February The ASDA MUMDEX Economy Report

Transcription

1 February 2012 The ASDA MUMDEX Economy Report

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3 INTRODUCTION Welcome to Asda s very first Mumdex report At Asda, we re proud to be a customer-focused business. Every business in the land claims to be customer-centric but while others define themselves by the products on their shelves, and others by their history, the only definition that matters to us is an unrelenting focus on the customer. And for Asda, that s the Asda Mum. 82 per cent of UK families shop with Asda every year*, and 80 per cent of our shoppers are women mums from all backgrounds, all walks of life with one thing in common: a desire to provide for their family in the best possible way despite their ever-diminishing budgets. Talking to our mums on a regular basis has reinforced our view that they are absolutely the authority on family life and balancing the household books they re the barometer of how families feel about the state of their finances, and those of the UK as a whole. Almost 4,000 real mums of all ages have signed up to be part of the Mumdex panel, giving us their opinion on how they re really feeling about their finances, their communities, and the outlook for the future of their family. Our version of a state of the nation report doesn t look to house prices or retail sales data to predict consumer confidence, but looks instead at how thousands of UK families are coping with the realities of the changing economic landscape. In this very first data analysis, our Asda Mums tell us they don t want to compromise on the weekly shop. They re optimistic about their own household s quality of life, but significantly less so about the outlook for the economy overall. There have been real behaviour changes in the last year that point to a permanent shift in how families spend. My promise to the Mumdex mums, and the millions of other Asda Mums they represent, is that we ll use this insight to make sure we re doing the right thing for their families as we enter what is set to be another challenging year for them. Judith McKenna, Asda s chief operating officer Mumdex figures indicate that, despite overall pessimism about the economy, Asda Mums remain resilient and optimistic about the outlook for their own families. Financially, things are tough but life is complex. Mums are protecting their families from the financial constraints and are making less go further to maintain a happy home. KEy mumdex stats 1 Money s too tight to mention Three quarters of mums have less disposable income than a year ago 2 The big freeze 42 have been forced to accept a household pay cut or freeze 3 Financial feel-good factor 88 of mums agree they feel proud when they save money 4 Budget not credit Two thirds budget more now than a year ago; only 1 in 10 buy more on credit 5 Need not want 71 are upgrading big ticket items less frequently 6 Staying afloat 23 of our mums can t make ends meet and are borrowing to get by 7 Media fails to represent hardest hit A third of mums think media has downplayed economic impact 8 Young mums worst off 43 of year olds are borrowing to afford the basics 9 The kids are alright Mums are allocating twice as much budget for kids costs as savings 10 CHANGE IS HERE TO STAY 43 of mums think UK economy will never be the same again 1 source: Kantar Worldpanel 3

4 MUMDEX An average of mums net optimism about the economy, their household finances, their families quality of life and the future of community spirit *The net optimism index is calculated by subtracting the sum of all pessimists from the sum of all optimists. -73 ECONOMy Mums net optimism about the outlook for the UK economy household FINANCES Mums net optimism about their household finances quality OF life Mums net optimism about the future of their family s quality of life COMMUNITy Mums net optimism about the future of community spirit in their local area ESSENTIAl SpENDS What proportion of your monthly income do you spend on the following? Savings/pension and investments Spending on yourself and your partner 4p 4p Spending on your children 7p Transport (including petrol) grocery shopping 9p 22p 25p 18p 7p Rent/mortgage Debt repayment / financial charges Regular outgoings e.g. utility bills 4p Other *All figures are pence in the pound DEbIT v CREDIT Which best describes your household income? We are well off, money is rarely an issue 3 We have enough money for basics and luxuries 39 We have enough money for basics but very little else 34 We have enough to survive but occasionally have to borrow 17 We do not have enough and need to borrow to makes ends meet 6 4

