••• leisure research
Plenty of room under the tent
Number of new, non-white campers hits a high
Since the ethnic mix of campers was first measured in 2012 as part of an annual study of camping by Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), the percentage of non-white camping households has increased from 12 percent to 29 percent. What’s more, for the first time since measurement of new campers began in 2014, the percentage of new non-white campers (51 percent) in 2018 outpaced the percentage of new Caucasian campers (49 percent). This means that those new to camping are more diverse than the overall U.S. population – half of the newest campers are from non-white groups and exceed U.S. Census figures.
More than 7.2 million households in the U.S. have started camping over the past five years, bringing the total number of camping households in the U.S. to a new high of 78.8 million, according to the 2019 North American Camping Report, an annual independent study supported by KOA. North Americans are also camping more frequently than ever before, with 72 percent growth among those who camp three or more times each year – the most avid group of campers – since 2014.
Key factors driving this upward trend include: an influx of younger and more diverse campers; Millennials having kids and taking them camping; and North Americans’ love for the outdoors.
The explosion of camping is leading to greater diversity as well. Of the 1.4 million households that started camping in 2018 alone, 56 percent are Millennials and 51 percent are from non-white groups. Millennials currently make up the largest segment of campers at 41 percent, up seven percentage points since 2014, and Gen Xers make up 36 percent, up nine percentage points.
Hispanic campers represent 11 percent of all camping households and are the largest group of non-white campers. Representation of new Hispanic campers grew in 2018 to 22 percent, exceeding U.S. Census figures at 16 percent. African-American campers now represent 9 percent of camping households and Asian-American campers 7 percent, both representing growth from the initial reporting in 2014. African-American campers are the youngest demographic of campers with 64 percent Millennial representation.
Changes in life stage, specifically starting a family, are a significant factor fueling the growth of camping. Fifty-four percent of Millennials are now camping with kids and when asked what was the key trigger that got them to camp more, the majority said having kids. Millennials with children in the household are an avid group of campers: 63 percent camp more than seven nights per year and two-thirds plan to camp more in 2019.
In fact, camping families with children in the household form the most avid group of campers overall. This group took the most camping trips and spent the most nights camping in 2018 and are substantially more likely to camp more often in 2019.
Half of all campers say their love of the outdoors is what sparked their interest in camping. This has remained the leading driver over the last five years. Campers are increasingly seeing camping and other forms of outdoor recreation (hiking, biking, fishing, etc.) as one in the same. This trend is being driven primarily by younger campers.
Campers are sharing the love, too, with 48 percent of new campers reporting that other people got them interested in camping. Overall, campers – no matter age or ethnic background – view camping as a time to reduce stress, clear their minds and spend more time with family.
The findings of the 2019 North American Camping Report suggest this momentum will continue given North Americans’ enthusiasm and strong commitment to camping. Survey results show the growing camper segments have a great deal of enthusiasm for taking more trips and camping more nights each year.
More than half (51 percent) of parents report that the enthusiasm for camping among their children has never been higher. And teen campers agree: 96 percent say they enjoy the time camping with family and friends and they say they are healthier thanks to the benefits of camping and other outdoor activities.
Further, one-third of all American and Canadian campers now self-identify as a “lifelong” campers, the highest rate since the survey’s inception in 2014. Both Millennials and Gen Xers are more likely to identify themselves as lifelong campers when compared to past years.
New trends in different camping experiences, including glamping and van life, are also contributing to the increasing interest and expanding the modern definition of camping. According to findings in the 2019 report, close to half of all campers are interested in a glamping or van life experience, a rate that has doubled since last year. Campers’ excitement to try new and different methods of camping has spawned new and expanding extensions of the outdoor industry.
“Since we started measuring the North American camping market five years ago, we’ve seen increasing diversification of age, life stage, ethnicity and even sexual orientation among campers, yet what remains consistent is a shared connection through a passion to immerse themselves in the outdoors through camping,” says Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO of KOA. “We ultimately believe that the fundamental reason why people camp – to connect with each other and with nature – will not change, but how they camp may. We continue to evolve our offerings based on these insights to provide campers with better experiences, thus meeting needs and continuing to help foster the growth of camping throughout North America.”
Traditional camping – tents, RVs and cabins – remains strong, but the growth in new and unique camping styles has skyrocketed as camper demographics continue to change. Tent camping remains the most popular way of camping for North Americans (59 percent), while RVing represents 24 percent and cabin camping 16 percent of the market. Millennials (56 percent) and Gen Xers (46 percent) are most likely to have tried new lodging in 2018; most Millennials tried tent camping while Gen Xers tried a full-service cabin with a bathroom.
