Singles in the U.S.: The New Nuclear Family

SUMMARY

This report examines the attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyles of today’s single consumers, including never-married, divorced, widowed, and separated adults. Data released in late 2006 from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey shows that the majority (50.3%) of U.S. households are headed by unmarried adults. Several trends come into play to account for this, including an increasing tendency to delay marriage, growing numbers of adults who never marry, persistently high divorce rates, and growing numbers of adults who choose to cohabit but not to marry.

Report Methodology

The information in this report is based on primary research, including interviews with industry participants, and secondary research, including articles appearing in general, marketing, and trade publications, government agencies data, and product advertising. The report also draws on a study of how singles are portrayed in advertising conducted by Packaged Facts exclusively for this report.

The analysis of consumer demographics derives from Simmons Market Research Bureau survey data for fall 2006. The data have been derived from the NCS (National Consumer Survey) Fall 2006 survey based on a sample of 24,686 U.S. adults, who represent a statistically accurate cross-section of the U.S. adult population. The SMRB consumer survey includes demography on consumer attitudes towards different categories, brand preference, and the frequency of purchase.

In addition to this report on single adults, she authored “The New American Homemaker: A Look at Today’s Stay-at-Home Mom,” published by Packaged Facts in September 2006.

What You'll Get in this Report

This report examines single adults from a demographic point of view-looking at how many singles are in each generation; segmenting them by gender, race, and sexual orientation; comparing single parents with those who’ve never had children; and how they’re distributed geographically. It also delves into singles’ lives and lifestyles, including their home-buying behavior and interest in home improvement and décor; their financial needs and attitudes; their work lives and income levels; their health habits and attitudes; how they consume media and how they feel about advertising; how they behave online; how and where they shop; how they relax; how they use and feel about technology; and the roles that spirituality and religion play in their lives.

How You Will Benefit from this Report

If your company is interested in effectively reaching the single consumer, you will find this report invaluable, as it provides a comprehensive package of information and insight about singles not offered in any other single source. You will gain a thorough understanding of the current demographic profile of the U.S. single adult population. Contributing to that understanding will be a complete analysis of data from published and trade sources, and in-depth examinations of the economic and societal trends that influence the consumer behaviors of this large and influential segment of the population.

This report will help:

• Marketing Managers identify market opportunities and develop targeted promotion plans for single consumers.
• Research and development professionals stay on top of competitor initiatives and explore demand for products targeting singles.
• Advertising agencies to develop targeted messages and images to singles.
• Business development executives understand the dynamics of the market and identify possible partnerships.
• Information and research center librarians provide market researchers, brand and product managers and other colleagues with the vital information they need to do their jobs more effectively.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Executive Summary

• Scope of the Report
• Methodology
• Singles Defined
• Demographics
• Majority Are Younger than 45
• Figure 1-1: Single U.S. Adults: By Age (as % of all singles)
• One Quarter of all Singles are Boomers
• Most Older Singles are Women
• Race, Ethnicity, and Sexual Orientation
• Figure 1-2: Percentage of Adults Who Are Single: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Majority of Singles Own their Own Homes
• Figure 1-3: Owning vs. Renting Among Single Adults (percent)
• Only About a Quarter of Singles Feel Financially Secure
• Less than Half of Singles Work Full-Time
• Single Men Outearn Women
• Figure 1-4: Average Annual Incomes of U.S. Adults: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (dollar)
• Lifestyles
• Single Parents Neglect Their Own Health
• Exercise
• Eating Habits
• Single Parents Tend to Party as Often as Childless Singles
• Media Use and Attitudes
• Figure 1-5: Attitudes Toward TV Commercials and Other Advertising: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (percent)
• Single Parents are Big Radio Listeners
• Figure 1-6: Adults Who Find Online Advertising Useful: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (% who say ads are very useful, useful, or somewhat useful)
• Shopping
• Marketing Tends to Rely on False Stereotypes
• Best Practices and Tips
• Singles with Kids at Home
• Singles Without Kids at Home

