of online retailing in China, total and mother and baby products, 2010-12
- Figure 10: Consumer online shopping habits, by respondents with children and without children, February 2013
- Key issue: Catering to mums’ top concern over child education
- Key issue: Marketing to today’s working mums
- What we think
An Overview of Mums in China
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- Key points
- Mums by the number
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- Figure 11: Population of mums in China, 2013
- Mum population: shrinking in total in China, rising in urban areas
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- Figure 12: Birth rate in China, 1979-2011
- Figure 13: Fertility rate in China, 2003 vs. 2011
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- Figure 14: Population projection of women aged 20-49, Total and urban China, 2006-21
- Changing demographics of Chinese mums
- Postponed child birth leads to older first-time mums
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- Figure 15: Fertility rates for first born child in China, 2011 vs. 2003
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- Figure 16: Average marriage age in China, 2000 vs. 2010
- In five years’ time, over half of mums will be the 80s and 90s generation
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- Figure 17: Mums in China, by age demographics, 2013 vs. 2018
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- Figure 18: Mums’ attitudes towards appearance and social activities, by age, July 2013
- What makes Chinese mums different?
- Being a working mum is the norm in tier one to three cities, driven by mums’ desire to provide better care for children and maintain their independence
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- Figure 19: Working status of mums, by age of children, July 2013
- A strong controller of family finances
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- Figure 20: Control of finances, July 2013
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- Figure 21: Mums’ concerns, July 2013
The Consumer – Mums’ Top Concerns
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- Key points
- Mums’ top three concerns: child education, family health and financial wellbeing
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- Figure 22: Mums’ top concerns, July 2013
- Child education stays on top from birth until reaching adulthood
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- Figure 23: Mums’ concerns over child education, by age of children, July 2013
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- Figure 24: Mums’ concern over child education, by income, July 2013
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- Figure 25: Financial impact of children’s education, April 2012
- Differences in concerns by high vs. low income mums
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- Figure 26: Mums’ top concerns, by income, July 2013
The Consumer – Changes in Shopping and Spending
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- Key points
- Spending for quality, but saving by making smart purchases
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- Figure 27: Changes in shopping habits, July 2013
- Younger mums more attracted by places with child-friendly facilities and online shopping
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- Figure 28: Changes in shopping habits, by mums’ age, July 2013
- Spending on children’s education, premium food and drinks rise the most, while spending on personal luxury items falls
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- Figure 29: Changes in spending allocation, July 2013
- Mapping spending changes according to children’s age
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- Figure 30: Changes in spending allocation (% of mums doing activities more than a year ago), by children’s age, July 2013
The Consumer – Mums’ Purchase Influencers
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- Key points
- Friends outweighs parents, online exceeds TV
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- Figure 31: Influencing persons and channels, July 2013
- Mums with higher levels of income and education tend to leverage multichannel information
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- Figure 32: Influencing channels, by income, July 2013
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- Figure 33: Influencing persons, by income, July 2013
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- Figure 34: Influencing persons, by income, July 2013 (continued)
- Mums most interested in health, fashion and beauty, and entertainment programmes
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- Figure 35: Programmes watched most often, July 2013
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- Figure 36: Programmes watched most often, ‘education news’ and ‘children’s programmes’, by mums age and children’s age, July 2013
- Mums with higher levels of income and education watch more fashion and beauty as well as leisure and travel programmes
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- Figure 37: Programmes watched most often, by mums’ personal income and level of education, July 2013
Key Issue – Attitudinal Differences among Chinese Mums
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- Key points
- Typologies of mums
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- Figure 38: Typologies of mums, China July 2013
- Figure 39: Attitudes, by types of mums, July 2013
- Pragmatic ambitious mums
- What do they think?
- Who are they?
- How do they act?
- Marketing implications
- Mature under-control mums
- What do they think?
- Who are they?
- How do they act?
- Marketing implications
- Dedicated anxious mums (23%)
- What do they think?
- Who are they?
- How do they act?
- Marketing implications
- Self-indulgent mums (17%)
- What do they think?
- Who are they?
- How do they act?
- Marketing implications
- What does it mean?
