Party Planning and Home Entertaining - US - February 2016

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Definition
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Figure 1: Any event hosted in the last three years/last year, by age, October 2015
The issues
Formal entertaining at home is less appealing
Figure 2: Types of events planned, by gender, October 2015
Entertaining can be a stressful prospect
Figure 3: Attitudes toward entertaining – Party stress, October 2015
Women are planning more than their fair share
Figure 4: Responsibility for planning, by gender, October 2015
Party planners are likely working parents
Figure 5: Responsibility for planning, by employment status, October 2015
The opportunities
Text message may be the new mode for party invites
Figure 6: Party planning tasks, October 2015
Hispanic consumers over index as party hosts and purchasers
Figure 7: Types of events hosted in the last three years, by Hispanic origin, October 2015
Grocery retailers may want to step-up the party aisle
Figure 8: Party supply retailers, October 2015
Black party hosts are ready to “go all out”
Figure 9: Attitudes toward entertaining – Party preparation, by race, October 2015
What it means
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
At-home events are common for most
Entertaining at home remains culturally relevant
Demographic factors have opposing impact
WHO ARE PARTY PLANNERS
Figure 10: Any event hosted in the last three years, by key demographics, October 2015
Sentiment toward at-home entertaining remains stable
Figure 11: Enjoyment of entertaining, July 2014-September 2015
Married women aged 25-34 most likely to enjoy entertaining
Figure 12: Enjoyment of entertaining, by gender, age, race, and marital status, July 2014-September 2015
MARKET PERSPECTIVE
Declining costs increase sales of high-quality televisions
Abundance of available alternatives create barriers to entertaining
Figure 13: Communication activities conducted online in past three months, July 2013 versus April 2015
Figure 14: Subscription to pay TV, DVR, internet, 2013-15
Dining out grows in popularity, fueled by low gas prices
Figure 15: Food sales at home and away from home, January 2003-December 2015
Social media drives visibility of home entertaining
Figure 16: Social media use, 2012-15
Culinary arts see a revival in popularity
Figure 17: Interest in dining out and cooking for fun, 2008-15
MARKET FACTORS
Improving economy may relax entertainment budgets
Figure 18: Consumer Sentiment Index, January 2007-December 2015
Delay in marriage and children slow entertaining in younger age groups
Growth in Hispanic population a boon for entertaining
Figure 19: Total US population growth trends, by race/Hispanic origin, 2010-20, 2010-15, and 2015-20
Rise in single-person households
Figure 20: US households by number of persons in household, 2013
Figure 21: Hosted an at-home event in the last three years, by household size, October 2015
KEY PLAYERS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Walmart and grocery are lead retailers
At-home entertaining sustains as party types evolve
Parties for kids continue to impress
Food remains the center of at-home events
RETAILER OVERVIEW
Walmart
Overview
Demographics
Figure 22: Profile of party hosts – Demographic index, Walmart, October 2015
Grocery stores
Overview
Demographics
Figure 23: Profile of party hosts – Demographic index, grocery stores, October 2015
Target
Overview
Demographics
Figure 24: Profile of party hosts – Demographic index, Target, October 2015
Party stores
Overview
Demographics
Figure 25: Profile of party hosts – Demographic index, party stores, October 2015
Dollar/discount stores
Overview
Demographics
Figure 26: Profile of party hosts – Demographic index, discount/dollar stores, October 2015
Online retailers
Overview
Demographics
Figure 27: Profile of party hosts – Demographic index, online stores October 2015
WHAT’S IN
Types of at-home events
Viewing parties
Millennials drive resurgence of board games for adults
Gender reveal parties add another occasion for mothers to-be
Children’s party trends
Kids’ parties can be created from scratch or ordered online
Figure 28: Potentially popular themes for kids’ parties: Dolls owned, action figures owned, movies watched, April 2014-June 2015
Accessible entertaining advice for all
Hotel Commonwealth offers courses in the art of entertaining
Lifestyle blogs drive the category
Magazines remain relevant in the entertainment space
WHAT’S OUT
Traditional notions of entertaining fade
Young consumers more likely to start and end a party online
No need for a playlist
Direct selling companies find new channels
WHAT’S NEXT?