Chapter 2: Demographics

• Singles Defined
• Later Marriages, High Divorce Rates Mean More Americans Are Single
• Figure 2-1: Americans' Age at First Marriage by Gender: 1950-2005
• Figure 2-2: Unmarried Adults (Age 15+) as Proportion of Overall U.S. Population: By Gender, 1950-2005 (percent)
• Figure 2-3: Never-Married Adults (Age 15+) as Proportion of Overall U.S. Population: By Gender, 1950- 2005 (percent)
• Married Couples Head Fewer than Half of All Households
• I Just Choose To Be Alone But Society Says No
• Most Singles are Young
• Figure 2-4: Single U.S. Adults: By Age (as % of all singles)
• How Singles Live
• Table 2-1: Single Adults in the U.S.: By Living Arrangement (number and percent)
• Looking at Singles by Generation
• Table 2-2: Number of U.S. Singles Ages 15 and Older: By Generation (number and percent)
• Below Are Key Characteristics of the Five Generations of Single Adults Living in the U.S. Today:
• The GI Generation (born 1901-1924, age 83 and older in 2007)
• The Silent Generation (born 1925-1945, ages 62-82 in 2007)
• Baby Boomers (born 1946-1963, ages 44-61 in 2007)
• Generation X (born 1964-1979, ages 28-43 in 2007)
• Generation Y (Born 1980-2000, Ages 7-27 in 2007)
• Most Older Singles Are Female
• Table 2-3: Unmarried Population Skews Increasingly Female With Age (percent)
• Figure 2-5: Single Women in the U.S.: By Age (percent)
• Figure 2-6: Single Men in the U.S.: By Age (percent)
• Singles Are Racially and Ethnically Diverse
• Figure 2-7: Racial/Ethnic Composition of U.S. Singles Market (percent)
• Figure 2-8: Percentage of Adults Who Are Single: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Singles of Color Are More Likely to Be Parents
• Table 2-4: Living Arrangements of Single Adults: By Age and Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• The Majority of Gays and Lesbians Are Single
• Most Singles Have Never Married
• Figure 2-9: Marital History of U.S. Singles Ages 18 and Older: By Gender (percent)
• Figure 2-10: Marital History of Singel Women (percent)
• More Single Women Than Single Men Live With Kids
• Table 2-5: Singles Who Live Alone with Children, By Gender and Race (percent)
• Singles Are Concentrated in Major Metropolitan Areas
• Table 2-6: Geographic Distribution of Singles: By Market Type (percent)
• Table 2-7: Geographic Distribution of Singles: By U.S. Region (percent)
• Table 2-8: Single Parents and Non-Parents as Proportion of Overall Population in Geographic Regions of U.S. (percent)
• Table 2-9: Geographic Distribution of Singles, by Age (percent)
• Sources

Chapter 3: Home

• Singles and Home Ownership
• Figure 3-1: Home-Buying Activities in Past Year: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 3-2: Home Financing: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Single Women Are Biggest Homebuyers After Married Couples
• Figure 3-3: Home Buyers: By Marital Status and Gender (percent)
• Singles’ Dream House Is a Condo
• Figure 3-4: Owning vs. Renting Among Single Adults (percent)
• Most Singles’ Homes Are Modestly Priced
• Figure 3-5: Value of Residence: By Marital Status (percent)
• What Single Home Buyers Want
• Why They Buy-and Where
• Single Women and Men Look For Different Things
• Size Doesn’t Matter to Singles
• All It Needs Is A Little Paint…
• What About the Schools?
• Singles Spend Less Than Marrieds On Home Improvement and Décor
• Figure 3-6: Annual Spending on Home Improvement: By Marital Status and Household Composition (percent)
• Bathrooms, Kitchens, and Walls Are Most Common Remodeling Projects
• Figure 3-7: Major Appliances Bought in Past Year: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 3-8: Amount Spent in Past Year on Household Furnishings or Bedding/Bath Items: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Singles Garden by Hand, Not Machine
• Where Singles Shop for Home Improvement and Décor
• Table 3-1: Top Home Furnishings Retailers Among Singles (shopped in the past three months)
• Table 3-2: Top Home Improvement Retailers Among Singles (shopped in the past three months)
• Attitudes Toward Home Improvement and Décor
• Solo Adults Are Big Readers of Home Décor Magazines
• Figure 3-9: Attitudes About Home: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 3-10: Readership of Home Décor/Improvement Magazines: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 3-11: Use of Home Décor/Improvement Media: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Real Estate and Home Improvement Marketing
• Specifically Targeting Women
• Sources