5 SHOPPING TRENDS Thinking about your supermarket shopping, which of the following do you currently do? 30 Buy treats 65 Buy clothes from supermarkets 43 Buy products low in fat, salt, or sugar S 23 Buy Fairtrade or ethical products 44 Buy only the essentials 90 Buy supermarket own brand products TALKING POINTS Have you talked about any of the following with your friends, family or colleagues this week? 49 How the UK ECONOMY is affecting you Your CHILDREN S EDUCATION The PUBLIC SERVICES available to your family Your views on CRIME IN THE UK 23 TOGETHER TIME Which, if any, of the following have you done with your family this week? LEISURE ACTIVITY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HAD A TAKE-AWAY OR MEAL OUT DISCUSSED NEWS EATEN A MEAL ROUND THE TABLE See appendix on page 20 for regional breakdown of statistics. 5

6 1 MONEY S TOO TIGHT TO MENTION Three quarters of mums have less disposable income Compare your household situation now with your household situation 12 months ago. Are each of the following higher, lower or have they stayed the same? Asda Mums are having to tighten the purse strings just to stay afloat. With lower wages and higher living costs, it is not just the big monthly payments like mortgages that are causing pressure day-to-day living costs such as food and utility bills are causing problems too. And with less money in their pockets, nearly half of mums feel their standard of living is lower than it was a year ago The rising cost of living is the main problem. A massive 75 of mums have seen their expenditure increase in the last year. Falling wages are only adding to the problem, with nearly a third of mums seeing their income drop in the last year. It means money is tight and Asda Mums are having to learn to survive on less disposable income. Compare your household situation now with your 2 THE BIG FREEZE 42 have been forced to accept a household pay cut or freeze DisPosable income 30 Income 17 8 outgoings For our Asda Mums, the drop in household income is a result of several issues. Annual pay rises are disappearing nearly half of mums have had to accept a pay reduction or freeze. Nearly 1 in 10 households have been affected by redundancy. A quarter of our mums have been hit by reductions in benefits. higher stayed the same LOWER Which of the following have affected your family in the last 12 months? A reduction in salary or pay freeze 42 Reductions in government benefits 23 Redundancy 9 6

7 Pressure on spending comes from the household necessities: rising fuel, heating and food costs. These outgoings are eating into the household budget because mums simply can t do without them. 7 out of 10 are feeling the fuel price increases hitting their wallets and 61 have been affected by increases in the price of food. Which of the following have affected your family in the last 12 months? negative effects from the increase in petrol prices and utilities 69 negative effects from the increase in price of food 61 negative effects from the increase in vat 32 2 Research carried out with Asda Mums by MomComplex. 3 The base size for this question is 859 Asda Mums. Please think about how you spend your monthly household income and show approximately what proportion of your monthly household income is used for With money so tight, it is no surprise that virtually all our mums (94) feel their standard of living is lower or static compared with a year ago with nearly half of them saying it is lower. The weekly food shop and utility bills are perceived to be nearly as much of a burden as rent or mortgage payments. In fact, our MomComplex 2 research tells us that one in four mums has had to put something back at the checkout as they struggle to balance the budget for the weekly shop. On average, our mums believe they spend around a fifth of their income on grocery shopping and regular outgoings, such as utility bills, compared with a quarter on their rent or mortgage. RENT / MORTGAGE grocery shopping regular outgoings e.g. utility bills debt repayment / financial charges spending on children spending on yourself and partner savings / pensions and investments TRANSPORT (inc PETROL) other Compare your household situation now with your household situation 12 months ago. Are each of the following higher, lower or have they stayed the same? your standard of living LOWER stayed the same higher 7

