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- American Lifestyles - US - January 2012
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In 2012, America is a country facing steep challenges. The economy still tops the list of personal concerns, but a range of other difficulties directly affect businesses across a spectrum of categories. Continuing high unemployment, declining median household incomes, decreasing disposable income, and listless consumer confidence are all factors contributing to deep concerns about many issues. These concerns include, but are not limited to, healthcare costs, standards of living, tax increases, and U.S. politics.
This report analyzes how these issues dictate American consumer behaviors and attitudesand offers in-depth examination of these and other factors in five distinct but overlapping sections:
- Issues of Concern to Americans Today
- An Aging Population
- Americans’ Shifting Spending Habits
- Americans’ Reprioritizing How to Spend Time
- American Dreams and Disillusionment
In analyzing these issues, this report draws on a number of Mintel publications that address American lifestyles, as well as trended data from Mintel’s own exclusive consumer surveys. Further, Mintel has applied trends from its Inspire platform to each of the key areas to illustrate how they will impact businesses and consumers in 2012 and beyond.
Scope and Themes
What you need to know
Definition
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Advertising creative
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
Terms
Executive Summary
American concerns extend from the economy to personal and social issues
Economic factors drive many of the issues concerning Americans
Figure 1: Unemployment and underemployment, January 2007-December 2011
Figure 2: Consumer confidence, March 2007-November 2011
Figure 3: Attitudes toward personal finances, 2005-11
Economic concerns and financial issues cross demographics
Figure 4: Economic/Financial issues, October-November 2011
Personal health and food safety concerns common among Americans
Figure 5: Health issues, October-November 2011
Opportunity: food brands can target blacks and Hispanics with healthy fare
Figure 6: Prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults aged 20 and older, by sex and race/ethnicity, for selected years 1988-94 through 2007-08
A variety of social, political, and environmental concerns on the minds of many
Figure 7: Social, political, environmental issues, October-November 2011
Aging population has wide implications on a variety of services and industries
Figure 8: U.S. population, by age, 2006-16
Some companies recognize the opportunities and are catering to older consumers
Innovations making life easier for aging in place
Opportunity: voice technology has potential in eldercare market
Opportunity: motion sensor technology can offer independence for seniors
Marketers shifting their strategies to attract seniors
Americans shift spending in face of flat wages and rising costs
Figure 9: Average annual expenditures by major category, by consumer unit, 2010
Figure 10: Food and beverage spending changes compared with last year, October-November 2011
Figure 11: Personal care and clothing spending changes compared with last year, October-November 2011
Figure 12: Personal and household items spending changes compared with last year, October-November 2011
Food stores capitalize on the home cooking trend
Americans also reprioritizing how to spend time
In-home activities gain in popularity
Figure 13: Average hours per weekday spent in primary activities, by all persons aged 15 and older, 2010
Opportunity: Increase in home cooking and private label food purchases may translate to store brand cookbooks
Figure 14: Economy-driven changes in cooking behavior compared with last year, May 2011
Americans still dream, but many are disillusioned
Pessimism outweighs optimism, but the dream is alive
Figure 15: American Dream composite Index, June 2011-November 2011
Selling the “American Dream”
American dichotomies
Figure 16: American optimism vs. pessimism, October-November 2011
Insights and Opportunities
In reference to: Issues of Concern to Americans Today
Blacks and Hispanics should be targeted by healthy, affordable food brands
In reference to: An Aging Population
Voice technology and speech recognition in eldercare
Motion sensors can move into the therapy room and beyond
In reference to: Americans’ Shifting Spending Habits
Food retailers can encourage home cooking with store brand cookbooks
In reference to: Americans Reprioritizing How to Spend Time
Leisure venues can better persuade nesters to get out, despite economy
Issues of Concern to Americans Today
Overview
Background factors
Key points
Economy, healthcare costs, personal finances top list of concerns
Economic concerns voiced by majority
Figure 17: Personally concerned with economic/financial issues, October-November 2011