Chapter 4: Finance

• Singles: Independent, But Insecure Decision Makers
• Figure 4-1: Attitudes About Finance, by Marital Status Living Situation (percent)
• Presence of Children in Household Affects Singles’ Financial Habits
• Single Parents Are Big Users of Financial Media
• Figure 4-2: Business/Finance Magazines That Are More Popular With Single Parents Than Other Adults (percent)
• Figure 4-3: Readership of Business/Finance Magazines: By Marital Status and Living Situation (% who have read in past 6 months)
• Figure 4-4: Use of Financial Media: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Minority Singles Are More Willing Than Whites to Pay for Financial Advice
• Figure 4-5: Singles' Attitudes About Financial Services and Investments: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Marketing to Minority Singles Should Be Respectful and Culturally Relevant
• Singles of Color More Attuned Than Whites to Financial Marketing and Media
• Figure 4-6: Singles' Attitudes About Their Personal Finances: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• As Investors, Singles Lag Behind Couples
• Single Parents Favor Online Banking
• More Single Women Than Single Men Hold Credit Cards
• Figure 4-7: Investments Currently Owned: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 4-8: Use of Online Financial Services and Financial Software: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 4-9: ATM and Credit Card Ownership and Use: By Gender and Marital Status (percent)
• Visa and MasterCard Most Popular Credit Cards
• Childless Singles’ Credit Card Habits Are Like Married Folks’
• Few Black or Hispanic Singles Own Credit Cards
• Figure 4-10: Ownership of Financial cards: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 4-11: Credit Card Use in Past Month: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 4-12: Credit Card Use in Past Year: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 4-13: Credit Card Types Owned by Singles: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Hispanics Least Likely to Use ATM Cards
• Figure 4-14: ATM Card Ownership/Use: By Race/Ethnicity and Marital Status (percent)
• Credit Card Ownership Among Singles Increases with Age
• Figure 4-15: Singles' ATM and Credit Card Use: By Age (percent)
• The Check is in the Mail, But How Big Is It?
• Figure 4-16: Typical Credit Card Bill Payment Habits: By Marital Status and Living Situation (indexed against overall population)
• Minority Singles’ Use of Banking and Investment Products
• Younger Singles Are Most Open to Financial Marketing
• Figure 4-17: Singles' Ownership of Bank/Savings Accounts: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Figure 4-18: Singles' Ownership of Investments: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Figure 4-19: Singles' Attitudes About Financial Services: By Age (percent)
• Figure 4-20: Singles' Attitudes About Their Personal Finances: By Age (percent)
• Singles’ Use of Insurance
• Figure 4-21: Vehicle and Property Insurance Currently Held: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Singles Are Not Adequately Insured
• Figure 4-22: Health/Life Insurance Coverage: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 4-23: How Adults Obtained Their Health Insurance: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Single Parents Have More Loans than Other Singles
• Figure 4-24: Loans Currently Held: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Marketing Financial Services to Singles
• Marketing to Singles Focuses Too Much on the Negative
• Some Progress in the Form of “User Friendly” Messages
• Sources

Chapter 5: Work and Income

• Singles Are Less Likely To Be Employed Full-Time
• Hispanic Singles Work Most
• Singles More Likely to Attend College
• Figure 5-1: Work Status of U.S. Adults: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 5-2: Work Status of U.S. Singles: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Figure 5-3: Work Status of Unmarried Adults: By Age (percent)
• Work Habits by Age
• What They Do All Day
• Hispanics Most Likely to Work in Labor Jobs
• Figure 5-4: Job Types: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 5-5: Job Types Held by Singles: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Few Singles Live in Dual-Income Households
• Attitudes About Work
• Men vs. Women
• Figure 5-6: Attitudes About Work: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• As Time Goes By
• Boomer Singles Are Not Shy, Retiring Types
• Asian Singles Are Most Ambitious
• Hispanic Singles Want to Be Business Owners
• Bringing Home the Bucks
• Single Men Outearn Women
• Almost A Third of Single Mothers Are Poor
• Individual Income vs. Household Income
• Figure 5-7: Singles' Attitudes About Work: By Age (percent)
• Figure 5-8: Singles' Attitudes About Work: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Figure 5-9: Average Annual Incomes of U.S. Adults: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (dollar)
• Figure 5-10: Singles' Annual Incomes: By Gender and Presence of Children (percent)
• Figure 5-11: Employment Income: By Marital Status and Gender (percent)
• Figure 5-12: Household Income: By Marital Status and Gender (percent)
• Age and Income
• Figure 5-13: Employment Income Among Unmarried Adults: By Age (percent)
• Figure 5-14: Household Income Among Unmarried Adults: By Age (percent)
• Income and Race/Ethnicity
• Figure 5-15: Employment Income Among Unmarried Adults: By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Sources