8 Are Asda Mums bearing the brunt? Our mums believe they, more than other people, are feeling the negative effects of the economic situation. Half of our mums think they are worse off than the average family in the UK and half think they are worse off than most European families. Do you feel your family s current quality of life is better, worse or the same as each of the following? the average family living in the uk worse the same better the average family living in other european countries e.g. france or germany FINANCIAL FEEL-GOOD FACTOR 88 of mums agree they feel proud when they save money For mums feeling the squeeze, responsible spending has become the new financial feel-good factor. With less money in their pockets, Asda Mums are having to make cutbacks. But it is clear that they won t be repeating the mistakes of the past and going out spending to cheer themselves up. Instead they are finding ways to get by on less and feeling good about the savings they ve made. Our mums are taking pride in carefully managing the household purse strings. They are budgeting, comparing prices and replacing items only when they need replacing. Most of the mums we spoke to are making changes to their lifestyle. Only a small number (7) feel the economic situation has not had any impact on their lifestyle. The vast majority are adapting to face the new situation, half of them out of financial necessity and a quarter out of financial caution. 27 say they are cutting back in case their finances get worse. Which of the following statements best describes your behaviour in the current economic climate? I HAVE MADE CHANGES TO MY LIFESTYLE BECAUSE I HAVE HAD TO ADAPT to new financial circumstances I HAVE MADE CHANGES TO MY LIFESTYLE BECAUSE economic climate has made me reassess my attitude towards spending money / saving I HAVE MADE precautionary changes to my lifestyle in case my financial circumstances get worse in the future the economic situation hasn t had any impact on my lifestyle 7 8

9 Two fifths of Asda Mums (39) also say they have made changes to their lifestyle because the financial crisis has prompted them to re-evaluate their attitude to spending money. Mums are now taking a strong sense of pride in saving money and have a strong dislike of wasting money; their financial values are moving from uninhibited spending to thrifty household management. Mums are feeling good about themselves for acting and behaving responsibly rather than indulging in the quick thrill of buying on cheap credit. Our MomComplex research also highlights the feel-good factor our mums get from showing the world that, in spite of everything, they can cope. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? 4 NET AGREEMENT NET AGREEMENT The net agreement index is calculated by subtracting the sum of those in disagreement from those in agreement. A positive index (+ 0) means agreement is greater than disagreement among mums I am proud whenever I save money I feel bad if I waste money 4 BUDGET NOT CREDIT Two thirds budget more now than a year ago; only 1 in 10 buy more on credit Asda Mums new financial values are highlighted by the ways they are coping with less money. They are choosing budgeting over credit they re looking at ways of making their money go further rather than taking out credit to maintain their previous levels of spending. 64 of mums said they budget more now than they did 12 months ago, compared with only 9 of mums who are buying more on credit and taking out loans. Compare how you managed your household finances 12 months ago to how you manage them now. Are you doing more or less of the following now? budgeting buying on credit and taking out loans spending on family activities less the same more 9

10 In our customer listening groups, 5 our mums talk about how they are budgeting at the supermarket. They are very cost-conscious and know how much they spend on their average weekly shop. They are looking at ways to make their budget stretch further: 9 out of 10 buy own-brand products; 8 out of 10 compare product prices; and 7 out of 10 plan what they are going to buy in advance. The mums in our groups said they walk round the supermarket totting up the purchases in their head and will sometimes remove the little extras that their children try to sneak into the trolley if that s the only way to stay on budget. Asda sees this behaviour in its stores too, with customers preferring to buy products with a lower unit price than buy multiple products in one go. In these difficult financial times, only 30 felt able to buy treats and only 21 are splashing out on whatever takes their fancy. For 44 of mums, money is so tight they can only afford to buy the basics. Thinking about your supermarket shopping, which of the following do you currently do? compare product prices 80 plan what you are going to buy in advance 72 buy only the essentials buy in bulk buy treats buy what takes your fancy Regular focus groups held with Asda customers. 5 NEED NOT WANT 71 are upgrading big ticket items less frequently For many mums, our research indicates that their whole approach to consumer goods has altered. We found mums are thinking less in terms of want and more in terms of need. A massive 7 out of 10 of mums said they are less likely than they were 12 months ago to upgrade big ticket items like TVs before they need replacing. Mums have also been looking at where they can save on family activities. Two thirds of mums said they were spending less now on family activities than a year ago (see page 9). Need and want, however, are open to interpretation. In our customer listening groups, our mums saw their annual holiday falling into the need category. They talked about them being a reward for the savings they were making on treats and family activities. In our Mumdex survey, holidays were so important for one group of mums that they were looking at ways to holiday as usual in spite of the squeeze on their finances (22 said they would be enjoying a cheaper holiday in the UK and 28 said they were saving up for their holiday this year). Compare how you managed your household finances 12 months ago to how you manage them now. Are you doing more or less of the following now? upgrading expensive items before they need replacing e.g. TVs, computers less the same more 10

