With a number of mum-focused brands here at MEC Manchester – we’ve eagerly awaited the release of this year’s Mintel Lifestyles of Mums report, in order to delve deeper into the lives of this increasingly complex consumer
According to the latest Mintel report, mums continue to prioritise their children’s needs over their own, with more than six in 10 mothers with babies and toddlers saying they feel better about buying things for their little ones rather than for themselves or their partners. And mothers’ reluctance to spend on themselves is further demonstrated by the finding that just 31 per cent would purchase a pampering session at a day spa or get a haircut.
In relation to this, mothers also keep the needs of their children in mind when purchasing toiletries and food or drink. Mums remain relatively guarded consumers with just over four in 10 (42 per cent) new mothers agreeing they tend to take more notice of the ingredients when buying food and drink products, while a further 16 per cent of new mums pay more attention to the chemicals in personal care and beauty products.
While only 28 per cent of married mums in the UK would consider themselves to be the main breadwinner of their household, mums are extending their guarded nature by increasingly employing the role of governing parent, specifically with regards to controlling the media their children consume. For example, mums tend to place more of an emphasis on the academic achievements of their children and are therefore much more likely to encourage their children to read books or e-books (47 per cent) and persuade them to do research for their homework online (42 per cent), relative to only a small proportion of dads. As video gaming has traditionally been a male domain, fathers are considerably more likely to play video games with their kids (42 per cent), compared with just a quarter of mums. Collectively however, TV unites opinion and remains the most popular digital activity for parents and children to engage in together, with 78 per cent of dads and 79 per cent of mums doing so.
For more information, please see a copy of the latest Mintel ‘Lifestyles of Mums’ report, September 2014.