Chapter 6: Lifestyles

• Activity-Packed Lifestyles
• Having Kids Affects Singles’ Health Habits and Use of Healthcare
• Where They Get Their Information
• Singles Younger Than 55 Most Likely to Get Health Info Online
• Figure 6-1: Health Habits and Attitudes: By Marital Status and Presence of Children (percent)
• Figure 6-2: Attitudes About Medications: By Marital Status and Presence of Children (percent)
• Figure 6-3: Where Adults Get Health Information: By Marital Status and Presence of Children (percent)
• Figure 6-4: Where Singles Get Health Information: By Age (percent)
• Use of Dietary Supplements
• Who’s Healthier: Singles or Married Couples?
• Figure 6-5: Use of Vitamins and Supplements: By Marital Status and Presence of Children (index)
• Figure 6-6: Ailments (A-F) Had in Past Year: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (index)
• Figure 6-7: Ailments (G-Z) Had in Past Year: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (index)
• Use of Medications
• Figure 6-8: Use of Medications in Past Year: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (percent)
• Singles Spend Less Time in Doctors’ Waiting Rooms
• Staying Fit
• Figure 6-9: Exercise Habits: By Marital Status and Living Situation (percent)
• Singles Are Sporty and Adventurous
• Figure 6-10: Top 10 Sports Among Avid Single Participants (% who participate every chance they get)
• Table 6-1: Sports in Which Singles Are More Likely Than Other Adults to Participate: Ranked by Index (percent and index)
• Single Parents Go for Team Sports and Activities They Can Share With Kids
• For Men, Marriage Breeds Laziness
• Figure 6-11: Sports in Which Single Parents Are More Likely Than Married Adults to Participate (index of 100 = average for all adults)
• Figure 6-12: Top 10 Sports Among Single Parents (% who participated in past year)
• Figure 6-13: Top 10 Sports Among Childless Singles Who Live Alone (% who participated in past year)
• Figure 6-14: How Often Women and Men Work Out: By Marital Status (percent)
• Women and Men Exercise in Different Ways
• Having Kids Makes Singles Less Health-Conscious At Mealtime
• Figure 6-15: Eating Habits and Dieting Behavior: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (percent)
• White Singles Are Most Concerned With Eating Healthfully
• Single Women Are More Diet-Conscious Than Single Men
• Figure 6-16: Singles' Eating Habits and Dieting Behavior, By Race/Ethnicity (percent)
• Figure 6-17: Singles' Eating Habits and Dieting Behavior: By Gender (percent)
• Childless Singles Try to Eat Healthfully
• Age Brings Healthier Eating Habits
• Singles Like to Have Their Dinners Delivered
• Singles Use Casual Dining Carry-Out More Frequently Than Couples Do
• Singles Are Bigger Restaurant Goers Than Couples
• Singles Like to Cook But Do Less Entertaining Than Couples
• Figure 6-18: Types of Foods Bought When Watching Diet: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (percent)
• Figure 6-19: Adults Who Try to Eat Healthy Foods/Balanced Diets: By Marital Status and Age (percent)
• Figure 6-20: Readership of Cooking Publications: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (percent)
• For Singles, Dinner Should Be Social or Simple
• Singles Like to Eat Out With Friends
• Figure 6-21: Attitudes About Food: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in the Home (percent)
• Figure 6-22: Meals Eaten Out With Friends or Coworkers: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (percent)
• The Importance of Friends
• Figure 6-23: How Single And Married Adults Feel About Their Friends (percent)
• Figure 6-24: Singles Who Say Their Friends Are More Important Than Their Families: By Age (index of 100 = average for all adults)
• Dating and Social Life
• Most Older Singles Are Dating
• Gen Xers Most Likely to Use Online Dating
• Figure 6-25: Singles Who Feel It's Important to Be Attractive to Members of the Opposite Sex: By Age (percent)
• Single Parents Like Online Dating, Too
• Urban Singles Are More Likely Than Rural Singles to Use Online Dating
• Social Networking Sites Can Sources of Potential Dates, As Well
• Some Singles Worry About Safety in Online Dating
• Figure 6-26: Singles Who Have Used Online Dating in Past 30 Days: By Age and Living Situation (percent)
• Figure 6-27: Singles Who Have Used Online Dating in Past 30 Days: By Size of Metro Area (percent)
• Figure 6-28: What Matters Most to Singles When Looking for Dates Online (percent)
• Figure 6-29: Reasons Singles Don't Use Online Dating (percent)
• No Time to Meet for Dinner
• Time Off
• Singles Like to Take Classes and Make Art in Spare Time
• Supporting the Arts
• Table 6-2: Singles’ Participation in Leisure Activities in Past Year: Ranked by Index (percent and index)
• A Sense of Belonging
• Religion Plays Smaller Role in Singles’ Lives
• Singles Travel Less Often Than Married Couples
• Figure 6-30: Memberships in Clubs/Organizations: By Marital Status (index of 100 = average)
• Figure 6-31: Domestic and International Travel: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (percent)
• Figure 6-32: Attitudes About Travel: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (percent)
• Sources