11 6 STAYING AFLOAT Which one of the following do you think best describes your household income? 23 of mums can t make ends meet and are borrowing to get by For many of our mums, the situation is critical. This isn t just about a reassessment of values it s about a struggle to keep their families heads above water. These mums are preoccupied with the economic situation and financial pressures that are threatening to affect their health and wellbeing. Nearly a quarter of our mums simply can t make ends meet and are having to borrow just to get by. Our MomComplex research highlighted that the end of the month when they ran out of money was the worst time for these mums. Which, if any, of the following payments/purchases have become unmanageable at any point in the last 12 months? 34 do not have enough; borrowing money to make ends meet just about enough to survive; occasionally have to borrow money enough money to buy all the basics we need but very little else enough money to buy the basics we need plus some treats and luxuries we are well off, money is rarely an issue i d rather not say of mums have struggled to even pay their bills in the last year. Buying basics like clothes, petrol and paying utility bills have become unmanageable for this group of mums at some point in the last year. A third of mums will not go on holiday this year (35) because they simply can t afford it clothes petrol utility bills food rent/ mortgage Mums in our customer listening groups talked about how they are struggling with the price of petrol. As the car was an essential in their lives, they tried to find ingenious ways to get more from the petrol in their tank. For example, some said they would fill up when the tank was cold because the fuel condenses and you can fill the tank up further. Others were driving around on half a tank so as not to waste fuel on transporting a whole tank of petrol. The economic situation is not just exerting pressure on family finances it is clearly having an emotional impact too. 51 of all Asda Mums have felt stressed about financial issues in the last year and 23 feel their personal relationships are under pressure as a result. 11

12 7 MEDIA FAILING TO REPRESENT HARDEST HIT A third think media has downplayed full economic impact Those mums who have been most affected by the economic situation feel the media has failed to represent the extent of the challenges they are facing; they feel news stories do not reflect the harsh reality on the ground for many families. 30 of all Asda Mums think the media has downplayed the impact of the economic situation. Thinking about your own experience of the recession, how accurately do you feel the media has reported the economic situation? The media has under-reported the severity and impact of the economic situation 30 the coverage of the economic situation has been fairly accurate 54 they have exaggerated the severity of the impact of the economic situation 16 The word cloud below shows some of the news stories that interested our mums the week they were surveyed. The impact of cuts to benefits, especially child benefits, is clearly high on their agendas our mums are preoccupied with how changes in the economy are impacting their families. Which news stories have interested you this week and felt relevant to you and your family s lives? The answer can be anything you want it to be but please type just one answer. Ship Child Economy Teachers Family Scottish Cruise Cuts Euro Changes Crime Local benefit Government Referendum Independence Gas Children Prices Jobs Weather School News Education Murder Scotland 12

13 Across the country, the economic situation also dominates mums discussions with friends and family. Nearly half of the sample discussed the economic situation with friends and family the week they were surveyed. This compares to just 23 of all mums who discussed their views on crime in the UK underscoring just how central the economy is to mums lives right now. Have you talked about any of the following with your friends, family or colleagues this week? all mums south (inc london) 60 midlands north wales scotland how the uk economy is affecting you your children s education the public services available to your family your views on crime in the uk 8 YOUNG MUMS WORST OFF Which one of the following do you think best describes your household income? 43 of year olds are borrowing to afford the basics Asda Mums aged are more likely to be struggling to get by and feeling the negative effects of the economic situation than the average Asda mum. do not have enough, borrowing money to make ends meet just about enough to survive; occasionally have to borrow money With 22 of year olds unemployed, 6 it s not surprising that our year old mums are worst off. When it comes to this age group, two-fifths do not even have enough to buy the basics and are having to borrow to get by (43) compared to 23 average across the sample. enough money to buy all the basics we need but very little else enough money to buy the basics we need plus some treats and luxuries Office for National Statistics, November 2011 we are well off, money is rarely an issue 3 2 all mums

14 16-29 year olds are much more worried about the future than other age groups. 65 of them felt stressed about their finances 14 more than the average. More than half of the young mums surveyed are struggling to pay bills, compared with 36 of all Asda Mums. 38 feel their personal relationships are under pressure, compared with 23 for all mums surveyed. Which of the following have affected your family in the last 12 months? stress about financial issues struggling to pay the bills personal relationships under pressure because of financial issues all mums the kids are alright To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement: My children s needs come above my own? 7 Mums allocate twice as much of the budget for kids costs as savings NET AGREEMENT Despite the difficult situation, the one group that won t be feeling the pinch are the kids. Asda Mums put their children first. They are acting as a sponge, soaking up the negative impacts of recession wherever possible and protecting their kids. The mums have a strong belief that their children s needs come first and they are spending nearly twice as much of their weekly budget on their children compared to expenditure on themselves or their partner. Children come before household savings and pension contributions, too, with mums allocating twice as much for kids costs as for savings. -1 My children s needs always come ahead of mine 7 The net agreement index is calculated by subtracting the sum of those in disagreement from those in agreement. A positive index (+ 0) means agreement is greater than disagreement among mums (there are more mums who agree than disagree). 14

15 Please think about how you spend your monthly household income. What proportion of your monthly household income is used for the following? spending on your children spending on yourself and your partner savings, pension and investments Findings from our MomComplex research also highlighted mums priority to make life run smoothly for everyone else in her household, sometimes to the detriment of her own quality of life. She doesn t have the time or money to pamper herself by getting a manicure or having her hair done her me time is now likely to be spent at the supermarket, as grocery shopping is the only chance she gets to escape. Mums in the Mumdex survey gave the statement I like shopping alone a net score of 60, which further implies that they are using shopping as a chance to get some peace and quiet away from the family The base size for this question is 859 Asda Mums. 10 CHANGE IS HERE TO STAY 43 of mums think the UK economy will never be the same again How much responsibility does each of the following have for the current economic crisis? Please drag the following to show approximately what proportion of responsibility each of the following have. 16 Asda Mums are gloomy about the future of the UK economy, with a significant number worrying that things will never fully recover. Mums pessimism is driven by a lack of faith in Government s ability to alleviate the economic situation and a belief that politicians are not representing their best interests When looking at the causes of the crisis, Asda Mums are keen to hold both Government and bankers to account, placing around half the blame on Government s failure to effectively regulate and a third of the blame on bankers. But they don t let consumers off the hook either around a sixth of the blame is put on reckless consumer spending and irresponsibility. government - they should have regulated the banking and credit systems better banks and credit card companies - they should have lent more responsibly and invested more responsibly consumers - they should have managed their finances better and borrowed more responsibly 15

16 When our mums think about the future of the economy, they are struggling to see an end to the gloom. The score of minus 60 for the economic outlook shows a deep-seated pessimism about our prospects. 43 of Asda Mums feel so gloomy that they worry the British economy will never fully recover. How optimistic or pessimistic do you feel about the following? 9 9 The net optimism index is calculated by subtracting the sum of all pessimists from the sum of all optimists. A negative index (-0) means pessimism is greater than optimism among mums (there are more pessimists than optimists). 13 NET PESSIMISM The outlook for the economy What impact do you think the economic crisis will have on the British economy in the long-term? the uk economy will recover fully and once again become an important global economy the uk economy will never be the same again and we will no longer be an important global economy How optimistic or pessimistic do you feel about the following? Mums pessimism in the economic outlook is partly driven by a lack of faith in Government policies: we found a score of minus 58 in regard to how optimistic or pessimistic people are feeling that: Government policies will produce economic stability. 13 NET PESSIMISM Government policy will produce economic stability 16

