CONSUMER BEHAVIOR – AUSTRALIA

New data shows COVID-19’s impact on Australians’ personal finances, including debt and insurance

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Dec-20

New data from Roy Morgan shows the financial impact COVID-19 has had on Australians. Almost six million Australians (28%) have had their employment negatively impacted by COVID-19 and 51% of them made resulting changes to their personal finances, as did many whose employment was not impacted directly. Throughout September and October, more than 7,000 Australians were surveyed about changes they had experienced in their employment since March and about the impact on their payments of mortgage, rent, insurance, utility bills, credit cards and personal loans. Some 28% of respondents (5.9 million Australians) reported experiencing one or more negative employment changes. Of those who have experienced negative employment changes due to COVID-19, (51.0% reported reducing housing and insurance payments or utility bills, cutting back on debt repayment, and/or making early-release withdrawals from their superannuation. In all, 27.3% of all Australians, including those who did not experience employment changes, made such changes to their finances due to the impact of COVID-19. The single largest financial change was early access to superannuation. The option was taken up by almost 10% of all Australians, and by 18.5% of those who experienced negative employment changes due to COVID-19.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Banks face trust crisis as customers go online

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 15 : 14-Dec-20

Accenture has released a report which shows that the proportion of Australians who trust banks to look after their financial wellbeing has fallen from 43 per cent to 29 per cent since 2018. Alex Trott of Accenture says the rapid shift to digital banking in response to the COVID-19 pandemic may undermine the progress that banks have made in restoring consumers’ trust in the wake of the Hayne royal commission. The report notes that fewer consumers have changed lenders in 2020, despite growing distrust of the banking sector.

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ACCENTURE

2020 Christmas retail sales set to grow 2.8% to $54.3 billion

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 20-Nov-20

Roy Morgan’s annual Christmas retail sales forecasts conducted in conjunction with the Australian Retailers Association indicate that Australians will spend over $54.3 billion across retail stores during the Christmas trading period. Forecast retail spending this Christmas of over $54.3 billion is an increase of 2.8% from the $52.9 billion of retail expenditure during the 2019 Christmas trading period and is a better than expected forecast than many would have thought possible during the year as Australia dealt with the unprecedented pandemic. Because of the huge impact on spending patterns caused by COVID-19, and the associated lockdowns around Australia, spending across the six categories measured has diverged significantly during 2020. Unsurprisingly, the largest percentage increasing in spending is predicted for the Food category, with pre-Christmas spending forecast to grow by 10% from a year ago to over $23.8 billion. Due to the impact of COVID-19 and the continuing restrictions, Hospitality spending is forecast to be 18.7% down on a year ago at just under $6.1 billion.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

News from the Spirit World

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Nov-20

There are 4.7 million NEO (new economic order) consumers in Australia, characterised by very high discretionary spending coupled with a forward-thinking mindset. This influential group of consumers is driving the consumer-led fast lane of Spirits sales. However, the price of premium Spirits is not the main consideration for these consumers. A distinctive mindset is just as important as money in identifying NEOs and understanding what they love. NEOs look for a complete experience. In Spirits as in their other purchases, they seek a narrative that combines artisanal authenticity with innovation, a product that is premiumised, not commoditised. Data from Roy Morgan Single Source shows that Spirits brands which can deliver this rich experience reap the rewards. By contrast, marketing premiumised Spirits by generation is a wasted effort. Roy Morgan data shows premium gin Bombay Sapphire became highly successful by appealing to the NEO mindset: over the past year, just 26% of Bombay Sapphire drinkers were Millennials, while 84% were NEOs & Aspiring NEOs – of all ages. This story is repeated across other Spirits brands.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Nearly 2.5 million Australians using TikTok – up over 850,000 (+52.4%) during first half of 2020

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 15-Oct-20

The latest Roy Morgan data shows that nearly 2.5 million Australians are using TikTok in an average four weeks – equivalent to 10.5% of the population aged 6 years and older. TikTok has grown its user base by over 850,000 (+52.4%) during the first half of 2020 to be easily the fastest growing social media company in Australia this year in terms of user growth. TikTok has a predominantly female user base, with 1.5 million women and girls now using the popular site, up over 380,000 (+34.3%) since the second half of 2019. In comparison, 985,000 men and boys now use TikTok, up more than 470,000 (+91.6%), and with male use of the service now growing faster. TikTok is also far more popular among younger Australians. Over a quarter of Australians in the youngest Generation Alpha (28%) are now using TikTok – a total of 746,000 Young Australians. Generation Alpha comprises those born from 2006 until today. There is also a significant TikTok user base among the slightly older Generation Z (born 1991-2005) with over 1,040,000 Australians (20%) in this age group now using the new short video service.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, TIKTOK