Chapter 7: Media Use And Attitudes

• The Changing Media Landscape
• Singles Are Hooked on the Tube, Especially Cable
• Childless Singles Favor Arts and Comedy; Single Parents Watch Shows With Their Kids
• Figure 7-1: Cable TV Subscriptions: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (percent)
• Figure 7-2: Premium Cable Channel Subscriptions: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (index of 100 = average for all adults)
• Table 7-1: Cable Channels Singles Are More Likely Than Average to Have Watched in Past 7 Days: Ranked By All Single Adults (index of 100 = average)
• Table 7-2: Top 20 Cable Networks Among Singles: Ranked By All Single Adults (% who have watched in past 7 days)
• When They Watch
• Figure 7-3: When Adults Watch TV: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (average daily cume)
• Controlling When They Watch
• Drama, Sitcoms, Reality TV Are Biggest Draws
• Mixing Media
• Figure 7-4: Simultaneous Media Use: Single vs. Married, Primary Medium TV (percent)
• Figure 7-5: Simultaneous Media Use: Single vs. Married, Primary Medium Internet (percent)
• Figure 7-6: Simultaneous Media Use: Single vs. Married, Primary Medium Radio (percent)
• Figure 7-7: Simultaneous Media Use: Single vs. Married ,Primary Medium Magazines (percent)
• Figure 7-8: Simultaneous Media Use: Single vs. Married, Primary Medium Newspaper (percent)
• Single Parents Less Critical of TV Content and Advertising
• Figure 7-9: Attitudes Toward TV Commercials and Other Advertising: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (percent)
• Singles Are Avid Moviegoers
• Singles Flock to Opening Weekends
• Singles Are Receptive to In-Theater Advertising
• Figure 7-10: Effectiveness of In-Theater Advertising: Single vs. Married Adults and Singles by Age (percent)
• Singles Buy and Rent More Videos Than Anyone Else
• Figure 7-11: Adults Who Have Bought or Rented Videos in Past 12 Months: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (percent)
• Singles’ Taste in Video Depends on Whether They Have Kids
• Singles Are Frequent Video Renters and Purchasers
• Singles Are Major Magazine Readers
• Figure 7-12: Where Adults Have Rented Videos in Past 12 Months: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (percent)
• Table 7-3: Top 10 Magazine Genres Read by Singles: Ranked by All Singles (percent of gross readers)
• Table 7-4: Top 20 Magazines Read by Singles (% who have read in past 6 months)
• Childless Singles Are Bigger Newspaper Readers Than Single Parents
• Figure 7-13: Readership of English-Language Newspapers: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (% who ever read)
• Single Parents Are Biggest Radio Fans
• More Singles Than Marrieds Are Radio Night Owls
• Figure 7-14: When Adults Listen to the Radio: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (% who ever listen - cume)
• Non-traditional Forms of Radio
• Singles Say the Internet Has Changed How They Socialize
• Most Singles Are Online
• Figure 7-15: Impact of the Internet on Lifestyle: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in the Home (percent)
• Figure 7-16: Where Adults Access the Internet Most Often: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (percent)
• Young Singles Most Likely to Have Broadband
• More Single Parents Than Childless Singles Are Internet Newbies
• Youngest and Oldest Childless Singles Are Miles Apart in Internet Use
• Figure 7-17: Time Childless Singles Have Spent on the Internet (Non-Email) in Past 7 Days: Ages 18-24 vs. 55+ (percent)
• Singles Spend Lots of Time Online at Home
• Figure 7-18: How Much Time Spent on the Internet at Home in Past 7 Days: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (percent)
• When They’re Online at Home
• Figure 7-19: Weekday Times Adults Are Online at Home: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (% who were online in past 5 weekdays, excluding email)
• Figure 7-20: Weekend Times Adults Are Online at Home: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (% who were online last weekend, excluding email)
• Youngest Singles Are Most Active Online, But Not in the Morning
• Online Activities
• Table 7-5: Online Activities: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Household (in the past 30 days)
• Married Folks Outshop Singles Online
• Figure 7-21: Top 5 Categories of Online Purchases Among Singles (% who bought online in past 12 months)
• Single Parents Are Receptive to Online Marketing
• Use of Technology
• Single Parents Are Early Adopters
• Figure 7-22: Adults Who Find Online Advertising Useful: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (% who say ads are very useful, useful, or somewhat useful)
• Figure 7-23: Attitudes About Technology: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in the Home (index of 100 = average for all adults)
• Sources