While campers of all ages and ethnicities are interested in trying a luxury cabin camping experience in 2019, half of all campers surveyed said that they would also like to experience glamping of some type in the coming year – a rate that has more than doubled since 2017. Van life has also surged in popularity over the last five years. While the rate is much lower against glamping, there is was a 6 percent-point increase from 2017 to 2018 among campers of all ages who would like to experience van life from 2017 to 2018.
Among the subset of RV campers, 61 percent own the RV they use most and 36 percent rent or borrow the RV they use most, a shift from 2017 that now favors ownership. Increases in RV ownership are being driven by Gen Xers who, likely driven by changes in their life stages, increased ownership rates in 2018. Fifty-eight percent of Hispanic campers indicated they’d be interested in an RV experience – the highest interest level among all camper groups. African-American campers’ interest in tent camping for backpacking or backcountry experiences – such as biking, canoeing or kayaking – grew 22 percent in 2018 compared to 2017.
U.S. and Canadian household results: This survey was conducted by Cairn Consulting Group, an independent market research firm, in January. The sampling methodology targeted a randomly selected sample of U.S. and Canadian households. Sampling was designed to obtain n=2,900 completed surveys among representative U.S. households and representative Canadian households. A sample of n=2,400 U.S. households is associated with a margin of error of +/- 1.99 percent. Among Canadian households, a sample of n=500 is associated with a margin of error of +/- 4.37 percent.
Teen survey results: The results are based on a total of 400 surveys completed among a random sample of U.S. households with children between the ages of 13 and 17. Each survey was completed with a teen respondent whose parents gave prior permission. A sample of n=400 teen campers is associated with a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percent.
All surveys were completed online via an outbound solicitation sent to a randomly selected cross-section of U.S. and Canadian households. The sample of households from which the surveys were completed was statistically balanced to ensure that the results are in line with overall population figures for age, gender and ethnicity.
••• financial services
Not standing on guard against fraud
Canadians dialing back data security measures
Fewer Canadians are double-checking their financial statements, shredding personal documents or installing security software on their computers despite the increased threat of fraud and identity theft, according to Equifax Canada. Data flagged by financial institutions and tracked by Equifax Canada also found that: attempts of credit card fraud have increased by 42 percent over the last two years; Millennials were targeted in 48 percent of all fraudulent credit card applications in 2018; and suspected true name fraud (when an identity thief poses as a real person in completing a credit application) has also increased by 84 percent over the last five years.
“Identity theft and fraud is more complex and sophisticated than ever, which should be of growing concern for Canadians,” says Tara Zecevic, vice president, fraud prevention and identity management, Equifax Canada. “Millennials, in particular, should be doing more to educate themselves and protect their personal data given the incidence of credit card fraud we saw in 2018. It seems that complacency is setting in for some people when we actually need to be more vigilant than ever in the fight against fraud.”
With the data in hand to support a rise in fraud and identity theft, Equifax Canada wanted to hear from consumers. It conducted a consumer survey designed to gauge what people think about identity theft and the habits they practice when it comes to protecting themselves. This is the second year that Equifax Canada has conducted the survey.
The survey found that consumers were doing more in two areas: sharing less on social media (up 43 percent from 39 percent) and more people are checking their credit reports (up to 28 percent from 21 percent). Surprisingly, Millennials checked their credit reports more than any other age group (29 percent).
Thirty-seven percent of Canadians say they have been victims of identity theft or fraud at some point and the overwhelming majority of consumers surveyed (88 percent) have taken some steps to protect their personal information. Those numbers, however, are declining as only 59 percent of survey respondents double-checked their credit card statements compared to 65 percent two years ago when Equifax conducted a similar survey.
Likewise, people are shredding documents less, with a drop from 57 percent to 52 percent and only 35 percent have updated their security software on their computer compared to 42 percent in 2017.
Equifax surveyed 1,565 Canadians ages 18-65, Feb. 1-4. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent, 19 times out of 20.
••• b2b research
More than a number-cruncher
Financial controllers evolving into strategic risk managers
A survey of accounting and finance professionals found that the role of the controller has expanded to include risk management and internal controls. Almost all (95 percent) of respondents say their role is more strategic, while 69 percent characterize the controller as a risk manager who oversees internal controls.
The research, sponsored by Los Angeles-based software firm FloQast and conducted by Dimensional Research, sought to identify the impact of controllers within today’s accounting vertical as well as understand how and why their roles have evolved. It includes survey results from more than 300 accounting and finance professionals, including over 200 controllers, and reinterprets the controller’s role within a company as one far more complex and strategic than ever before.
As new technology and business outcomes add to the stressors of maintaining a company’s financial health, the controller’s responsibilities now overlap with those traditionally given to the CFO. With the CFO taking on a more strategic role themselves as the right hand of the CEO, the controller has to backfill a lot of traditional CFO responsibilities and aid the CFO in planning. Seventy-three percent say the controller’s role is changing because the CFO role has changed, while 90 percent report controllers are spending more time on strategic planning – a job historically done by the CFO.
“The modern financial controller does not fit the stereotype of the number-cruncher who hides in an office with his or her spreadsheets and ledgers and sends incomprehensible reports to the CFO who interprets them for the C-suite,” says Diane Hagglund, senior research analyst of Dimensional Research. “As the role of the CFO and the overall finance team has expanded, the controller understands how good data about business operations – both financial and non-financial – directly impacts the quality of decision making.”
Advancements in technology mean required software competency. Given how core accounting is to most ERP systems, the controller now has to manage many IT systems; 78 percent of respondents say controllers now spend more time on IT management.
Job stressors have changed – and increased. Eighty-nine percent say the controller’s job is more stressful. Top stresses include management demands for speed (67 percent), higher volume of work (64 percent) and compliance demands (63 percent). More concerning, 64 percent have experienced pressure to “cook the books.”
The controller is no longer a lone wolf. According to the survey, only a small number (31 percent) of controllers view themselves as the individual who prepares necessary financial reports. In midsize (74 percent) and large enterprises (82 percent), respondents were much more likely to view the controller as a risk managers with oversight of internal controls.
Despite the rapid transformation and steep expectations in maintaining satisfactory job performance, very few controllers are dissatisfied with their job. While 88 percent of the survey respondents have been offered outside job opportunities in the last year, only 11 percent of controllers are actually looking for jobs.
The survey was conducted by Dimensional Research in January. A total of 306 accounting and finance professionals participated in the survey included over 200 controllers from the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
••• b2b research
IT leaders struggle with digital integration
Too many apps, too many silos
A global survey of IT leaders, the 2019 Connectivity Benchmark Report, conducted by San Francisco technology company MuleSoft, found that while 97 percent of organizations are currently undertaking or planning to undertake digital transformation initiatives, integration challenges are hindering efforts for 84 percent of organizations. Close to half of all respondents (43 percent) reported more than 1,000 applications are being used across their business but only 29 percent are currently integrated, trapping valuable data in silos.
The survey of 650 respondents also reveals that IT is struggling to keep up with business demands, as 64 percent of respondents indicated they were unable to deliver all projects last year. In addition, project volumes are only expected to grow, with respondents predicting on average a 32 percent increase this year. If digital transformation initiatives aren’t successfully completed, nine out of 10 organizations believe business revenue will be negatively impacted.
The role of IT is changing from a tactical function to a business catalyst. However, business’s growing need for IT support is reflected in the increasing number of projects IT is expected to deliver. In addition, with a growing investment in new technologies, organizations are seeing integration challenges hinder digital transformation initiatives.
Eighty-four percent of respondents claim integration challenges are slowing digital transformation progress. In particular, data silos created business challenges for 83 percent of respondents.
“Legacy infrastructure and systems” was the most frequently reported challenge to digital transformation. Furthermore, 59 percent of IT leaders say their legacy infrastructure makes it hard to introduce new technologies like artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet of Things.
The majority (69 percent) of IT’s time remains dedicated to keeping the lights on compared to innovation. Further compounding the issue, 77 percent of respondents saw a budget increase of less than 10 percent this year. In fact, nearly one-third (31 percent) of these respondents reported that budgets had either remained flat or decreased.
IT’s expanding role is driven by a greater need for support across lines of business. As companies race to digitally transform, what was once an IT-specific need for integration has now expanded to business units across the organization. Ninety-two percent of respondents say their company’s integration needs span beyond IT to encompass a wide range of business functions, including business analysts (49 percent), data scientists (42 percent), human resources (37 percent) and marketing (36 percent).
IT and business leaders are more aligned than ever before: Respondents who identified business and IT misalignment as a major challenge dropped from 43 percent last year to 29 percent this year. The alignment between IT and the business goes as far as sharing key performance indicators. Of the respondents currently undertaking or planning to undertake digital transformation initiatives, more than three-quarters (77 percent) cite increased business efficiency as a goal this year and 71 percent cite improved customer experience as a goal.
