Market News

ABC1 WOMEN 'CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THE WEB'

That's according to IPC Southbank research.

Nearly 70% of ABC1 women say they cannot live without the internet, according to research from IPC Southbank, the publisher of women's monthlies such as Marie Claire, In Style and Woman & Home.

The vast majority of this demographic (86%) have shopped on the internet, and last year they spent on average £840 each.

Many ABC1 women (68%) also use the internet to research products before buying them elsewhere, with half going online to browse for clothes and 36% looking for make-up and skincare ranges.

The top products bought online by the survey respondents are books, CDs and DVDs, travel tickets, hotels and holidays, followed by cinema and theatre tickets, high street shopping, PC hardware and software, household electricals and toys and games.

The top five topics they search for online are travel, fashion, health, property and beauty. Their top five online activities are subscribing to newsletters, downloading music, grocery shopping, sharing photos online and participating in online forums and message boards.

Jackie Newcombe, MD, IPC Southbank, said: "Broadband is making the internet a much more convenient and attractive medium for ABC1 women. At Southbank, we'll be ensuring our websites continue to deliver to this audience and our forthcoming website for In Style and the new homes portal launching in May will become must-visit online destinations. The popularity of the internet – in particular with premium women – is a trend no one in the media and marketing industry can afford to ignore."

Southbank's 'Web Wise Women' research questioned more than 4,000 ABC1 women, and will be repeated every quarter.

By Graham Hayday Mailed 2007-04-10

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