Chapter 8: Shopping

• Singles and Shopping
• Single Parents Think Shopping Is Fun
• Figure 8-1: Retail Outlets Shopped in Past Month: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (percent)
• Figure 8-2: Internet, Mail, or Phone Orders Placed in Past 12 Months: By Marital Status and Presence of Children in Home (percent)
• Childless Singles Shop More Like Couples Than Like Single Parents
• Single Men and Women Have Different Views on Shopping
• Figure 8-3: Retail Outlets Shopped: By Single Men and Women (percent)
• Are Retailers Picking Up on Singles’ Preferences?
• Targeting Boomer Grandparents
• Figure 8-4a: Singles' Shopping Behavior and Attitudes: By Gender (percent)
• Figure 8-4b: Singles' Shopping Behavior and Attitudes: By Gender (percent)
• Targeting Young Singles
• The Forgotten Middle
• Sources

Chapter 9: Marketing

• The Change In Social Norms
• Backlash Against Pro-family Policies
• Heightened Awareness Will Lead to Increased Marketing
• The Current State of Singles’ Marketing
• Figure 9-1: Representation of Single Adults in Primetime TV Ads (percent)
• Figure 9-2: Representation of Single Adults in Daytime TV Ads (percent)
• Ads Showing Single Parents Are Rare, But Some Are On Target
• Stereotypes of Singles Persist
• Comparing Marketing and Media Portrayals With Singles’ Reality
• Marketing Focuses on the Youngest Singles-But Older Singles Have More Money
• Retailers and Marketers Are Targeting Singles on Valentine’s Day
• Best Practices for Marketing to Singles
• Single Parents Are Receptive to Marketing
• Tip 1: Use A Variety Of Media To Communicate With Them
• Tip 2: They May Be Adults, With They’re Into Kids’ Stuff
• Tip 3: Make Your Message Clear, And Help Them Follow Up
• Tip 4: Show What Their Lives Are Like, But In A Positive Light
• Tip 5: Get Them To Interact
• Childless Singles Are Arts Patrons and Participants
• Tip 1: Use Multiple Media To Capture Their Attention
• Tip 2: Target By Age-And Don’t Overlook Older Singles
• Tip 3: Younger Childless Singles Are Best Reached By Viral Methods
• Tip 4: Reflect Their Interests and Project Positive Images
• Tip 5: Childless Singles Get Out There, So Marketers Should, Too
• Sources