Kids’ parties grow up
The extravagance continues, with a touch more sophistication
Kid parties become family parties
Food and drink solutions unburden hosts
Deconstructed DIY
Pay-share is the new potluck
At-home events get creative
At-home painting parties
Brands join your at-home parties
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Majority of adults have hosted an at-home event
Women do more of the planning
Planners are purchasing party supplies at grocery retailers
Impressing guests leads to stress
Four distinct types of party hosts identified
Black party hosts “go all out”
TYPES OF EVENTS HOSTED
Three in four respondents have hosted a party in their home
Figure 29: Types of events hosted in the last three years, October 2015
Informal events the most common in the last year
Figure 30: Types of events hosted in the last year, by gender, October 2015
25-34s are a key demographic
Figure 31: Any event hosted in the last year, by age, October 2015
Formal ceremonies less likely to be hosted at home
Figure 32: Select types of events hosted in the last three years, October 2015
Hispanic consumers an important demographic
Figure 33: Types of events hosted in the last three years, by Hispanic origin, October 2015
RESPONSIBILITY FOR EVENT PLANNING
Men are hosting, but women are planning
Figure 34: Responsibility for planning, by gender, October 2015
Party planners are busy adults
Figure 35: Responsibility for planning, by employment status, October 2015
Figure 36: Responsibility for planning, by gender and parental status, October 2015
EVENT PLANNING TASKS
Invitations and inspiration often come from online sources
Figure 37: Party planning tasks, October 2015
Most are reluctant to hire professional help
Figure 38: Party planning tasks, by gender, October 2015
Figure 39: Party planning tasks, by age, October 2015
Figure 40: Party planning tasks – Hired professional services, by household income, October 2015
PARTY PURCHASES
Primary party supplies: Beer, wine, cups
Figure 41: Party purchases, October 2015
Beer and wine are must-haves; hard alcohol is a nice-to-have
Figure 42: Party purchases – Alcohol, by age, October 2015
Alcohol purchases more common among higher income brackets
Figure 43: Party purchases – Alcohol, by gender, October 2015
Women more focused on cake and decorations
Figure 44: Party purchases, by gender, October 2015
Party favors and games more popular with younger hosts
Figure 45: Party purchases – Favors and games, by age, October 2015
PARTY SUPPLY RETAILERS
Party City loses out to other retailers
Figure 46: Purchase locations, October 2015
Women more likely to choose a discount store
Figure 47: Purchase locations, by gender, October 2015
Walmart attracts Millennials
Figure 48: Purchase locations, by generations, October 2015
ATTITUDES TOWARD ENTERTAINING
Party hosts look to impress their guests
Figure 49: Attitudes toward entertaining – Party preferences, October 2015
Entertaining is stressful for some
Figure 50: Attitudes toward entertaining – Party stress, October 2015
Older consumers less prone to party stress
Figure 51: Smirnoff video – What kind of night is it? October 2015
Figure 52: Attitudes toward entertaining – Worry that others won’t have a good time, by age, October 2015
Hosts aged 25-34 enjoy taking and sharing photos
Figure 53: Attitudes toward entertaining – Photo sharing, by age, October 2015
Black party hosts make a good impression
Figure 54: Attitudes toward entertaining – Party preferences, by race, October 2015
TYPES OF PARTY HOSTS (CONSUMER SEGMENTATION)
Factors
Figure 55: Party host segments, October 2015
Segment 1: Agreeable Entertainer (27%)
Demographics
Characteristics
Opportunity
Segment 2: Couch Potato (26%)
Demographics
Characteristics
Opportunity
Segment 3: Party Pooper (26%)
Demographics
Characteristics
Opportunity
Segment 4: Host with the Most (21%)
Demographics
Characteristics
Opportunity
Figure 56: Party planning/home entertaining segments, October 2105
KEY DRIVERS ANALYSIS – WHO GOES ALL OUT?
Figure 57: Key demographic drivers of attitudes toward entertaining – Key driver output, November 2015
Figure 58: Key demographic drivers of attitudes toward entertaining, behaviors – Key driver output, November 2015
Figure 59: Key drivers of attitudes toward entertaining, demographics and attitudes November 2015
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Consumer qualitative research
Direct marketing creative
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
APPENDIX – MARKET
Figure 60: Social media use, 2012-15
Figure 61: Interest in dining out and cooking for fun, 2008-15
Figure 62: Subscription to pay TV, DVR, internet, 2013-15
Figure 63: Enjoyment of entertaining, by gender, age, race, and marital status, July 2014-September 2015
Figure 64: Enjoyment of entertaining, July 2014-September 2015
APPENDIX – KEY PLAYERS
Figure 65: Potentially popular themes for kids’ parties: dolls owned, action figures owned, movies watched, April 2014-June 2015
APPENDIX – CONSUMER SEGMENTATION
Figure 66: Attitudes toward entertaining – Any agree, by target groups, October 2015
APPENDIX – KEY DRIVER ANALYSIS
Methodology
Interpretation of results
Figure 67: Key drivers of attitudes toward entertaining – Key driver output, November 2015