Concerns about personal health coincide with declining insurance coverage rate
Figure 18: Personally concerned with health issues, October-November 2011
Social, political issues more of a concern than the environment
Figure 19: Personally concerned with social/political/environmental issues, October-November 2011
Inspire Insights
Trend: Totophobia
Figure 20: Exterior of Chicago CTA North/Clybourn station, October 2010
Figure 21: Unemployment and underemployment, January 2007-December 2011
Figure 22: Consumer confidence, March 2007-November 2011
Figure 23: Attitudes toward personal finances, 2005-11
Figure 24: Personal financial situation compared to 12 months ago, 2008-11
Figure 25: U.S. house prices as measured by FHFA monthly seasonally adjusted index, 1991-2011
Figure 26: Very concerned with economic/financial issues, by age, October-November 2011
Figure 27: Very concerned with economic/financial issues, by household income, October-November 2011
Figure 28: Very concerned with economic/financial issues, by race/Hispanic origin, October-November 2011
Figure 29: Median household income, by race and Hispanic origin of householder, 2010
Figure 30: Very concerned with economic/financial issues, by employment status, October-November 2011
Figure 31: Prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults aged 20 and older, by sex and race/ethnicity, for selected years 1988-94 through 2007-08
Figure 32: Health/life insurance, 2005-11
Figure 33: Presently watching diet, 2005-11
Figure 34: Very or somewhat concerned with health issues, October-November 2011
Figure 35: Very concerned with health issues, by household income, October-November 2011
Figure 36: Changes in cooking at home and eating behaviors compared with last year, 2008-11
Figure 37: Very concerned with social/political/environmental issues, by gender, October-November 2011
Figure 38: Very concerned with social/political/environmental issues, by age, October-November 2011
Figure 39: Very concerned with social/political/environmental issues, by household income, October-November 2011
Figure 40: Very concerned with social/political/environmental issues, by race/Hispanic origin, October-November 2011
An Aging Population
Overview
Background factors
Key points
A graying America
Figure 41: Population, by age, 2006-16
Baby Boomers account for one quarter of the population
Figure 42: Population, by generation, 2011
Older populations are primarily white and non-Hispanic
Figure 43: Generations, by race, 2011
Figure 44: Generations, by Hispanic origin, 2011
Inspire insights
Trend: Retired for Hire
Leading companies
Key points
Tech companies help seniors age in place, but more advances needed
Remote sensor technology offered by several companies
Personal emergency response systems go mobile
Financial services to address seniors and the elderly
Retirement communities may face a deluge in near future
Brookdale Senior Living
Innovations and Innovators
Intel and GE team for mobile health products
Gyms for the aging
Jane Fonda signature workout DVDs
Cell phones for seniors
A Shift in the Advertising Landscape
Overview
Walgreens puts more focus on the aging population
Figure 45: Walgreens, No appointment necessary TV ad, 2011
Procter & Gamble targets Boomers
General Mills recognizes that fiber is important to aging consumers
Eldercare support and expectations
Key points
One in five expect to financially assist an older family member
Figure 46: Eldercare and financial/housing assistance for others, October-November 2011
18-24s most likely to expect to financially aid an older family member
Figure 47: Eldercare and financial/housing assistance for others, by age, October-November 2011
Nearly four in 10 are concerned with their future care
Figure 48: Eldercare concerns and plans for self, October-November 2011
Young Boomers most concerned about who will care for them when they are older
Figure 49: Eldercare concerns and plans for self, by age, October-November 2011
Affluent households most likely to have saved or planned for older years
Figure 50: Eldercare concerns and plans for self, by household income, October-November 2011
Americans’ Shifting Spending Habits
Overview
Background factors
Key points
Annual expenditures decrease from 2006-10; housing tops expenditures
Figure 51: Average annual expenditures, by consumer unit, 2006-10
Factors driving the shift
Key points
Median household income declines from 2008-10
Figure 52: Median household income in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2000-10
Disposable personal income mostly flat from December 2009
Figure 53: Disposable personal income, January 2007-October 2011
Americans attending college in record numbers
Figure 54: Actual and projected enrollment at degree-granting institutions, by age, 2006-16
Economic concerns prompt consumers to focus on home cooking
Figure 55: Economy-driven changes in cooking behavior compared with last year, May 2011
