Report: Changing Family Lifestyles - UK

Issues in the MarketMintel research
Lifestage and Special Groups
But for this report...
Related reports
Abbreviations
Insights and Opportunities
Diversifying marketing to families
Marketing to families is increasingly more complex
Flexible families
Bedsitter ' children'
Money, work and home
Future financial concerns
Working at home women -- but not as we know it
Stay-at-home mothers -- preferential to being at work
Keeping the little tykes tidy
Shopping for children
Father Christmas (and all year round)
Affluent pester power
Health issues
Healthy for all
Get them while they' re young
Sporting generations
Quick, convenience, quality
Reading and computers
The reading gender agenda
PC help
Cultural triggers
Lifestyle Sector in Brief
Family households are shrinking and stretching
All kinds of families
Concerned parents
Always something to worry about
Trouble and strife
Regrets? They' ve had a few
Hopes and dreams
And for the future?
Who' s Innovating?
Financial innovations -- releasing the equity for costly families?
Consumers demand increased flexibility with equity-release schemes...
Leisure innovations -- In-home family entertainment
Family-friendly gaming systems...
...and HDTV
Family mealtimes...ahhh gravy!
Liquid assets
Children' s snacking
New child-targeted marketing fears
Fruit is a pull for children...
...but what about the veg?
Making food fun
Families promotions -- still have a bit of a way to go
Sector Environment
Key points
Family background
How many children?
- Figure 1: Percentage change of young people in the population aged 0-24, by age, 2000-06
Older mothers, smaller families
- Figure 2: Average age of mother: by first birth and all live births, England and Wales, 1971-2005
- Figure 3: Number of live births (thousands) in England and Wales, by marital status, 1991-2006
Changing family households
- Figure 4: Dependent children, by family type, Great Britain, 1972-2006
Family households are getting smaller
- Figure 5: Percentage change of number of children aged under 15 in household, by size of household, 1997-2007
Still at home!
Marriage, divorce and cohabitation
Family household expenditure
All households:
Couple-parent households:
Single-parent households:
Singularly different...
...but culturally the same
- Figure 6: Average weekly household expenditure, by selected single and couple family household types, UK, 2005/06
Family Relations
Key points
Marketing messages
Anatomy of the family
- Figure 7: Anatomy of the family -- a summary, October,
The True Family
- Figure 8: Profiles of True Families, October 2007
It takes all sorts
- Figure 9: Different family types, October 2007
Family Demands
Key points
Marketing messages
Hard work
Childcare is women' s work -- at least predominantly...
- Figure 10: Time spent on childcare in an average weekday -- men and women, by marital status, working status and number of children, 2007
...but there is greater equality for both partners who work full-time -- and more particularly, those working part-time
Hardest work for those with very young children and those with more children
First born -- first stress
C2DE fathers are more involved in childcare than their more affluent counterparts
Relentless clearing up
Anxiety
- Figure 11: Parental concerns, by gender, October 2007
The main concerns
Crime concerns
Health concerns
Financial concerns
Educational concerns
Nature of parental concerns changes according to the age of children
- Figure 12: Summary of the main varients in parental concerns, by age of children, October 2007
Top three concerns by age of children
- Figure 13: Top three parental concerns, by age of children, October 2007
Trouble and strife
Not a united front
Child-based arguing
Variants in parental concerns about crime
What do the children say?
- Figure 14: Youths who have had close friends involved in various behaviours -- youths aged 11-19, by age, 2006
The bigger picture
Hope and regrets...
...vary by age of children
Hard-working Families
Key points
Marketing messages
Hard-working parents
Fathers still work longer hours at work...
- Figure 15: Time spent on occupation on an average working day -- full-time working parents, by gender, 2007
...but mothers work harder from home (46% of mothers versus 35% bring work home)
Work or family?
Mothers still feel more responsible for being at home than fathers
- Figure 16: A summary of the most likely candidates to prefer to stay at home and look after their familiy, 2007
All too much?
Is work good for parents?
