This is the first report Mintel has produced based entirely on the spending habits and attitudes of consumers in the AB socio-economic group. The report is based partly on the TGI Premier survey, which is carried out annually among a sample of 5,517 AB adults, and which has been extensively re-analysed in order to give more detail about ABs in a number of key consumer segments. It also draws on exclusive consumer research specially commissioned by Mintel from BMRB in April 2001 among a large sample of adults (4,061), including 884 in the AB group. This research gives an insight into the attitudes and priorities of AB consumers, and compares them with those of the population as a whole. Finally, a number of other recent Mintel surveys have been re-analysed to focus on the AB respondents.

The report has 7 sections:

Background: demographic profiles; AB incomes, education and household composition

What do AB consumers want from life? Priorities in life; attitudes towards work and money among ABs

The AB consumer at home: home ownership; home improvements; attitudes towards home and garden, entertaining at home

Looking good: clothes; skincare; cosmetics; beauty treatments; perfume and aftershave

Knowledge and culture: attitudes towards the media; interest in the arts; book purchasing

Out and about: cars in AB households; eating out; sport and exercise; holidays

The future: how concerns about the future among ABs compare with those of other people; overview of the way ABs change as they move through different lifestages.

Classification of ABs

Mintel has classified AB consumers in a number of ways, in order to pinpoint any differences between specific groups. The classifications used are based on lifestage, as follows:

Pre-family: those aged under 35 who are not parents

Family: those aged 15-54 with at least one child aged under 16

Empty nesters/no family: those aged 35-54 with no children aged under 16

Post-family: those aged 55 and over.

Respondents are also classified according to working status; in addition, three non-working categories are identified:

Ladies who Lunch: women under 55 who are not working and have no children under 16

Early Retired: aged 55-64 and not working

Pensioners: 65 and over, not working.

These analyses are used for both Mintel and TGI research; it should be noted, however, that the definition of AB consumers used in the TGI Premier survey is slightly different from that used in the Mintel research and in the main TGI survey. The TGI Premier survey is based only on chief income earners in the AB group, and/or the spouses or partners of ABs, and as such includes only respondents aged over 20. Respondents classified as ABs for the purposes of the main TGI survey, and also for all Mintel research used in the report, include all those living in households with a chief income earner in the AB group. In practice this means that teenage and grown-up children of ABs are included in the main survey, but excluded from the Premier survey.

Mintel is able to offer further analysis of its exclusive research, tailored to individual clients' needs. It is possible, for example, to net and/or combine codes to create new attitudinal, usage or demographic groups, and cross-analysis can show how the answers to any questions or categories are related. For further details and a quote, please call our statisticians - Peter Ayton/Shaheed Alam - on 020 7606 4533.

Other recent Mintel lifestyle reports of relevance include:

- Special Report, Healthy Lifestyles, 2001

- Special Report, British Lifestyles, 2001

- Special Report, 2020 Vision: Tomorrow's Consumer, 2000

- Special Report, Scottish Lifestyles, 2000

- Special Report, Third Age - A Time to Travel, 2000

- Special Report, Family Lifestyles & The Effect of Work, 2000

- Special Report, Ethnic Lifestyles, 1999

- Special Report, Pre-family Lifestyles, 1999

- Special Report, Men Living Alone, 1999

- Special Report, Student Lifestyles, 1999

- Special Report, Women 2000, 1999

- Special Report, Men 2000, 1998

and the forthcoming:

- Special Report, Innovators, Early Adopters, Followers, July 2001

Recent Mintel Finance reports of relevance include:

- Targeting the Premium Pensions Consumer, Finance Intelligence, February 2001

- Wealth Management, Finance Intelligence, December 2000

- Financial Lifestyles 1 - The Affluent, 1999

- Financial Lifestyles 2 - Middle Englanders, 1999

- The Homes Elite Report, 1999

- The Investors Elite Report, 1999

- The Motoring Elite Report, 1999.

06/2001