Cost of healthcare rising steadily, outpacing wages and inflation
Inspire insights
Trend: Survival Skills
Discretionary spending trends
Caution about spending on nonessentials increases in the last year
Figure 56: Attitudes toward discretionary spending, 2010-11
More affluent are less cautious about discretionary spending
Figure 57: Attitudes toward discretionary spending, by household income, October-November 2011
Blacks most likely to be cautious of spending on nonessentials
Figure 58: Attitudes toward discretionary spending, by race/Hispanic origin, October-November 2011
Overall spending habits
Use of credit cards up significantly between 2010 and 2011
Figure 59: Changes in shopping behavior and credit card use compared with last year, 2008-11
Most respondents spending about the same or more on food at home
Figure 60: Food and beverage spending changes compared with last year, October-November 2011
Majority spent about the same or less on apparel/footwear, beauty/personal care
Figure 61: Personal care and clothing spending changes compared with last year, October-November 2011
More than four in 10 spending about the same on personal transport
Figure 62: Personal and household items spending changes compared with last year, October-November 2011
Figure 63: Traveler sentiment index, March 2007-October 2011
Walking/biking as transportation increases from 2010-11
Figure 64: Changes in transportation behaviors compared with last year, 2008-11
Electronics and entertainment spending mostly down or about the same
Figure 65: Electronics and entertainment spending changes compared with last year, October-November 2011
Trended spending habits compared with last year
Mobile phone spending increases most
Figure 66: Spending more compared with last year, 2008-11
Cable and satellite television programming use grows from 2005-11
Figure 67: Household cable/satellite television programming, 2005-11
Leading retail companies
Key points
Demand for food store brands increases during the economic downturn
Safeway’s wide selection of store brands bring affordable quality
Figure 68: Safeway Select holiday appetizers TV ad, 2011
Target’s multitier line of private label foods support the “Expect More, Pay Less” tag
Americans Reprioritizing How to Spend Time
Overview
Background factors
Key points
An increase in time spent on caring for non-household family
Figure 69: Average hours per weekday spent in primary activities, by all persons aged 15 and older, 2006-10
More time and money spent on in-home meal prep
Figure 70: Time spent in food preparation and cleanup per day by all persons aged 15 and older, and by gender, 2005-10
Factors driving the shift
Key points
Less workforce participation opens up free time
Figure 71: Labor force participation, January 2007-November 2011
Inspire insights
Trend: Slow it All Down
Spending time differently in a stagnant economy
Key points
Majority of Americans continue to stay close to home
Figure 72: Changes in home-based behaviors compared with last year, 2008-11
Low-cost, stay-at-home activities trending upward
Figure 73: How time spent doing activities has changed compared with last year, October-November 2011
More time spent on social networking for social reasons
Figure 74: How time spent social networking has changed compared with last year, by age, October-November 2011
Lower-income respondents spending less time social networking
Figure 75: How time spent social networking has changed compared with last year, by household income, October-November 2011
Hispanics, Asians most likely to be spending more time on social networking for social reasons
Figure 76: How time spent social networking has changed compared with last year, by race/Hispanic origin, October-November 2011
American Dreams and Disillusionment
Overview
Background factors
Key points
Belief in the American Dream shaky from month to month
Figure 77: American Dream composite Index, June 2011-November 2011
Expectations decline for a better life for future generations
Figure 78: Likelihood that today’s youth will have a better life than parents, January 1983-April 2011
Factors driving the shift
Inspire insights
Trend: Prepare for the Worst
Selling the American Dream with aspirational advertising
American Family Insurance TV advertising
Figure 79: American Family Insurance, Your dream is out there TV ad, 2011
Levi’s TV advertising
Figure 80: Levi’s, Go forth TV ad, 2011
American dichotomies
Key points
Feelings about the future: youthful optimism versus life experience
Figure 81: Feelings about future (better or worse), by age, October-November 2011
Urban respondents more optimistic about future; rural more pessimistic
Figure 82: Feelings about future (better or worse), by urban area, October-November 2011
Two thirds would have made different career decisions if given the opportunity
Figure 83: (Would or would not) have made different career decisions, by household income, October-November 2011
