How do they spend money?
Offline, non-college-bound consumers shop more at outlet stores and malls, spending between $1-299 over a 12-month period.
They also shop more at discount membership clubs, discount stores like Wal-Mart and Target, and are twice as likely to shop from a television shopping channel. They out-buy their college comparison group in the $1-299 range at home improvement stores and office supply stores, and outspend college students in stores like Best Buy, especially in the $300-499 range as well as in the $500-999 price range.
What are they buying offline that is significantly different from what their peers buy? Software, music and video games. Clearly, there is strong interest in entertainment.
In terms of their online behavior they spend roughly the same amount of time online as college students.
The sites they frequent are consistent with the trends reviewed above:
- 70 percent visit Wal-Mart (same percent as their peers)
- 40 percent visit Target
- 20-30 percent visit Old Navy
- 15-20 percent visit sites like Best Buy, JCPenny, K-Mart, and Kohls.
College students are more forward-looking and optimistic about technology. Non-college students tend to be family-oriented technology lovers who are interested in digital gadgetry.
Image matters to Shadow Millennials. They want the products they buy and the image they project to convey a certain level of expertise. It's interesting that while they don't typically rely on what others think in making product selections, they want people to ask their opinions.