17 The Government has failed to convince our mums that cutting spending will help the economic situation. They are divided on the issue of whether cuts or investment are the best course of action to help the economy a third support cuts but a third would like to see more investment. There are generally two schools of thought on how best to help the UK economic situation one says we should focus on cutting Government spending to reduce the debt and the other says we should focus on investment and increase Government spending to stimulate the economy. At this point in time which school of thought do you believe is right for the UK? cutting government spending to reduce the debt burden increasing government spending and investing to stimulate the economy i don t know 35 Our Asda Mums lack of faith in Government policy comes from a belief that the Government is not representing their interests. The lowest score of the survey came when we asked whether they felt the Government at least had their best interests at heart a score of minus 60. It is clear our mums cannot back policies which they do not believe are being made with their welfare in mind. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement the Government has my best interests at heart? 10 How optimistic or pessimistic do you feel about the following? NET OPTIMISM Reasons to be cheerful Asda Mums have a more optimistic outlook when they think about their own quality of life but many mums worry about the impact that the economic situation will have on the world their children will grow up in. What will it mean for the level of community spirit and services in their local area? Asda Mums have a more optimistic outlook for their own family than the economy as a whole. When they think about the future of their families overall quality of life, our mums had a net optimism score of NET DISAGREEMENT The Government has my best interests at heart the future of my family s quality of life 10 The net agreement index is calculated by subtracting the sum of those in disagreement from those in agreement. A negative index (-0) means disagreement is greater than agreement among mums (there are more mums who disagree than agree). 17

18 When we asked our mums what they were looking forward to in 2012 in our regular Pulse of the Nation survey, 11 their answers captured a sense of this optimistic outlook. They are looking forward to holidays as well as hoping 2012 will be a year of new beginnings; they are focussing on new babies, losing weight, changing jobs and moving home. What one thing are you most looking forward to in 2012? 12 New Getting Jubilee Olympics Wedding Warm Summer Partner Family Clothes Moving Married Happy Going House Holiday Spring Time Car Job Losing Money Birthday Birth Weight Year Anniversary Son Baby Home Good Hopefully Daughter 11 Asda Pulse of the Nation panel is a research panel of men and women who represent the voice of the Asda shopper nationwide. 12 The base size for this question is 195 Asda Mums. But they can t stop the economic situation from touching their families lives completely. The economic situation is beginning to hit home and dampening our mums optimism about their households job security (a net optimism score of 19); their household s ability to maintain the standard of living they deserve (a net optimism score of 6); and their household finances (a net optimism score of 6). While our mums expect their children to receive the key services they need, such as education and health services, they worry about how the economic situation will affect the funding of peripheral local services such as transport and sports facilities. Our mums worry too about the lasting effects of the recession on community life. Crime and community spirit are particular areas for concern. 40 of our mums fear the recession has made people less community-minded. How optimistic or pessimistic do you feel about the following? 13 NET AGREEMENT NET AGREEMENT NET AGREEMENT NET AGREEMENT NET AGREEMENT NET AGREEMENT NET DISAGREEMENT My household s job security My household s ability to maintain the standard of living we deserve My family will be able to access the healthcare services they need My children will receive the education they deserve Local services, such as transport and sport facilities, will be of a standard my family deserve My family will be well protected from crime Community spirit will be evident in my local area 13 The net optimism index is calculated by subtracting the sum of all pessimists from the sum of all optimists. A positive index (+ 0) means optimism is greater than pessimism among mums. A negative index (-0) means pessimism is greater than optimism among mums. 18