Retail can thrive in online shopping shift

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 23-Sep-20

More consumers have embraced online shopping due to the coronavirus pandemic, a trend that Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra expects to continue. He says the proportion of retail sales that are made online could rise to 20 per cent over the next 18-24 months, compared with about 10 per cent prior to COVID-19. Zahra warns that more physical stores are likely to close in coming years, but the shift to online will force retailers to adapt their business models. The pandemic has also prompted more consumers to support retailers within their local community.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

It’s official: Internet is Australia’s main source of news; TV remains most trusted

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Aug-20

New research from Roy Morgan reveals that the internet has overtaken TV as Australia’s main source of news over the last two years. Over 12.7 million Australians (60.8%) now say the internet is a main source of news, up 1.4 million since 2018; nearly 7.9 million Australians (37.7%) specifically nominate Social Media. The number of Australians who say TV is their main source of news has dipped 1 million over the last two years to 12.4 million, or 59.4%. However, TV is still regarded as the most trusted source of news by nearly 7 million Australians (33.4%). Other traditional media used widely as main sources of news include radio, nominated by 8.7 million Australians (41.9%) and printed newspapers, mentioned by 5.2 million (25.0%), although both have declined since 2018. Within the broader category of the internet over 3.4 million Australians (16.5%, a significant increase of 4.6% points since 2018) use news feed sites such as Google News, Apple News and Feedly, a further 1.8 million (8.6%) use email subscriptions or updates and 1.1 million (5.6%) use other websites or apps. These findings are drawn from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, Australia’s most comprehensive consumer survey, derived from in-depth interviews with 50,000 Australians each year.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

W-League grows TV viewership as Australia & NZ awarded hosting rights for 2023 Women’s World Cup

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jul-20

New research from Roy Morgan shows the W-League’s TV viewership is growing even as other Soccer competitions experienced viewership declines. A record high 879,000 Australians watch the W-League on TV, up 265,000 (+43%) on a year ago. However, the W-League’s TV viewership growth was not enough to make up for the declines in viewership for the FIFA World Cup, English Premier League, A-League and other forms of Soccer compared to a year ago. Now 4,098,000 Australians watch any of the listed Soccer competitions, down from 4,577,000 a year ago – a drop of 479,000 (-10%). The FIFA World Cup is easily the most popular Soccer competition on Australian TV with 3,391,000 viewers, although this is down 471,000 (-12%) on a year ago. Although the W-League is growing its TV viewership a concern for the local sporting authorities will be the decline in TV viewership for the men’s A-League, now with 1,748,000 viewers, down 305,000 (-15%) on a year ago. The local men’s competition has now been overtaken by the English Premier League which has a TV viewership of 1,794,000.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Subscription TV viewers soar during Aussie lockdown – Netflix, Foxtel, Stan, Disney+ & Amazon Prime all up significantly

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Original article by Roy Morgan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 22-Jul-20

New data from Roy Morgan reveals Australians were adding new subscription TV services at an astonishing rate during the lockdown period which started in late March. Now almost 15.74 million Australians have access to a subscription TV service, up 878,000 (+5.9%) in only three months. All the major subscription TV services have been big winners out of the lockdown with big increases in viewers for Netflix, Foxtel, Stan, Disney+ and Amazon Prime in the three months to May 2020 compared to the prior three month period to February 2020 (pre COVID-19 lockdown). Netflix remains by far the nation’s most watched subscription television service, with 13.28 million viewers, an increase of over 1 million in only three months (+8.8%). Foxtel has also experienced its best growth for many years with over 5.5 million viewers, up 658,000 (+13.6%) since the pre-COVID-19 period. Also growing strongly during lockdown have been third-placed Stan which grew 729,000 (+19.7%) to 4,434,000 viewers, newcomer Disney+ which was up 689,000 (+38.2%) and Amazon Prime Video now with 2,166,000 viewers – an increase of 678,000 (+45.5%) since February.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, DISNEY+, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

NSW ski resorts the main game in town as Victorian border closes

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 15-Jul-20

For Australians (outside Victoria) wanting to enjoy some skiing this year the NSW ski resorts of Thredbo, Perisher/Smiggins and smaller resorts in the NSW Snowy Mountains are the only game in town with travel to Victoria closed until at least late August. The latest Roy Morgan data shows that 322,000 Australians plan on visiting one of the NSW Snowfields in the next two years. Over three-quarters of these prospective skiers and snowboarders (249,000) are from NSW/ACT, including 180,000 from Sydney and a further 69,000 from Country NSW/ACT. A further 60,000 people from the rest of Australia (Queensland, WA, SA, NT or Tasmania) plan on visiting one of the NSW Snowfields in the next two years. NSW borders remain open to residents of all these locations, although the return home might require a period of quarantine. The Victorian border closure will not have a big impact on the NSW ski resorts as only 13,000 potential skiers and snowboarders from the southern State plan on visiting one of the NSW ski resorts. Most Victorians prefer one of the local resorts. Of the 163,000 Victorians planning to visit a local ski resort in the next two years 134,000 (82%) are from locked down Melbourne and only 29,000 (18%) are from the still open Country Victoria.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED