Retired for Hire consumers a boon for financial, office-supply and home-improvement firms
The 6.2 million American adults over the age of 65 who are employed full-time or part-time are overall financially secure and several different industries - from financial services and office supplies to home improvement stores - stand to benefit from their stability, according to a study from Scarborough Research, New York.
These so-called Retired for Hire consumers are slightly more likely than the average adult to have an annual household income of $150,000+ and are 51 percent more likely to live in a home valued at $500,000+. They have a wide range of investments and use a potpourri of financial services. They are more likely than the average American to have stocks or stock options as a household investment (23 percent more likely); a second home or real estate property (36 percent more likely); mutual funds (27 percent more likely); and money-market funds (46 percent more likely). Retired for Hire also exceeds the national average in utilizing financial services such as accountants, financial planners and full-service stockbrokers in their household.
In addition to the banking and financial industry, office supplies providers and home improvement stores have a large base in Retired for Hire. As a business group, Retired for Hire is significantly more likely than the average American to be self-employed (140 percent more likely) or a small business owner (143 percent more likely). Therefore, they are frequently making purchasing decisions for their companies. Retired for Hire consumers are 32 percent more likely to make IT corporate decisions; 38 percent more likely to make hardware/software choices; and they also select vendors for overnight delivery services, business travel and office equipment. Almost one-quarter of this group shopped Walmart for office supplies during the past three months, making it the leading office supply store for Retired for Hire. However, they are 19 percent more likely than average to shop Office Depot and 18 percent more likely to shop Staples.
Retired for Hire represents some of the country’s biggest home improvers. This consumer group is 13 percent more likely to have spent $10,000+ on all home improvements during the past year. Forty-one percent made a purchase at Home Depot during the past year but they are 29 percent more likely than average to buy at Ace Hardware. For more information visit www.scarborough.com.
Americans find comfort in creating online health-related communities
Many Americans turn to friends and family for support and advice when facing a health problem but personal networks are expanding to include online peers, particularly in the crucible of rare disease, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project from the Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. Health professionals remain the central source of information for most Americans, but peer-to-peer health care is a significant supplement.
Eighteen percent of Internet users say they have gone online to find others who might have health concerns similar to theirs. One of the most striking findings is the extent of peer-to-peer help among people living with chronic conditions. One-quarter of Internet users living with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions, lung conditions, cancer or some other chronic ailment have gone online to find others with similar health concerns. By contrast, 15 percent of Internet users who report no chronic conditions have sought such help online. Other groups of Internet users who are likely to look online for people who share their same health concerns include those caring for a loved one; those who experienced a medical crisis in the past year; and those who have experienced a significant change in their physical health, such as weight loss or gain, pregnancy or quitting smoking.
When asked about the last time they had a health issue, 70 percent of adults in the U.S. received information, care or support from a health professional. Fifty-four percent of adults turned to friends and family and 20 percent of adults turned to others who have the same health condition.
Adults were asked which group is more helpful when they need certain types of information or support: health professionals like doctors and nurses or peers like fellow patients, friends and family. The pattern of their responses was pretty clear. For technical topics related to a health issue, professionals held sway. With more personal matters such how to cope or get quick relief, non-professionals were preferred by most patients. For more information visit www.pewinternet.org.
Digital couponing still gaining ground
Coupon distribution in the U.S. increased 6.8 percent in 2010 and more coupons were distributed than ever before, with digital coupons outpacing their newspaper counterparts approximately six to one. But the majority of digital couponers are doing more than just scraping by. Users of digital coupons have higher household incomes and are better educated than users of newspaper coupons and the general population overall, dispelling the perceived lowbrow stigma of couponing.
The consumer who prints digital coupons has an average household income of $105,000, a 26 percent higher income level than the U.S. average, according to a report from Coupons.com Incorporated, Mountain View, Calif. Adults with household income of over $100,000 are twice as likely to have redeemed coupons printed from an online source than adults with household income less than $35,000.
Thirty-six percent of those who use digital coupons have a college degree, compared to 28 percent of those who use newspaper coupons and 26 percent of the general populace. Also, adults with college degrees are almost twice as likely to have used coupons in the prior six months as those who didn’t graduate from high school.