19 Supporting the community In the absence of other help, Asda Mums call for Asda stores to stimulate the local economy by cutting prices, improving UK employment and offering more locally-sourced products. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? 14 NET AGREEMENT Our mums were more likely to believe Asda is helping their families manage their finances than they are to believe the Government is acting in their interests. 14 The net agreement index is calculated by subtracting the sum of those in disagreement from those in agreement. A positive index (+ 0) means agreement is greater than disagreement among mums. A negative index (-0) means disagreement is greater than agreement among mums Asda is helping me and my household to manage our finances better NET DISAGREEMENT The Government has my best interests at heart What THREE things should Asda focus on in the current economic situation? offering products at the best possible prices 92 providing secure employment and prospects for its uk workers 67 offering locally-sourced products 46 offering the best quality products 39 offering a wide and innovative range of products 15 supporting the local community e.g. allowing community groups to use asda supermarkets 12 supporting charities 6 offering ethically produced products 5 When asked directly how Asda can best support them, mums called for a focus on economics: helping local people (by keeping prices down); providing greater employment opportunities for local people; and stimulating the economy by buying locally. This echoes what customers say in our listening groups; they believe big businesses have a duty to step in to support the local community. 19

20 Appendix: a breakdown of regional statistics Statistics in pink have low base sizes and should not be quoted. MUMDEX An average of mums net optimism/pessimism about theeconomy, their household finances, their family s quality of life and the future of community spirit. Base size: 2,141 Asda Mums All Mums South Midlands North Wales Scotland NI MUMDEX Mums net optimism about the future of their family s quality of life Mums net optimism about the future of community spirit in the local area Mums net optimism about the outlook for the economy Mums net optimism about their household finances ESSENTIAL SPENDS What proportion of your monthly income do you spend on the following? Base size: 859 Asda Mums All Mums South Midlands North Wales SCOTLAND NI Rent/mortgage Debt repayment/financial charges (excluding mortgages) Grocery shopping Regular outgoings e.g. utility bills Savings/pension and investments Spending on yourself and your partner Spending on your children Transport (including petrol) Other DEBIT v CREDIT Which best describes your household income? Base size: 2,141 Asda Mums All Mums South Midlands North Wales Scotland NI 2, We do not have enough to get by and we are borrowing money to make ends meet We have just about enough to survive but occasionally have to borrow money We have enough money to buy the all the basics we need but very little else We have enough money to buy the basics we need plus some treats and luxuries We are well off, money is rarely an issue I d rather not say SHOPPING TRENDS Thinking about your supermarket shopping, which of the following do you currently do? Base size: 2,141 Asda Mums All Mums South Midlands North Wales Scotland NI 2, Buy supermarket own brand products Buy clothes from supermarkets Buy only the essentials Shop for products with low fat, salt or sugar Buy treats Buy fair trade or ethical products TALKING POINTS Have you talked about any of the following with your friends, family or colleagues this week? Base size: 2,141 Asda Mums All Mums South Midlands North Wales Scotland NI 2, How the UK economy is affecting you Your children s education The public services available to your family Your views on crime in the UK TOGETHER TIME Which, if any, of the following have your done with your family this week? Base size: 2,141 Asda Mums All Mums South Midlands North Wales Scotland NI 2, Eaten a meal together round the table Discussed issues in the news Had a take-away or eaten a meal in a restaurant Played sport or done a physical activity as a family Family leisure activity bowling or cinema trip

21 Disclaimer This report was produced by the Asda insight team and Vision Critical. For more information please contact Jo Newbould on or Leeds, February 2012 Methodology The data in this report was collected via our Mumdex panel, a subsection of Asda s Pulse of the Nation panel. It is made up of 3,957 female Asda shoppers, all with kids, and across a broad spectrum of socioeconomic groups, regions and ages. Unless otherwise stated, all statistics are based on the responses of 2,141 Asda Mums who answered our Mumdex survey in January The report also contains findings from face-to-face customer listening groups with Mumdex mums and from a bespoke research project carried out for Asda by MomComplex.

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