Anecdotal evidence suggests that the new century has prompted people to increase their efforts to find a partner which adds to the existing demand for dating agencies as a means to alter single status. Quantifying demand and membership of dating agencies remains problematic due to the wide range of services which fall under the dating agency category. The industry is still largely unregulated, but extensive research within the industry has provided some information as to the main drivers in market development.

This is the first time that Mintel has looked at the dating agency market. The report will examine patterns of consumer behaviour in relation to dating agencies. Exclusive consumer research was commissioned through BMRB to analyse patterns of relationships, relationship preferences and attitudes to dating agencies. In addition, there is an overview of the sector with realistic estimates of market size and membership numbers based on extensive consumer and trade research. More in-depth analysis is offered of the social factors which are affecting demand.

Other Mintel reports of relevance include:

- Special Report, British Lifestyles, 2000

- Pre-family Leisure Trends, Leisure Intelligence, January 2000

- Special Report, Pre-family Lifestyles, 1999

- Special Report, Women 2000, 1999

- Special Report, Men 2000, 1998.

Definitions

The dating agency sector is sub-divided into three main categories: the personal introduction agency; the computer dating agency; and listings agencies which operate through newspapers, the Internet or by telephone.

The personal introduction agency is where clients provide identification and sign a confidentiality statement. They then fill out a personal profile, and the agency will facilitate introductions. The whole cost of this process depends on the number of introductions offered and the amount of personal consultation involved. Fees are usually higher than with other dating agencies as there can be a high degree of consultation with several agencies offering 'bespoke' or matchmaking services.

Computer dating agencies offers a computerised service which matches clients through a process of completing a lengthy questionnaire. Their details are then matched with those of other clients. Some of the companies also offer other services such as website searches and telephone listings.

The two main types of listing agencies operate either by telephone dating in mainstream newspapers/magazines and more recently the Internet. Telephone listings, through newspapers and magazines such as the Guardian and Cosmopolitan, offer telephone numbers to clients through premium charge telephone numbers.

Dating through the Internet is more risky, as advertisers are not vetted for authenticity. Correspondence is dependent on e-mail with pictures being supplied voluntarily. This type of dating does however allow for a rapid exchange of great amount of information prior to meeting.

Consumer research

In addition to the standard breaks, Mintel has analysed the consumer research in the following manner.

Lifestages are derived from analysis of the exclusive consumer research and are split into four main groups.

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

Family those aged 15-54 with at least one child aged under 16 still at home.

Empty nesters no family/empty nesters aged 35-54 with no children (aged under 16).

Post family post family/retired those aged over 55/not working.

As part of an ongoing policy to find new ways of analysing data, Mintel has created

Special Groups of consumers to typify consumer habits in the late 1990s/early 2000s.

Unlike the lifestage groups, these groups represent only sections of the population and

do not account for all adults.

Benefit dependents	Es aged 35+ - those who are reliant solely on state benefits (around 10% of the adult population).
Families on a tight budget	these are working C2Ds with at least one child aged under 16 in the household - the majority have limited incomes which must be spent on a relatively large household (around 10% of the adult population).
Better off families	these are working ABC1s with at least one child aged under 16 in the household (around 9% of the population).
Better off empty nesters	these are ABC1s aged 35-64 who are working with no children (aged under 16) living at home. They are, therefore, the classic no family/empty nesters with probably a high income that can be spent on themselves rather than on family (around 8% of the adult population).
Working managers	these are working ABs (around 9% of the population).
Working women	women in part- or full-time employment (around 21% of the adult population).

This report also uses consumer research analysed by ACORN category. ACORN is a geo-demographic segmentation method, using census data to classify consumers according to the type of residential area in which they live. Each postcode in the country can therefore, be allocated an ACORN category.

This classification is a more powerful differentiator of consumer behaviour than traditional socio-economic and demographic indicators. The categories, and their components, are as follows:

Group A - Thriving	Wealthy achievers, suburban areas.
(Approx 20% of population.)	Affluent greys, rural communities.
	Prosperous pensioners, retirement areas.
Group B - Expanding	Affluent executives, family areas.
(Approx 11% of population.)	Well off workers, family areas.
Group C - Rising	Affluent urbanites, town and city areas.
(Approx 8% of population.)	Prosperous professionals, metropolitan areas.
	Better off executives, inner city areas.
Group D - Settling	Comfortable middle agers, mature home owning areas.
(Approx 25% of population.)	Skilled workers, home owning areas.
Group E - Aspiring	New homeowners, mature communities.
(Approx 13% of population.)	White collar workers, better off multi-ethnic areas.
Group F - Striving	Older people, less prosperous areas.
(Approx 21% of population.)	Council estate residents, better off homes.
	Council estate residents, high unemployment.
	Council estate residents, greatest hardships.
	People in multi-ethnic, low income areas.

Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices unless otherwise stated.

Abbreviations

ACNielsen MMS	For more information contact Mary Sneddon at ACNielsen MMS on 01344 627553.
ABIA	Association of British Introduction Agencies
ACORN	A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods
BMRB	British Market Research Bureau
GHS	General Household Survey
IT	Information Technology
PDI	Personal Disposable Income
SPH	Single Person Household
TGI	Target Group Index. For further details concerning this information, including data regarding readership patterns of users/purchasers and details of brands, please contact Peter Shreeve at BMRB International on 020 8566 5000.
VAT	Value Added Tax

02/2000