What do the children say?
This varies with age
Hard-working children?
- Figure 17: A summary of the most likely parents to worry about their children' s education, October 2007
What do the children say?
Working hard at school is important to most children (more than eight in ten)...
...although the appeal lessens from 15 year olds upwards
Dreams of university at their height before GCSEs kick in (11-14-year-olds)
The Family Home
Key points
Marketing messages
Household tenure
- Figure 18: Household tenure, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status and presence of children, 2007
The mortgage-free...
Those renting...
Those who live in a flat/maisonette...
Household drudgery
' I feel as if I am always clearing up after my child/ children'
- Figure 19: Summary of those who feel they are always clearing up after their children, October 2007
Household chores
- Figure 20: Average time spent on household chores on an average weekday day, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status and presence of children, 2007
Nearly half of all families have the aid of a dishwasher
Out of Pocket? The Effect of Children on Family Finances
Key points
Marketing messages
The cost of kids
Toys and games
- Figure 21: Average parental expenditure on toys and games for children during the last 12 months, by gender, 2007
Clothing and footwear
- Figure 22: Average parental expenditure on children' s clothing and footwear in the last 12 months, by gender, socio-economic group, age and number of children, 2007
Children and shopping for clothes
- Figure 23: Who children/youths shop for clothes with -- 7-19-year-olds, 2006
Children' s income
- Figure 24: Sources of income -- by age -- 7-19-year-olds, 2006
7-10-year-olds
11-14-year-olds
15-19-year-olds
Under the influence?
- Figure 25: Agreement/disagreement that ' I would not let children influence what I buy' , 2007
ABC1s are more likely to admit it
Obsessed with money?
' I think my children are too obsessed with money and with wanting to buy expensive things'
- Figure 26: Demographic summary of those who feel their children are obsessed with money, October 2007
' I often buy things for my children because I feel guilty about not spending enough time with them'
- Figure 27: Demographic summary of those who often buy things for their children out of guilt, October 2007
' I often buy things for my children because I don' t want them to have less than their friends have'
- Figure 28: Demographic summary of those who often buy things for their children to keep up with their friends, October 2007
- Figure 29: Agreement/disagreement that ' My parents buy me everything I want' -- 7-19-year-olds, 2006
Future finances
' I worry about my children being able to support themselves financially in their adult lives (eg debt, home ownership)'
- Figure 30: Demographic summary of those who worry about their children being able to support themselves financially in their adult lives, October 2007
Healthy Families
Key points
Marketing messages
What parents and children say about diet and exercise
' I think a lot about how healthy my child/ren' s diet is'
- Figure 31: Demographic summary of parents who say ' I think a lot about how healthy my child/ren' s diet is' , October 2007
' I think a lot about the amount of exercise my child/ren take'
- Figure 32: Demographic summary of parents who say ' I think a lot about the amount of exercise my child/ren' s take' , October 2007
What children say
Healthy lifestyles are important to young people...
- Figure 33: Overview of what chldren think about diet and exercise -- 7-19-year-olds, 2007
...particularly so for those in the younger age ranges
Gender variants, as girls show more concern than boys
The eating habits of parents and children
- Figure 34: Those who eat takeaway foods/use ready meals at least once a month, 2007
Who are the most frequent users of takeaways?
Who are the most frequent users of ready meals?
Sweets
- Figure 35: Attitudes towards eating sweets and sweet consumption -- 7-19-year-olds, 2007
The older they are, the more ' sweet-conscious' they are
The younger they are, the sweeter the tooth
However, a word of caution
A high percentage of sweets are bought by parents...
...although parents may seem less likely to admit this!
Snacks
- Figure 36: Top five snacks of children, by age group -- 7-19-year-olds, 2006
Young people and health
Young people who have ' close friends' involved with health-related issues
Bad girls?
