A new research study confirms that affluent consumers tend to use the Internet more for information and shopping.
Packaged Facts, the publishing division of MarketResearch.com, released a study yesterday based on a poll of 29,000 consumers conducted in the spring of 2004. The research company found that while 32 percent of respondents overall said the Internet was their primary information source, 42 percent of “mass affluent” consumers and 50 percent of “highly affluent” individuals said this.
Packaged Facts defined mass affluent as a one-person household with income between $75,000 and $149,000, or larger households earning $100,000 to $149,000. Households earning more than $150,000 annually were tabbed as being highly affluent.
Similarly, rich consumers are more likely to shop online. Overall, 34 percent of respondents said they made an online purchase during the past year while 50 percent of mass affluent respondents and 57 percent of the highly affluent used e-commerce. Affluent customers were found more likely to buy tickets online, book travel as well as comparison shop.
The increased Internet use by the affluent might be traced to their likelihood to have broadband Internet access. Packaged Facts found the affluent are twice as likely than the non-affluent to have DSL, WiFi or broadband.
Based on Census numbers, Packaged Facts estimates that 13.2 percent of U.S. adults qualify as mass affluent and 8.2 percent are highly affluent. The affluent represent about 45 million U.S. consumers, the research concluded.
Brian Morrissey covers online marketing and advertising, including e-mail marketing and paid search, for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
