1 mature times – readership survey “the recession and you” – april/may 2009

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Mature Times – Readership Survey

“The Recession and You” – April/May 2009

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Contents:

1.Methodology Notes2.Management Summary3.Data Summary Tables4.Graphic Representations

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Section 1

Methodology

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The following statistics were obtained by Mature Times newspaper during April 2009 (except where indicated).

“The Recession and You” survey was conducted off-the-page for the off-line readership and by electronic survey to the database of Mature Times On-line subscribers.

The newspaper and electronic surveys were identical in content* to ensure validity in reading across each population and when combining data.

The maximum total respondent sample size is 1,184 for on-line and 458 for off-line (paper entries) creating a combined total of 1,642.

Both the questionnaires were self-completion, with most of the electronic survey requiring optional, rather than compulsory answers.

All sample sizes are robust, except where identified for combined samples of less than 80 respondents (shown in red).

* With the exception of Question #3 (Pensions) which omitted answer option 1 ("increased") from the paper-based survey.

Methodology

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Geographic summary of responders

Images kindly produced by Royal Mail

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Section 2

Management Summary

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• 77% have had to cut back on spending

• 55% have changed their savings

• 25% are having to help their children financially

• 51% are spending less on food – many by switching to ‘value brands’

• Charity donations are down by 50%

• 33% are switching supermarkets

• Foreign holidays have been cut by 8 days per year

• The current Government and the banks share the most of the blame for the recession

• 25% ‘more likely’ to vote Conservative at the next general election

The Headlines

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Section 3

Data Summary Tables

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1 How has the economic downturn affected your lifestyle?

Drastically cut back my spending 15.5% 9.6% 11.3% 183

Cut back on most of my spending 28.4% 22.3% 24.0% 390

Made a few cutbacks 34.5% 44.3% 41.6% 675

Little change 14.0% 17.3% 16.4% 266

No change at all 7.6% 6.4% 6.8% 110

Population = 1624

2 How reliant are you on savings and investments for your income?

Essential for day to day living 28.8% 18.0% 21.1% 342

Helps but can still manage 43.0% 46.8% 45.8% 743

Not reliant 17.9% 24.0% 22.3% 362

Not applicable 10.3% 11.1% 10.9% 177

Population = 1624

Question Paper On Line Combined Sample

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3 How has your private / company pension been affected?

Increased n/a 7.3% n/a 85Greatly reduced 5.9% 6.2% 6.1% 99Reduced somewhat 8.7% 10.3% 9.9% 160Slightly reduced 6.1% 4.5% 4.9% 80No change 47.8% 50.6% 49.8% 809Not applicable 31.4% 21.2% 24.1% 391

Population = 1624

4Have you changed where you keep your savings and investments in response to economic conditions?

Made many changes 12.4% 10.5% 11.1% 180Made a few changes 42.8% 43.9% 43.6% 708Made no changes at all 33.2% 36.1% 35.3% 573Not applicable 11.6% 9.4% 10.0% 163

Population = 1624

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5Has the recession meant you have had to provide your family/friends with financial support - if so who?(Multiple answer option = % of responses rather than respondents)Children 25.3% 24.9% 25.0% 414Friends 2.1% 1.6% 1.8% 29Parents 0.4% 1.2% 1.0% 16Other family 5.4% 4.1% 4.5% 74No or N/A 66.8% 68.2% 67.8% 1124

Responses = 16576 Has the recession meant you have had to seek financial support from:

(Multiple answer option = % of responses rather than respondents)Children? 2.8% 1.6% 1.9% 32Friends? 0.9% 1.4% 1.2% 20Parents? 2.6% 0.7% 1.2% 20Other family? 0.4% 1.5% 1.2% 20Other sources? 9.3% 5.3% 6.4% 105No or N/A 84.0% 89.6% 88.0% 1446

Responses = 1643

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7 Have you changed your spending patterns over the last few months?

Yes 71.6% 68.7% 69.9% 1127No 26.4% 31.3% 30.1% 485

Population = 16128 What are the top three things you are no longer buying?

Clothes 31.3% 26.2% 27.6% 224Eating Out 10.9% 14.1% 13.3% 108

Holidays 13.3% 15.1% 14.6% 119

Responses = 451

9 What are the top three things where you now buy less expensive alternatives?Food (inc Fruit & Veg) 68.2% 44.5% 50.5% 412

Clothes 25.6% 24.4% 24.6% 201

Responses = 613

10What are the top three things where you have now reduced the quantity purchased?

Food 59.1% 36.2% 42.3% 316Fuel for home 9.6% 10.7% 10.4% 78

Responses = 394

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11 If you regularly donate to charity, how has this been affected?