- Figure 37: Those with ' close friends' involved in health-related issues -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
Families at Leisure
Key points
Marketing messages
A good book
The enjoyment of reading diminishes with age
- Figure 38: Enjoyment of book reading and average number of books read in the last year -- 7-19-year-olds, 2006
Gender variant, as girls of all ages enjoy reading more than boys
Buying and reading books
- Figure 39: Book reading and buying behaviour -- 11-19-year-olds, by age and gender, 2007
Reading and buying behaviour in a nutshell
Those keenest and meanest in books
Reading motivations
Enjoyment
Help with schoolwork
Hobby help
Who buys the books?
Parental Influence on Reading?
New technology
- Figure 40: Items of new technology owned by families, 2007
Televisions
Nearly six in ten families own at least three sets
Computers
Ownership is virtually ubiquitous among families
The older the children, the more numerous the PCs
- Figure 41: Correlation between age of children and number of PCs owned by households, 2007
Parents are most likely be the main users, rather than their children...
...that is, until the children get older
- Figure 42: Main user of home PC(s), by age of children, 2007
Internet and email -- key uses of the home PC
- Figure 43: Top three uses of the home PC, by age of children, 2007
Kids and computers
Interest is highest for the 11-14s
- Figure 44: Agreement that ' I enjoy spending time on a computer' -- 7-19-year-olds, 2006
Boys still show more interest than girls
Parental supervision on the computer is quite high
Going out
Theatres, concerts, art galleries
- Figure 45: Cultural events visited in the last 12 months, parents, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status and presence of children, 2007
The theatre (30% attended in the last 12 months)
Rock concerts (22% attended in the last 12 months)
Art galleries and exhibitions (16% attended in the last 12 months)
Family holidays
- Figure 46: Number of holidays in last 12 months, by gender, socio-economic group and marital status, 2007
Holidays -- most numerous amongst AB families
The positive effect of major life events on going on holidays...
...and the negative effects of major life events on going on holidays
Having a domestic?
...or going further afield?
Do children enjoy family holidays?
It depends...for 11-14s...yes
For older children...the 15-19s...less so
Future Families
Key points
Regrets? They have a few
The age of starting a family?
- Figure 47: Those who wish they had been older/younger when starting a family, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status and presence of children, October 2007
Too slow (' I wish I had started having children at a younger age' )
Too quick (' I wish I had waited until I was a bit older before starting a family' )
The cost and ' cost' of parenthood?
- Figure 48: Demographic summary of those most likely to agree that ' I wish I' d known how expensive/difficult children were before I had them' , October 2007
Hopes for their children
' I like to feel that my children will get more out of their education than I did'
- Figure 49: Demographic summary of those most likely to agree that ' I like to feel that my children will get more out of their education than I did' , October 2007
' I like to feel I am closer emotionally to my child/ren than my parents were to me when I was a child'
- Figure 50: Demographic summary of those most likely to agree that ' I like to feel that I am closr emotionally to my children than my parents were to me when I was a child' , October 2007
' I like to feel that I can give my children everything I didn' t have as a child'
- Figure 51: Demographic summary of those most likely to agree that ' I like to feel that I can give my children everything I didn' t have as a child' , October 2007
Hopes for themselves
' I am looking forward to having more freedom when my children become more independent'
- Figure 52: Demographic summary of those most likely to agree that ' I am looking forward to having more freedom when my children become more independent' , October 2007
What about the hopes for the future and also some of the regrets of different family types?
- Figure 53: Hopes and regrets of parents, by family type group, October 2007
All ' True' Families
Traditional Families
Ex-Files
Split Families
Complicated Families
Forecast of families
Forecasting a more stable or a more split future?
