1. Amidst conversation around class wars and progress (or
lack) of economic recovery, everyone seems focused on the
plight of the middle class and how best to solve the problems
they face – particularly the “struggling” middle. But there
connecktions is a disparity between the political lip-service paid to the
struggling middle class and really understanding who they are
The Hard-Working-Class: An American – particularly the moms at eye of the storm. Over the past year,
C-K realized there was an opportunity to better understand
Evolution of the Middle Class Mom this often overlooked and miss understood segment that
is growing rapidly, with huge implications for many of our
April 2013
clients. What we found was a savvy and influential group that
doesn’t even see themselves as part of the traditional class
definitions.
Meet the Hard-Working-Class.
Meet the Hard-Working-Class
“I am not the working class. I am the Hard-Working-Class. I’m above the
25% 77%
poverty line, working over 60 hours a week to keep my family above water.” Identify with being Identify themselves with a new class
in the middle class. called the “Hard-Working-Class.”
Demographics
Ethnicity Marital Status Education Employment Home Ownership Number of Children
82%
Caucasian 65%
32% 43% 45%
8% Full Time Own
College Grads
Hispanic 31%
42% 16% Rent
8% 73% Part Time 36%
Some College 4%
African American Married 32% Other
1% 22% Stay at Home 19%
27% High School 10%
Asian/Pacific Islanders Not Married Unemployed
1%
Other
Her Orbit Impulse
“I just Google ‘free things
to do in Chicago.’”
of Influence Purchase
Display
TV Bloggers
“I’ll ‘like’ a brand if someone tells
me about a deal or sample.”
Personalities
Magazine
Ads “I never go anywhere
Swap Social
Parties TV Networks without a coupon.”
Support
Based on responses from the women we spoke Magazine
Articles
Network
Online
with, C-K charted the Hard-Working-Class mom’s Ads Search Coupon Sites
“Orbit of Influence” when it comes to making
“I have a get-together with friends Mobile
ends meet. once a month and we trade hand-
Apps
Emails from
Local Free Store Circulars
Paper Sample
me-downs for our kids‘ clothes.” Brands; Programs
The bigger the circle, the bigger the influence. “I scan for deals on things we
Newsletters
The darker the circle color, the more frequent already do, not for new ideas.” Store
Websites
the interactions. Not surprisingly, technology “I like when stores have incentives; Family
plays a key role. it’s like a thank-you for shopping.”
“A free sample is obviously
better than a coupon.”
“I hate saying ‘no’ to the kids, so I
just don’t take them shopping.”
Points of Pride and Pain Where They Buy Life as a Balancing Act
Walmart 83%
McDonald’s 69%
Dollar stores 68%
Target 63%
“Knowing how to shop sales “Can’t buy organics”
and maximize coupons”
Subway 48%
“Saying ‘put it back’ to my
Taco Bell 45%
“Making sure we always kids in the store all the time” Kohl’s 34%
have birthday parties” Kmart 32%
“I feel so old for my age” Resale 31%
“Keeping kids in their
sports/hobbies”
Pizza Hut 30% More Less More “Home” Less “Out”
“Band-aiding everything” Big Lots 28%
“Saving for my home”
Little Caesars 28% Work Sleep Cooking Dining
“No health insurance” KFC 27% Budgets Cable Reading Girls’ Nights
Coupons Haircuts Family Time Movies
“Knowing when generics JCPenney 26%
Generics Fresh Foods Creativity Old Friends
are just as good” “Having to reach out for help” Old Navy 23% Travel Shopping
L.E.S.S. LIVE EAT SPEND SHOP
This resilient, resourceful consumer Community Karma Ingredients vs. Recipe Hibernating Mid-cycle Cart Segmentation
is highly adept in the art of making Her community is a survival network. Hard-Working-Class moms base meal Just like bears, the Hard-Working-Class As a brand, it’s not just enough to
ends meet, earning a master’s degree Since 72% share coupons and deals decisions on the ingredients in the consumer instinctively knows when to make it in the cart—it’s where in the
in “making it work.” with family and friends, she relies on pantry or what’s on sale: 87% make an wait out tough weather. When necessary, cart are you placed. 42% place less
it for swapping deals, sharing items, effort to plan meals around ingredients 91% say they stay home and make do important items in the back of the
C-K distills some of her key survival child-care support and feeding her they already have in the house. with what they have until payday. cart to easily remove if over budget.
strategies into lessons in how to do family—and they rely on her.
more with L.E.S.S.
Markers of Normalcy Food Stretching Recycling Their Money Over-Purchase Prevention
Marketers, take note. We found a greater resistance to The Hard-Working-Class knows These families are leveraging every Perimeter shopping and selective
sacrifice their favorite “affordable” how to make ends meet through coupon, sale and special offer they can aisle shopping helps these women
tried-and-true brands: 53% said they food: 88% said they buy food that to make ends meet. In fact, 89% said avoid over-purchasing: 60% skip
continue to buy certain brand names “stretches” across meals. Pasta, rice, they use coupons whenever they can. certain aisles to avoid impulse buys.
to maintain some sense of normalcy. noodles and ground beef are staples,
as they are both filling and versatile.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, findings are from C-K proprietary qualitative and quantitative research conducted throughout 2012. More specifically, we spoke to moms with kids in the household who have HHI between $30,000 and $50,000 and who are not on government
assistance.