42 Degrees - Business from a different angle

• Young singletons like to spend their disposable income and will reward brands which target them.
• They are far more interested than the national average in buying the newest fashion brands/styles and following the latest trends. They are also more likely to be whimsical spenders, spending money without thinking and often buying things on impulse.
• It comes as no surprise to learn then that they also claim to often buy things they don't need and are no good at saving money.
• Many singles, regardless of age, believe that being single has its own advantages, saying that their status is good because they have more time for hobbies (76%) and more time to spend on themselves (66%).
• Two thirds of them think that they have more money to spend as a result of being single. But more men agree with that statement than women, suggesting that for all their modernity, young courting couples still depend on the male wallet.
• They are more likely than their older, committed counterparts to spend money without thinking and more likely to buy things on impulse.
• They are more likely to buy things they don't need and are far more likely to describe themselves as 'no good at saving money.'
• When asked what would improve their life, a third said 'a large sum of money,' only a sixth said 'a partner.'
  
  

Demographics of 20-30-year-olds

Comparison of Singletons aged 20-30 v's Couples

Compared to couples, twentysomething singletons are far more likely to …

... drink alcohol because my friends do
... prefer off-beat/cult movies to Hollywood blockbusters
... be often bored
... like to buy the newest fashion brands/styles available
... enjoy staying at home and chilling with soft drugs
... obtain more support from friends than family

Compared to the adult population as a whole, twentysomething singletons are far more likely to…

... buy the newest fashion brands/styles available
... like watching TV programmes with friends
... be influenced by friends in choice of music
... consider themselves to be a very stylish person

Compared to committed 20-30-year-olds, singletons are most likely to…

... think about how things they buy will reflect their image
... buy things they don't really need
... buy things on impulse
... to reward themselves for hard work
... stick to routine and habit

Highest indexing decisions v's 16-64-year-olds

I often buy things on impulse
I buy things I don't really need
I like the buzz I get when I spend money
I think the things I buy say something about me
I like other people to approve of the things I buy

Advertising Agency Carat last year carried out a major study of the behaviour and attitudes of single people currently account for a whopping 38 per cent our population. The research found that the majority of under 30s are single and segmented young singles into 'Social Butterflies', or under 25s, and 'Achiever Beavers', or 25–34s. It broke the cohort at 25 because this is seen as the key lifestage age at which young people start to settle down and women's biological clocks begin to tick. For more information visit www.singledom.co.uk