Family typologies
- Figure 54: Family typologies, by gender, age and socio-economic group, October 2007
The demographic scenario
- Figure 55: Forecast of family typologies -- assuming standard forecast demographic changes, 2007 and 2012
- Figure 56: A snapshot view of the relative rise and fall of each family typology over the next five years, 2007-12
A bit of perspective is needed though
Appendix
Sector Environment
- Figure 57: The population aged 0-24, 2000-06
- Figure 58: Average age of mother: by birth order, England and Wales, 1971-2005
- Figure 59: Number of live births (thousands) in England and Wales, by marital status, 1991-2006
- Figure 60: Number of births in England and Wales, by age of mother, 1981-2005
- Figure 61: Average number of children per woman, by year of birth of woman, United Kingdom, 1942-92
- Figure 62: Dependent children, by family type, Great Britain, 1972-2006
- Figure 63: Adults living with their parents, by gender and age, England 1991-2005
- Figure 64: UK marriage and divorce trends, 1996-2012
- Figure 65: Children of divorced couples, by age of child, England and Wales, 1970-2005
- Figure 66: Stepfamilies* with dependent children**, Great Britain, 2005
- Figure 67: Births outside marriage*, United Kingdom, 1990-2005
- Figure 68: The changing structure of UK households, 1996-2012
- Figure 69: Percentage of children aged 15 or under in household, 1997-2007
- Figure 70: Number of children aged 15 or under in household (millilons), 1997-2007
- Figure 71: Average weekly household expenditure, by selected household types, UK, 2005/06
Family relations
- Figure 72: Family circumstances, October 2007
- Figure 73: Those who live with their parents, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 74: Family composition, by gender, October 2007
- Figure 75: Age of children, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 76: Age of children -- men, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 77: Age of children -- women, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 78: Family circumstances, by gender, March 2007
- Figure 79: Family types, by gender, October 2007
- Figure 80: Family types, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 81: Family types -- men, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 82: Family types -- women, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
Family demands
- Figure 83: Time spent on childcare in an average weekday -- men and women, by socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage group, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 84: Parental concerns, by gender, October 2007
- Figure 85: Parental concerns, by age of children, October 2007
- Figure 86: Those whose children cause conflict at home, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 87: Those whose children cause conflict at home, by family circumstances, October 2007
- Figure 88: Those who worry about their children being a victim of crime, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 89: Those who worry about their children being a victim of crime, by family circumstances, October 2007
- Figure 90: 11-14-year-olds with ' close friends' involved in antisocial behaviour and other activities, 2007
- Figure 91: 15-19-year-olds with ' close friends' involved in antisocial behaviour, drugs and other activities, 2006
- Figure 92: Attitudes towards children and family life, b y gender, October 2007
- Figure 93: Attitudes towards children and family life, by age of children, October 2007
Hard-working families
- Figure 94: Time spent on occupation on an average working day-- full-time working parents, by gender, 2007
- Figure 95: Work and home, by gender, 2007
- Figure 96: Attitudes towards work, by working status and marital status, 2007
- Figure 97: Attitudes towards work and family life -- working parents, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 98: Attitudes towards work and family life -- working fathers, by age, socio-economic group, marital status, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 99: Attitudes towards work and family life -- working mothers, by age, socio-economic group, marital status, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 100: Agreement/disagreement that ' I want my mum to stay at home rather than go to work' -- 7-10-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 101: Agreement/disagreement that ' I want my mum to stay at home rather than go to work' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 102: Those who spend a lot of time worrying about their children' s education, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 103: Agreement/disagreement that ' It' s important to work hard at school' -- 7-10-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 104: Agreement/disagreement that ' It' s important to work hard at school' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 105: Agreement/disagreement that ' I would like to go to university' -- 7-10-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 106: Agreement/disagreement that ' I would like to go to university' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
The Family Home
- Figure 107: Household tenure, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 108: Whether live in house or flat, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 109: Those who feel they are always clearing up after their children, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 110: Those who feel they are always clearing up after their children -- men and women, by gender, by age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 111: Time spent on household chores -- parents, by gender by socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 112: Those who own a dishwasher, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
Out of pocket? The effect of children on family finances
- Figure 113: Average parental expenditure on toys and games for children during past 12 months, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age,, 2007
- Figure 114: Average parental expenditure on children' s clothing and footwear in last 12 months, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 115: Who children shop for clothes with -- 7-10-year-olds, by gender, 2007