Key Issue – Capitalising on Online Opportunities when Marketing and Selling to Mums
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- Key points
- Rapid growth of online retailing in China
- Nearly all mums who are internet users have shopped online
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- Figure 40: Online shopping penetration among mums, by platforms, February 2013
- Mother and baby sector grows faster than total online retailing
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- Figure 41: Market size of online retailing in China, total and mother and baby products, 2010-12
- Online retailers make strategic investments in mother and baby sector through integration
- Mums buy more than just mother and baby products online
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- Figure 42: Products bought via online channels in the last 12 months, by mums and not mums, February 2013
- While price is a strong driver, other important factors are in play
- Nearly 60% of mums shop online for ideas and inspirations
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- Figure 43: Consumer online shopping habits, by age of mums, February 2013
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- Figure 44: Carrefour’s French cuisine and food online advertising, China 2013
- Younger middle-class mums engage in Hai Tao to buy directly from overseas via online
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- Figure 45: Chinese mums showing their Hai Tao purchases at online forums, China, 2013
- Innovations in online marketing to mums
- Offer mums the social aspects of their online shopping experience
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- Figure 46: Mums’ social network activities conducted in the past three months, by age of mums, February 2013
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- Figure 47: US social shopping website ‘The Prowl’, 2013
- Turning community-type mother and baby websites’ membership asset into more revenue opportunities
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- Figure 48: Baby Box gift box from babytree.com, China, 2013
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- Figure 49: Babytree launched in home early education product Mika World in China, 2011
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- Figure 50: Babytree launches B-Smart Watch for mums and mums-to-be in China, 2013
- What does it mean?
Key Issue – Catering to Mums’ Top Concern over Children’s Education
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- Key points
- Child education is the number one priority in mums’ lives
- More mothers nowadays find child education means more than academic excellence
- However, they are still pressured to keep up with others and play ‘tiger mums’
- What can brands do?
- Mums need knowledge, empathy and confidence
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- Figure 51: Attitudes towards being a parent and child raising skills, by different types of mums, July 3013
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- Figure 52: TV show Dad, Where are We Going? gains huge popularity in China, 2013
- Building a brand’s core value on children’s learning and development
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- Figure 53: Omo ‘let’s play, China’ advertising, 2013
- Leverage offline brand interaction with socially responsible PR campaigns
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- Figure 54: P&G’s Duracell launches ‘toy share’ campaign in China, 2013
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- Figure 55: BMW’s Children’s Traffic Safety Training Camp in China, 2013
- Retailers can attract family visitors by offering a child-oriented in-store experience
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- Figure 56: Shanghai’s Kerry Parkside organized party at the groovy haunt Halloween party, 2013
- Figure 57: Shanghai’s K11 shopping mall creates unique in-store experience with mini-urban farm, 2013
- What does it mean?
Key Issue – Marketing to Today’s Working Mums
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- Key points
- Striking a balance between family and career
- Not all mums take the same approach
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- Figure 58: Attitudes towards balancing work and family, by types of mums, July 2013
- Marketing opportunities: quality time is more important
- Product opportunities: bringing convenience, efficiency and all-in-one solutions
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- Figure 59: New product launches in household care in China with convenience related claims, 2008-13
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- Figure 60: Mr Muscle toilet cleaning gel, China, 2011
- Figure 61: Quaker oatmeal product offers more choices and quick cooking tips, China, 2013
- Helping mums to get back on-track in their career
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- Figure 62: Mums’ top concerns ‘furthering my career’, by city, July 2013
- The change from the ‘yellow-faced wife’ to the pursuit of being a ‘hot mum’
- Wide consensus that women should look attractive even after having a child
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- Figure 63: Popular TV show Hot Mum, China, 2013
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- Figure 64: Attitudes towards self-appearance, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 65: Clarins’ maternity care gift set and mother-to-be spa treatment, UK, 2013
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- Figure 66: Philips facial sauna and hair styler for in-home usage, China, 2013
- A new way of connecting to mums by redefining happiness
- Strong desire to receive others’ compliments on appearance suggests mums need the ‘feel good factor’
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- Figure 67: Attitudes towards self-appearance, by types of mums, July 2013
- Mums’ happiness – starting to be redefined from self-happiness first
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- Figure 68: Attitudes towards personal needs and satisfaction, by types of mums, July 2013
- What does it mean?