Cereal was by far the most popular coupon category in 2010, followed by yogurt (No. 2), refrigerated dough (No. 3), portable snacks (No. 4), and vegetables (No. 5). Baby products, including bottles, car seats and diaper pails, also topped the list at No. 6, followed by soup (No. 7), air, rug and fabric care (No. 8), cheese (No. 9) and lunch meats (No. 10).
For the second year in a row, Atlanta took the top spot on the most frugal U.S. cities list for 2010, according to Coupons.com’s Savings Index. On average, regular users of Coupons.com in Atlanta printed or saved to a loyalty card more than $1,000 dollars in coupon savings from the site in 2010. That is almost twice the amount of savings in 2009, during which time Coupons.com users printed or saved to loyalty card $531 in savings.
The top 20 couponing cities for 2010 are Atlanta (No. 1); Tampa, Fla, (No. 2); Cincinnati (No. 3); St. Louis (No. 4); Minneapolis (No. 5); Charlotte, N.C. (No. 6); Nashville, Tenn. (No. 7); Cleveland (No. 8); Pittsburgh (No. 9); Raleigh, N.C. (No. 10); Kansas City, Mo. (No. 11); Washington, D.C. (No. 12); Miami (No. 13); Dallas (No. 14); Oklahoma City (No. 15); Boston (No. 16); Denver (No. 17); Seattle (No. 18); Columbus, Ohio (No. 19); and Wichita, Kan. (No. 20). For more information visit www.coupons.com.
Global consumers agree gender equality is lacking
Global consumers acknowledge a discrepancy between how they feel gender equality should be and the perception of the way things actually are. According to research conducted among Shelton, Conn., research company Survey Sampling International’s online panels in the U.S., U.K., Australia, China, Germany, France, Japan and Singapore, 70 percent of participants strongly agree that men and women should be paid the same wage for the same position but only a minority of participants agree strongly that women are equal to men in the workplace or that men and women have equal rights.
On a country level, respondents in Germany (37 percent) and the U.S. (35 percent) are most likely to strongly agree that men and women in their country have equal rights. France (16 percent) and Japan (8 percent) are least likely to strongly agree with that sentiment.
When examining the likelihood of voting for a female or male leadership candidate of equal abilities, almost half of Chinese participants state that they are more likely to vote for a male. It is also important to note that 42 percent of China’s participants are just as likely to vote for either gender. Overall, 72 percent of participants across the eight countries are just as likely to vote either gender into a position of leadership when the candidates are equally qualified.
Among males, 26 percent are more likely to vote a male into a position of leadership while only 4 percent of males would be more likely to vote for a female. Females are more likely to vote a female into a position of leadership (11 percent) than males but like their male counterparts, ironically, females are more likely to vote for a male (15 percent) than for a female (11 percent). For more information visit www.surveysampling.com.
Travelers do their research; want convenience and value
Consumers take their vacations seriously - seeking advice, conducting online research and actively looking for deals. The modern traveler engages in an extensive research process, which often takes place over several months and includes numerous and varied information sources, according to Boston travel service firm Smart Destinations.
While travelers consult several sources, recommendations from friends (92 percent), online searches (70 percent), online reviews from other travelers (53 percent) and travel books (50 percent) are the most popular.
Travelers are proactively looking for value and willing to conduct the necessary research to get it. Additionally, travelers’ definition of value is expanding. This value mind-set goes beyond hotels and airfare and includes attractions, as well as savings in time and added convenience. Seventy-five percent of respondents actively try to get discounted admission in advance if there is a specific activity they want to do on their trip; 95 percent of respondents would buy admission in advance if they could skip the line at popular attractions; and 46 percent of respondents would pay more than the retail price to eliminate waiting in line.
Travelers also indicated that promotions and sales, specifically those offering a 25 percent discount or greater, are key purchase triggers. Ninety percent of travelers would pre-purchase attraction tickets for a 25 percent discount and 92 percent of travelers would buy bundled admission of three-to-five attractions at once for a 25 percent discount. For more information visit www.smartdestinations.com.