- Figure 116: Who children shop for clothes with -- 11-14-year-olds, by gender, 2006
- Figure 117: Who children shop for clothes with -- 15-19-year-olds, by gender, 2006
- Figure 118: Who pays for clothes -- 11-19-year-olds, by gender, 2006
- Figure 119: Sources of income -- 7-10-year-olds, by gender, 2006
- Figure 120: Sources of income --11-14-year-olds, by gender, 2006
- Figure 121: Sources of income -- 15-19-year-olds, by gender, 2006
- Figure 122: Agreement/disagreement that ' I would not let children influence what I buy' , by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 123: Those who feel their children are obsessed with money, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 124: Parental reasons for buying things for their children, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status,, October 2007
- Figure 125: Agreement/disagreement that ' My parents buy me everything I want' -- 7-10-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 126: Agreement/disagreement that ' My parents buy me everything I want' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2007
- Figure 127: Those who worry about their children being able to support themselves financially in their adult lives, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status,, October 2007
Healthy families
- Figure 128: Those who spend a lot of time thinking about their children' s diet/exercise, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status,, October 2007
- Figure 129: Those who spend a lot of time thinking about their children' s diet/exercise -- by gender, by age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, 2007
- Figure 130: Agreement/disagreement that ' It' s important to eat a balanced diet' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 131: Agreement/disagreement that ' Sport is important to keep healthy' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 132: Those who eat takeaway foods/use ready meals at least once a month, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 133: Agreement/disagreement that ' I try not to eat too many sweets' -- 7-10-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 134: Agreement/disagreement that ' I try not to eat too many sweets' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2007
- Figure 135: Sweet consumption in last week -- 7-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 136: Who buys the sweets they eat -- 7-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 137: Those who buy sweets (including sweets for children) more than once a week, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 138: Snacks eaten by children -- 7-10-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 139: Snacks eaten by children -- 11-14-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 140: Snacks eaten by children -- 15-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 141: ' Close friends' involved in health-related behaviours, experiences -- 11-14-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 142: ' Close friends' involved in health-related behaviours, experiences -- 15-19-year-olds, 2006
Families at leisure
- Figure 143: Agreement/disagreement that ' I really enjoy reading books' -- 7-10-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 144: Agreement/disagreement that ' I really enjoy reading books' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 145: Reading and buying books -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 146: Reasons for reading books -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 147: Where books are obtained -- 7-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 148: Books read/bought in last month -- parents, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 149: Items of new technology have in home -- parents, 2007
- Figure 150: Number and type of TV sets have in home -- parents, 2007
- Figure 151: Number of PCs in home, by age of children and lifestage groups, 2007
- Figure 152: Main user of home PC, by gender, presence of children and lifestage groups, 2007
- Figure 153: Main use of home PC, by age of children, 2007
- Figure 154: Agreement/disagreement that ' I enjoy spending time on a computer' -- 7-10-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 155: Agreement/disagreement that ' I enjoy spending time on a computer' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 156: Agreement/disagreement that ' My parents monitor how long I spend on the Internet' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2006
- Figure 157: Cultural events participated in during last 12 months -- parents, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 158: Number of holidays in last 12 months, by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 159: Holiday destination (last holiday), by gender, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, presence of children, size of house, lifestage, lifestage groups, major events in the last 12 months, Internet usage and age, 2007
- Figure 160: Agreement/disagreement that ' I hate going on holiday with my parents' -- 11-19-year-olds, 2007
Future families
- Figure 161: Those who wish they had been older/younger when starting a family, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 162: Those who wish they had known how expensive/difficult children were before they started a family, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 163: Those who are looking forward to having more freedom when their children become more independent, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 164: Those who wish they had known how expensive/difficult children were before having them, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 165: Hopes for own children in comparison with own childhood, gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 166: Parents looking forward to their children becoming more independent, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children and working status, October 2007
- Figure 167: Hopes and regrets of parents, by family type group, October 2007

Changing Family Lifestyles - UK - December 2007

Table of Contents