No change 35.1% 60.5% 51.9% 486Changed donation habits 64.9% 39.5% 48.1% 450

Responses = 936

Increased my donations 2.2% 1.6% 1.2% 11Decreased donations 97.8% 98.4% 98.8% 439

Responses = 450

If you have increased your donations, how much by % ? 30.0% 24.2%

If you have decreased your donations, how much by % ?Mean = 53.9% 47.2% 49.1% 439Mode = 50.0% 50.0% 50.0% 115

12 What are you now spending more on than a year ago?Fuel for home = 61.4% 40.0% 46.2% 358

Food = 40.4% 36.6% 37.7% 292Responses

= 650

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13 What foods are you now eating more of than a year ago?Nothing = 1.9% 11.7% 9.1% 71

Vegetables = 27.7% 43.7% 39.5% 307Fruit = 20.4% 17.7% 18.4% 143

"Cheaper food/cuts" = 11.7% 6.3% 7.7% 60

Responses = 52114 What foods are you now eating less of than a year ago?

Meat = 65.4% 40.6% 47.4% 372Veg = 15.4% 13.1% 13.8% 108

Fruit = 24.3% 15.9% 18.2% 143Fish = 24.8% 17.0% 19.1% 150

Nothing = 0.5% 7.2% 5.4% 42

Responses = 815

15Are you now more or less likely to choose supermarket own brands over manufacturer brands

More likely 76.1% 81.3% 79.8% 650No change 21.8% 17.5% 18.8% 153Less likely 2.1% 1.2% 1.5% 12

Population = 815

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16 Has the recession resulted in you switching to a different supermarket? Yes 56.8% 27.7% 33.4% 388No 43.2% 72.3% 66.6% 773

Population = 1161If yes, I now buy less from:

Asda 7.2% 5.9% 6.4% 25Co-op 4.3% 1.6% 2.6% 10M&S 5.8% 3.9% 4.6% 18

Morrisons 6.5% 6.3% 6.4% 25Sainsbury 20.3% 19.3% 19.6% 77

tesco 33.3% 46.9% 42.1% 165Waitrose 12.3% 13.4% 13.0% 51

Responses = 371If yes, I now buy more from:

Aldi 20.3% 27.2% 24.7% 97Asda 10.9% 11.8% 11.5% 45

Lidl 21.7% 25.6% 24.2% 95Morrisons 13.8% 12.2% 12.8% 50

Netto 5.1% 7.5% 6.6% 26Sainsbury 7.2% 4.3% 5.4% 21

Tesco 6.5% 6.3% 6.4% 25

Responses = 359

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17Have you made any major purchases recently to take advantage of bargain prices?

Car 11.1% 14.1% 13.5% 35Computer 1.9% 4.4% 3.8% 10

Home Improvements 37.0% 22.3% 25.4% 66TV 18.5% 11.7% 13.1% 34

Responses = 14518 Compared to a year ago, are you now going out socially

More? 1.8% 1.8% 1.8% 16Less? 73.9% 53.1% 58.5% 513

The same? 24.3% 45.0% 39.7% 348

Population = 87719 Will you take more or fewer holidays this year?

Number of days outside the UK this year 15.5 16.4 16.3 510Compared to previous years 35.2 23.1 24.1

% Change -56.1% -29.0% -32.4%

Number of days within the UK this year 10.3 22.8 21.3 595Compared to previous years 16.6 24.6 23.7

% Change -38.2% -7.3% -9.9%

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Question Paper On Line Combined

20Will you change the type/destination of your holiday as a result of the recession?

Normally I/we holiday in (number of people who responded to the following options)

At home/nowhere/no holiday 3 24 27Long Haul/outside Europe 6 65 71

UK & Ireland 27 176 203Europe 43 269 312Cruise 3 24 27

This year we are likely to go to (number of people who responded to the following options) Net Change

At home/nowhere/no holiday 18 87 105 288.9%Long Haul/outside Europe 4 49 53 -25.4%

UK & Ireland 40 252 292 43.8%Europe 11 137 148 -52.6%Cruise 2 15 17 -37.0%

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21What percentage of the blame should anyone take for the current crisis? (multiple choice) % of sample

Current Government 40.3% 34.7% 37.1% 880 25.0%

Previous Conservative Government 22.2% 13.5% 16.5% 433 12.3%

The Banks 37.0% 37.5% 37.3% 907 25.8%

The Media 12.5% 9.8% 10.6% 397 11.3%

The Public 16.4% 11.4% 13.2% 397 11.3%

Global factors outside of UK control 23.4% 17.4% 19.7% 453 12.9%

Others 30.0% 13.3% 24.4% 48 1.4%

100.0%

22Is the current crisis likely to change the way you vote in the next election - and if so, how?

