“Children seemingly modify the definition of affluence in a household,” says Ipsos OTX’s Donna Sabino. “Everything [an affluent mom] does is guided and influenced by her children and many don’t realize how far-reaching that influence is. Their purchase decisions are more motivated by [children] than by gender or age.”
When affluent women age 18-54 — defined as annual household incomes exceeding $100,000 a year — have children, it separates them both from lower-income moms and affluent women without children. (It’s important to note the relatively small difference between the affluent and middle class, says Pam Danziger of Unity Marketing, which tracks luxury consumers. “The average single salary is around $65,000, so the difference is the presence of an additional worker.”)
Affluent Non-Moms Vs. Affluent With Kids
Affluent women engage in typical well-heeled behaviors, such as antiquing, redecorating, and traveling. One in three affluent women without children (34%), for instance, attends art auctions or gallery exhibits, compared to 23% of affluent moms, according to Ipsos Mendelsohn.
Adding children to the mix transforms an affluent mom’s mindset and behavior causing them to forgo estate sales in favor of less high-brow activities. Affluent moms, for example, are twice as likely as their affluent non-mom counterparts to have recently attended a sporting event (64% vs. 57%) or visited a theme park (15% vs. 7%).
Whereas affluent women without children shop in mid-tier and high-end shops such as Ann Taylor, Neiman Marcus, Sephora, and William-Sonoma, affluent moms frequent retailers such as JCPenney, Target, Sears, Kohl’s, and Walmart.
Affluent households feature the latest tech gadgets, with affluent moms using them to save time. For instance, 42% of moms with children under six always fast-forward through commercials, compared to 34% of affluent women without children who do so.
Affluent moms with children also are more likely than wealthy non-moms to video chat, maintain a profile on a social networking site, and, in another time-saving maneuver, pay bills online. Understandably, affluent moms watch cartoons and family-friendly programming at higher rates than do women without children.
Different From Other Moms
Moms, regardless of their socio-economic status, are bargain shoppers. “The presence of kids at home changes priorities. It’s now about saving money and getting the best value so you can give your kid every advantage,” says Sabino. Danziger adds, “Younger affluents [under 45] are much more discount-oriented. They are at the life stage of acquiring things, but are not willing to pay full price.”
The affluent in this context enjoy certain benefits not affordable to the less-wealthy — most notably, the ability to “buy in volume.” This means wealthy moms are more likely to purchase and own multiple sets of products. “It makes sense that every [family] member has their own, especially when it comes to computers and homework,” says Sabino. The vast majority of affluent mom households have at least two cars and three TV sets.
The key time for multiple purchases occurs during the tween years, as 20% of families with kids under six own at least two desktop computers compared with 33% of families with kids 6-11. Similarly, the number of affluent homes with at least four cellphones about doubles from 16% of homes with kids under age six to 30% of homes with 6-11-year-olds.
Even though children bump women from their affluent lifestyles, Sabino says moms have no regrets. “Children cost so much, but they also make their lives so much richer and positive. It gives them something that money can’t buy and that makes up for them not being able to shop at exclusive stores.” Plus, it’s only temporary. Affluent moms revert to their antiquing, spa-going affluent lifestyles once their children leave home. [Affluent/Consumer Behavior]
Contacts and Connections: Ipsos OTX Media CT, Donna Sabino, SVP Kids and Family Insights, 212-524-8242; dsabino@otxresearch.com; www.ipsos-na.com.
Unity Marketing, Pam Danziger, President, 206 E. Church St., Stevens, PA 17578; 717-336-1600; pam@unitymarketingonline.com; wwww.unitymarketingonline.com.
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