For IT to become a business enabler, organizations are increasingly turning to API strategies to support reuse and self-service. By creating reusable assets, IT enables the business to increase overall delivery speed and capacity. Ninety-one percent of respondents from organizations that own public and/or private APIs are experiencing significant business outcomes as a result, including greater productivity (53 percent), decreased operational costs (33 percent) and increased revenue growth (29 percent). For 36 percent of respondents, APIs are generating more than 25 percent of their organization’s revenue.
Respondents who manage their APIs like products were more likely than their peers who own APIs to report increased innovation (49 percent versus 40 percent) and greater agility across teams to self-serve IT (58 percent versus 46 percent). Respondents who always reuse software assets when developing new projects were more likely than their peers who own APIs to report increased productivity (63 percent versus 53 percent) and revenue growth (41 percent versus 29 percent).
The survey was commissioned by MuleSoft and independently carried out by Vanson Bourne. A total of 825 IT decision makers were interviewed in December 2018 across the U.S., U.K., Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Singapore, China, France, Japan and Hong Kong. To allow year-on-year comparisons, all statistics cited exclude 175 respondents representing France, Japan and Hong Kong who were not interviewed for last year’s report. Therefore, the statistics here are derived from a base of 650 IT decision makers across the U.S., U.K., Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Singapore and China. The respondents were from enterprise organizations in both the public and private sector with at least 1,000 employees. Interviews were conducted online using a multilevel screening process to ensure that only suitable candidates were given the opportunity to participate.
••• employee research
Snacks and happy-hours for me!
Men, women prefer different workplace perks
U.S. employees rank “compensation” as the most important factor in their happiness, followed by “flexible hours and the ability to work remotely” and “doing meaningful work,” according to study by Wrike, a San Jose, Calif., maker of collaborative work management platforms. Happier employees rank doing meaningful work as the most important factor to workplace happiness and 62 percent of them have taken a pay cut to find happiness in another role at some point in their careers.
The study also reveals strong gender differences when it comes to work-related happiness drivers. Men are more willing than women to trade additional monetary compensation for better perks in the workplace like on-site gyms, snacks and happy-hours. Women are 126 percent more likely to say “I don’t care about perks, show me the money.”
While overall, respondents cite compensation as the most important factor to their happiness, men rank “management and leadership” in the top spot. Men are also 63 percent more likely than women to say they have taken a pay cut at some point in their career to accept a job that has made them happier.
Those who report having taken a pay cut to improve their happiness are 63 percent more likely to say they are “mostly happy” or “elated” with their current jobs than those who have not. The happiest employees rank doing meaningful work, flexible hours/the ability to work remotely and compensation as the top three happiness factors, respectively.
Wrike commissioned Atomik Research to conduct this survey. Respondents consisted of adults who work full-time for an organization with more than 200 employees. It was conducted in the U.S., U.K., France and Germany and resulted in at least 1,000 respondents in each country. Respondents were evenly split between male and female. The margin of error fell within +/- 2 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95 percent.
••• pet research
Fido needs fresh
Pet foods go premium
Ingredients and product attributes have become key focal points among consumers as they wander through the pet food aisles – both traditional and virtual. Including fresher and more natural ingredients parallels trends across human food and the sales at the shelf are proof points. According to Nielsen data, consumers spent $33 million on pet food with human-grade products over the past year.
But growth in the pet food arena isn’t limited to fresh food ingredients. Beyond fresh, premium offerings such as food with freeze-dried claims are heating up, too. In fact, dollar sales of air-drying/dehydrated full-meal pet food have more than doubled over the past three years, growing from $23 million in 2015 to $53 million in 2018 (making up 1 percent of total dry foods). Freeze- and air-dried/dehydrated pet foods are raw alternative options that are preserved through a drying method (either extracting moisture by vaporizing the ice of frozen meat at sub-zero temperatures or by using warm air for the drying process, respectively).
Consumers are attracted to freeze- and air-dried pet foods because they’re usually free of added preservatives and many offer enhanced benefits such as improved digestion, shinier coat, smoother skin and stronger immune system. As with human products that tout enhanced benefits, pet products in this realm come with a premium price tag.
Pure freeze-dried pet food costs the average consumer approximately $33 per pound. Air-dried or dehydrated pet food costs approximately $10-$11 per pound. That said, there is a growing community of consumers willing to pay for premium offerings – and they’re actively popping up on shelves in regular kibble products, either as a “coat” on a kibble or being mixed into the dry food as an enhanced offering. For brands looking to ride this trend, investing in education is critical. That’s because consumers will need to understand the differentiating benefits of freeze-drying and air-drying/dehydrating and why it’s worth a higher price tag.