Blacks, Asians most likely to make different career choices if possible
Figure 84: (Would or would not) have made different career decisions, by race/Hispanic origin, October-November 2011
Majority of respondents say their financial situation is worse than expected for their age
Figure 85: Financial situation is (better or worse) than expected for age, by age, October-November 2011
Standard of living versus parents’ standard of living: current and future
Figure 86: Standard of living is/will be (better or worse) than parents’, by age, October-November 2011
A majority feel they can get ahead with hard work
Figure 87: Results of working hard (get ahead or no change), by age, October-November 2011
Blacks, Asians, Hispanics most likely to feel hard work gets them ahead
Figure 88: Results of working hard (get ahead or no change), by race/Hispanic origin, October-November 2011
Six in 10 say rich people had advantages from the start—or took advantage of others
Figure 89: Perception of how rich people become wealthy, by age, October-November 2011
Affluent respondents most likely to say wealth is earned from hard work
Figure 90: Perception of how rich people become wealthy, by household income, October-November 2011
Half believe they’ve had the same life opportunities as most, one quarter of men think they’ve had less
Figure 91: Have had (more, less, or about the same) opportunities as most, by gender, October-November 2011
18-24s most likely to feel they have had more opportunities than most
Figure 92: Have had (more, less, or about the same) opportunities as most, by age, October-November 2011
Lower-income individuals most likely to feel they have had less opportunities
Figure 93: Have had (more, less, or about the same) opportunities as most, by household income, October-November 2011
Most agree a college degree is worth the expense
Figure 94: College degree (worth or not worth) the expense, by age, October-November 2011
Affluents most likely to agree a college degree is worth the expense
Figure 95: College degree (worth or not worth) the expense, by household income, October-November 2011
A majority of college graduates feel a degree is worth the expense
Figure 96: College degree (worth or not worth) the expense, by household income, October-November 2011
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
Issues of concern to Americans today
Figure 97: Very concerned with health issues, by presence and number of children in household, October-November 2011
An aging population
Figure 98: Eldercare and financial/housing assistance for others, by race/Hispanic origin, October-November 2011
Figure 99: Eldercare concerns and plans for self, by race/Hispanic origin, October-November 2011
American dreams and disillusionment
Figure 100: Financial situation is (better or worse) than expected for age, by race/Hispanic origin, October-November 2011
Figure 101: Standard of living is/will be (better or worse) than parents’, by gender, October-November 2011
Figure 102: Results of working hard (get ahead or no change), by household income, October-November 2011
Figure 103: Have had (more, less, or about the same) opportunities as most, by race/Hispanic origin, October-November 2011
Figure 104: College degree (worth or not worth) the expense, by gender, October-November 2011
- Albertsons Inc.
- American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
- American Diabetes Association
- American Express Company (The)
- Apple, Inc
- Bank of America Corporation
- Barnes & Noble, Inc
- Bloomberg L.P.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis
- CareerBuilder Inc.
- CBS Corporation
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Curves International, Inc.
- Facebook, Inc.
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- Gallup Organization, The
- General Electric Company
- General Mills Inc
- Google, Inc.
- Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
- Intel Corporation
- Kraft Foods Inc. (U.S.A.)
- Levi Strauss
- Los Angeles Times
- MasterCard Incorporated
- Microsoft USA
- Morgan Stanley
- MySpace.com
- National Broadcasting Company, Inc. (NBC)
- Nestlé USA
- PepsiCo Inc
- Procter & Gamble Company (The)
- Procter & Gamble USA
- Prudential Financial, Inc
- Safeway Inc
- Samsung Electronics (USA)
- Social Security Administration
- Sony Corporation of America
- Starbucks Corporation
- Target Corporation
- The New York Times Company
- The Vanguard Group, Inc.
- TiVo Inc
- Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
- Twitter, Inc.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- U.S. Bureau of the Census
- University of Michigan, The
- USA Today
- Verizon Wireless (Cellco)
- Visa U.S.A. Inc.
- Volkswagen AG
- Volkswagen of America, Inc.
- Walgreen Co
- Walmart Stores (USA)
- Washington Post Company (The)
- Wine Institute (The)
- Yahoo! Inc
- YMCA of the USA
- YouTube, Inc.
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