Will not vote 10.0% 7.4% 8.5% 92 Of those whoWill not change my vote 28.4% 40.4% 35.5% 384 will change vote

More likely to vote Conservative 24.7% 24.8% 24.7% 268 44.2%

More likely to vote Labour 3.6% 1.7% 2.5% 27 4.4%

More likely to vote Liberal Democrats 12.9% 14.5% 13.9% 150 24.7%

More likely to vote for a party not listed above 20.4% 11.1% 15.0% 162 26.7%Population

= 1083 607

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Demographic Summary Paper On Line Combined Sample

Age: National*Under 50 (adults) 1.1% 3.6% 2.6% 28 55.5%

50-59 9.4% 24.9% 18.4% 200 16.8%60-69 40.0% 51.7% 46.7% 509 12.4%70-79 31.7% 17.1% 23.2% 253 9.8%80-89 16.6% 2.7% 8.5% 93 4.7%

90+ 1.3% 0.0% 0.6% 6 0.8%

Population = 1089Employment Status:

Housewife/husband 4.0% 5.4% 4.8% 52Retired 80.0% 62.7% 70.1% 758

Working part time 8.6% 11.8% 10.5% 114Full time 1.8% 13.3% 8.5% 92

Other 5.5% 6.5% 6.1% 66

Population = 1082Gender:

Male 39.7% 47.2% 44.2% 481Female 60.0% 52.3% 55.6% 606

Transgender 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 2

Population = 1089Do you have internet access?

Yes 39.6% 98.6% 74.5% 799No 60.4% 1.1% 25.5% 274

Population = 1073

* National age-range source = Direct Gov. – Census 2001

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Section 4

Graphic Representations

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Q1 - How has the economic downturn affected your lifestyle?

Drastically cut back my spendingCut back on most of my spendingMade a few cutbacksLittle changeNo change at all

11.3%24.0%

41.6%

16.4%

6.8%

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Q2 - How reliant are you on savings and investments for your income?

Essential for day to day living

Helps but can still manage

Not reliant

Not applicable

21.1%

45.8%

22.3%

10.9%

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Q4 - Have you changed where you keep your savings and investments in response to economic conditions?

Made many changesMade a few changesMade no changes at allNot applicable

11.1%

43.6%

35.3%

10.0%

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Q19. - Will you take more or fewer holidays this year?

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

Abroad in 2009 Prior Years UK in 2009 Prior Years

Holidays

Number of days outside the UK this year

Compared to previous yearsNumber of days within the UK this year

Compared to previous years

16.3

24.121.3

23.7

Net change: Abroad = -7.8 days, UK = -2.3 days

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Q.20 Will you change the type/destination of your holiday as a result of the recession?

1. Normally I/we holiday in…

(number of people who responded to the following options)

2. This year we are likely to go to…

At home/nowhere/no holiday

Long Haul/outside Europe

UK & Ireland

Europe

Cruise

No H

olid

ay

UK

& E

ire

Euro

pe

Long H

aul

Cru

ise

Prior Years20090

50100150200250

300350

Holiday Preferences

Prior Years

2009

Nu

mb

er

of R

esp

on

de

nts

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N.B. - Blame values are divided by 10 for ease of display

Blame apportioned

Volume of respondents

Absolute Values As a percentage of values

Q21 - What percentage of the blame should anyone take for the current crisis? (multiple choice - all inputs to total 100%)

Current GovernmentPrevious Conservative GovernmentThe BanksThe MediaThe PublicGlobal factors outside of UK control

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Q22 - Is the current crisis likely to change the way you vote in the next election - and if so, how?

Will not voteWill not change my voteMore likely to vote ConservativeMore likely to vote LabourMore likely to vote Liberal DemocratsMore likely to vote for a party not listed above

8.5%35.5%24.7%2.5%

13.9%15.0%

44.2%

4.4%

24.7%

26.7%

All responses (1,083)

Of those who will change their vote (607)

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Demographics

1. Age

2. Employment Status

4.8%

70.1%

10.5%

8.5%

6.1%

Under 50 (adults)50-5960-6970-7980-89

90+

2.6%18.4%46.7%23.2%8.5%0.6%

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For further information:

About this study and Mature Marketing:Contact: Andrew Fawkes – 01275 331906 ([email protected])

About Mature Times and PR/Advertising opportunities:Tony Watts (editor) – 01275 331904 ([email protected])

© Mature Marketing Ltd. All rights reserved.Registered office: Highwood House. Winters Lane, Redhill, Bristol, BS40 5SH

Registered in England Company number 5448587

mailto:[email protected]

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1 mature times – readership survey “the recession and you” – april/may 2009

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