The meal enhancer subcategory is another growth opportunity as pet owners continue to seek out convenient ways to add nutritional and health benefits to their pet food. Meal enhancers already generate $93 million in sales and they saw more than 25 percent growth year over year.
Nielsen says it is also seeing consumers shift away from food options with artificial products, much like they’ve done with their own foods. In fact, “free from artificial colors” is the top attribute in terms of absolute dollar growth over the latest 52 weeks.
Lastly, Nielsen has seen private-label products rising in the ranks in pet care. Retailers are launching their own brands across all channels and all categories. In fact, the number of private-label items per store increased from 110 in 2015 to 130 in 2018, representing growth of 18 percent. Distribution of private-label items has grown as well, jumping from 35 percent of all pet retail shops in 2015 to 55 percent of all shops in 2018.
So, who’s actually winning the claim game in today’s pet arena? Truly, any and all brands that are tuned into the needs of today’s consumers and creating products that truly meet those needs are best equipped to persevere. Companies need to evaluate their product portfolios and then understand the impact of ingredients and the level of scrutiny that consumers apply to the products they purchase.
Regardless of whether in human food or pet food, consumers are looking for exceptional products that fulfill a purpose, offer superior value propositions and connect on a personal level. Consumers will stay focused on product claims and ingredient panels, which means all brands looking to remain at the top of the game will need to leverage data to stay in tune with the needs of today’s pet-loving consumer.
••• shopper insights
Shoppers spending more in-store than online
Men say in-store tech enhances customer experience
Both men and women are spending significantly more in-store than online during a typical shopping visit according to a new report by technology company First Insight Inc. The company, which surveyed consumers on shopping habits, purchase behavior and influences that drive decisions, found that 71 percent of respondents (72 percent of men; 70 percent of women) typically spend more than $50 when shopping in-store. In contrast, only 54 percent of respondents (59 percent of men; 49 percent of women) are spending more than $50 when shopping online.
Of note, 34 percent of respondents (36 percent of men; 33 percent of women) reported spending more than $100 during a typical in-store shopping visit, compared to only 21 percent (26 percent of men; 17 percent of women) who reported spending more than $100 when shopping online.
This trend continued when evaluating the likelihood of a shopper adding extra items to their carts. When shopping in-store, 78 percent of men and 89 percent of women reporting that they sometimes or always add additional items to their cart. By comparison, a lower 67 percent of men and 77 percent of women reported adding extra items to their carts when shopping online.
“Even as online sales grow, this research shows that retailers must work to strike the right balance with consumers who are shopping differently online than they are in-store,” says Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight. “The fact that consumers are less likely to add items to a cart when shopping online implies that online recommendations are not as effective as they should be. Retailers need to be sure to offer the products consumers need and want at the right price points no matter where they are shopping, and must continue to work to drive traffic in-store where consumers are willing to spend more.”
Other significant findings of the survey include:
More consumers only go in-store when they need something. According to the survey, 73 percent of men and 69 percent of women respondents said that they only shop in-store when they have a need for something. Far fewer of both groups (64 percent of men and 56 percent of women) said the same about online shopping. The data points to the fact that retailers and brands, to be most effective and capture greater sales, need to place greater priority on the overall shopping experience. To attract consumers into the store beyond buying necessities, retailers must focus on in-store pricing, incentives and having the right items available in-store.
More men than women say in-store technology enhances the shopping experience. According to the report, men and women have begun to diverge slightly in their usage and enjoyment of in-store technology, with men using magic mirrors, interactive windows, smart fitting rooms, virtual technology and beacons more often in-store than women (between 40-47 percent versus 33-40 percent). Further, more men felt in-store technology enhanced their shopping experience across every technology.
Men are more likely to buy clothes in-store than online but both men and women purchase technology online. Clothing is a top category for both online and in-store purchases for both men and women. However, more men are shopping in-store for clothing than online. While an equal share of women purchase clothing online and in-store (73 percent), 66 percent of men say they make their clothing purchases in-store, versus 59 percent online.
By comparison, the survey showed that both men and women prefer to purchase technology items and gadgets online. Fifty-two percent of men and 43 percent of women purchase technology items online, versus 36 percent and 34 percent, respectively, who buy these items in-store.
The findings are based on the results of a consumer survey of a targeted sample of more than 1,000 respondents and was fielded in February. The survey was completed through proprietary sample sources amongst panels who participate in online surveys.