Women Still Ruling The Roost

Research over the past few weeks from, Nielsen, Pew and the Private Label Manufacturers Association confirms that while the male role is changing, the women is a dominant force, not only in the house but also at work.

There's no denying that the role of males in households has evolved. But for retailers to focus all their energy on men, is a mistake. Don't overlook women! Research over the past few weeks from, Nielsen, Pew and the Private Label Manufacturers Association confirms that while the male role is changing, the women is a dominant force, not only in the house but also at work. For example, according to Nielsen, women made 72% of trips to dollar stores and mass merchants in 2012, as well as 69% of trips to supercenters, 68% to drug, 63% to supermarkets, 61% to wholesale clubs, and 43% to convenience/gasoline outlets. Women also spend more money per trip than men. Nielsen specified, for instance, that women drive the larger, planned stock-up trips and outspend men by $14.31 per supercenter trip and $10.32 per supermarket trip. When it comes to advertising, TV and social media are important. Nielsen states women 18 and older: watched 179 hours, 20 minutes of TV in Q4 2012, plus more than 15 hours of time-shifted TV; spent more than 7 hours on career, shopping and social media sites; and spent more than 5 hours on cell phones. And these figures have all grown from a year ago. Finally, a recent Pew report entitled, Breadwinner Moms, emphasizes the multiple roles of women in the household. ?Here are some highlights that could help retailers and CPG appeal to the needs of these women: Mothers are the sole or primary provider in 40.4% of U.S. households with children under age 18. Women comprise 47% of the U.S. labor force today; among married moms, the rate was 65% in 2011. The share of married couples with children in which dad is the breadwinner and mom is the homemaker has fallen from about 70% in 1960 to 31% in 2011. Among married couples with children, total median family income is highest when the mom, not the dad, is the lead provider—that is $79,800 when mom earns more, $78,000 when dad earns more, and $70,000 when both earn the same. Married moms are increasingly better educated than their husbands—23% in two-parent families today—and this ties to their rising economic empowerment. So while it may be important to consider the evolving role of the male, women are still taking the lead and should be the ones on whom most efforts are focused.