Appendix – Age Structure of Chinese Women
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- Figure 69: Age structure of Chinese female population, 2006-21
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Appendix – Incidence of Mum and Age of Children
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- Figure 70: Number of children, July 2013
- Figure 71: Number of children, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 72: Age of children, July 2013
- Figure 73: Age of children, by demographics, July 2013
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Appendix – Financials
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- Figure 74: Working status, July 2013
- Figure 75: Working status, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 76: Working status, by demographics, July 2013 (continued)
- Figure 77: Working status, by age of children, July 2013
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- Figure 78: Control of financse, July 2013
- Figure 79: Control of finances, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 80: Control of finances, by working status, July 2013
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Appendix – Concerns
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- Figure 81: Mum’s concerns, July 2013
- Figure 82: Mum’s concerns, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 83: Mum’s concerns, by demographics, July 2013 (continued)
- Figure 84: Mum’s concerns, by age of children, July 2013
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Appendix – Behaviours
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- Figure 85: Shopping behaviours, July 2013
- Figure 86: Shopping behaviours, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 87: Shopping behaviours, by demographics, July 2013 (continued)
- Figure 88: Shopping behaviours, by age of children, July 2013
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- Figure 89: Spending behaviours, July 2013
- Figure 90: Spending behaviours – Buy premium food and drinks, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 91: Spending behaviours – Buy premium personal care products, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 92: Spending behaviours – Buy premium household care products, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 93: Spending behaviours – Purchase clothes for my family, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 94: Spending behaviours – Provide educational/learning activities for children, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 95: Spending behaviours – Have holidays with my family, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 96: Spending behaviours – Purchase jewellery/personal luxury items, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 97: Spending behaviours – Dine out with my family, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 98: Spending behaviours – Purchase electronics, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 99: Spending behaviours – Entertainment activities, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 100: Spending behaviours – Go on day trips with my family, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 101: Spending behaviours, by age of children, July 2013
- Figure 102: Spending behaviours, by control of finance, July 2013
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Appendix – Influence
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- Figure 103: Influencing persons, July 2013
- Figure 104: Influencing persons, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 105: Influencing persons, by demographics, July 2013 (continued)
- Figure 106: Influencing persons, by age of children, July 2013
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- Figure 107: Influencing persons, by control of finances, July 2013
- Figure 108: Influencing channel, July 2013
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- Figure 109: Influencing channel, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 110: Influencing channel, by demographics, July 2013 (continued)
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- Figure 111: Other influencing channel, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 112: Influencing channel, by age of children, July 2013
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Appendix – Attitudinal Statements
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- Figure 113: Types of mums, July 2013
- Figure 114: Agreement with the statement ‘It is difficult for me to find time to think about my appearance since becoming a mother’, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 115: Agreement with the statement ‘My own needs usually take second place after my child(ren)’s’, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 116: Agreement with the statement ‘I feel more satisfied about buying things for my family than for myself’, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 117: Agreement with the statement ‘It’s hard to balance looking after my children with other areas of my life’, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 118: Agreement with the statement ‘I am willing to pay extra for products or services that make my life easier’, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 119: Agreement with the statement ‘I prefer to take care of my children myself rather than giving these responsibilities to another person’, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 120: Agreement with the statement ‘It is still important for a woman to look attractive even after having a child’, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 121: Agreement with the statement ‘It is still important to be socially active in various activities after having a child’, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 122: Agreement with the statement ‘I feel good about receiving compliments from others about my personal appearance or my child’s appearance’, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 123: Agreement with the statement ‘I feel it is difficult being a parent’, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 124: Agreement with the statement ‘I want to learn more about bringing up children so I can improve my child rising skills’, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 125: Agreement with the statement ‘Recommendations and experience from others about parenting are important to me.’, by demographics, July 2013
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Appendix – Further Analysis
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- Figure 126: Target groups, July 2013
- Figure 127: Target groups, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 128: Age of children, by target groups, July 2013
- Figure 129: Working status, by target groups, July 2013
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- Figure 130: Control of finances, by target groups, July 2013
- Figure 131: Mum’s concerns, by target groups, July 2013
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- Figure 132: Shopping behaviours, by target groups, July 2013
- Figure 133: Spending behaviours, by target groups, July 2013
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- Figure 134: Influencing persons, by target groups, July 2013
- Figure 135: Influencing channel, by target groups, July 2013
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