Family & Purchasing

Family Purchasing habits are similar throughout. Usually women are in charge of the general household purchases. 80% of UK purchasing decisions are made by women where as 83% of 'creatives' are men.

There are different types of family:
Nuclear Family- This consists of a father, a mother and children who all live together
Extended Family- This is a nuclear family, however including other relatives such as grandparents and cousins.
Family of Orientation- This is the family someone is born into
Family of Procreation- This is the family founded through marriage.

Family Facts
1971-2008 the proportion of households in which actually owned their house rose from 49 per cent to 71 per cent.
Most of these increases occurred during the 1980s. This was due to a marked increase in the proportion of households owning with a mortgage at the same time.

Also in recent years more and more women are working whilst brining up their children. Also, women are getting married later which means they are getting children later as they want to start a career first.



In 2008, there were more women from the ages of 16 - 17 who worked then men. This changes however, and more men are working from 18 - 64 years of age, however the reverse happens again from the ages of 60-65 and over where there are more women working.

Also, figures from 2008, it is shown that more than two thirds of working women with dependent children became employed in the second quarter of 2008. Usually the younger the child, the lower the employment rate for the mother. Working-age mothers with kids under 5, only 57 % of them were employed.

Factors which affect the Family Needs
-Number of children (and their ages)
-Whether one or two of the parents are employed outside the house

Family Life Cycle concept consists of
- income, family composition, changing demands on income -

These are the different possible Titles:
1.Bachelor - This is someone who is young, single, not living at home
2.Newly married - They are Young and with no children
3.Full Nest I - Have their youngest child at under 6 years
4.Full Nest II - Have their youngest child at 6 years or over
5.Full Nest III - Tend to be Older married with dependent children
6.Empty Nest I - Are older married, have no children and living at home
7.Empty Nest II - Older married, retired, no children living at home
8.Solitary Survivor I In labour force
9.Solitary Survivor II Retired

http://tutor2u.net/business/presentations/marketing/familylifecycle/default.html



Above is the family Life Cycle, as clearly shown, everyone starts off young and single. This then moves on to 'Young and married without children'; from here they can go either way between 'Young and Divorced' or 'Young married with children'. The cycle goes on, similarly to the different possible titles above the diagram. The amount of disposable income each stage has in the cycle changes. From being young with no children, there tends to be more disposable income as money is usually spend on themselves and on leisure. Once children come into the picture, money is more focused on them and perhaps having to move into a larger house, etc. This stays the same up until someone becomes Older, married without dependant children. This affects their shopping habits on certain products. More money is spent on leisure and luxuries when there is more disposable income and more is spent on food and commodities with families who have children.

Different Family Roles
Field (1969) identified three dimensions to which determine the relative influences of a husband, a wife and a child. They are:
-Discernment or technical know how
-Price - expensiveness which relates to who pays for the item
-Satisfaction which relates who will use the item

(Family Lecture Notes-Slideshow)

In a typical family, the father/male is the one who usually keeps track of the family's bills. However familys with stay and home mothers (male is the breadwinner) tend to have it the other way around to help their husbands out.

In the traditionally viewed family, the man is the one who usually earns the money whilst the woman tends to spend it. Nowadays, men and women both work and both spend their own money. This is a shared participation. Still, the men tend to spend/contribute more to daily expenses oppose to women.

Usually, the cultural background will decide the dominance of husband or wife. In eastern Arabian countries and Asia, almost always once married, the wife is dominated by the husband. In more developed countries such as the US or some countries in Europe, both the male and female are equally in control.

Who Shops For What:
Women are the ones who shop more (Women 75% men 53%)
Men are more likely to do DIY (Men 46%, Women 26%)
Men are more likely to have shopped online (Men 58%, Women 48%)
Around twice the number of men had bought computer software and hardware and electronic equipment)
Women shopped on line for groceries (Women 24%, Men 17%)

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1659

Different Roles of a husband and Wife:
Wives are usually in charge of the Food and Kitchen ware etc
Husband is usually in the hardware and technology etc
Joint Decisions include TVs, Fridges, Vacations etc

According to French Research by Taylor Nelson Sofres, In this current time men now have the least say in everyday items where as the women and chilren have the most. These inclue Video games, dishwashers, cookers etc.

Products Women are interested in and in charge of usually:
Water
Coffee
Yoghurt
Cheese
Hygiene Products
Shampoo
Soap
Toothpaste
Men's underwear

Products Men are interested in and are in charge of usually:
Beer
Wine
Shaving cream

This distinctly proves how women have more control in everyday shopping and decision making. Men are only interested in a small number of products in which they specifically use for themselves. When it comes to products for both or the whole family, the women are usually in charge of. Even the women are the buyers for the men underwear. The only time of year where men have more say on food is during Christmas where the men tend to contribute a fair amount with the Christmas dinners.



This advert is clearly aimed at women. Not only is the lead, former Spice girl Emma Bunton but also most of the celebrities in it are from day time television which appeal more to women. In contrast, the advert below (released in 2008) is aimed at men or the older generation of men and women. It combines humour as well as a man role model, 'Des O'Connor' The reason this one is aimed at both is again because during Christmas men have more contribution to what gets bought for the dinners and parties.