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HEY KID SPENDER?
'Kidfluence' costing British parents £3 billion a year - cars, houses and holidays top power pester lists
14 September, 2006
British parents shed out an extra £3bn a year giving in to their kids' demands for bigger houses, more exotic holidays and top notch cars. Dubbed 'Power Pestering' the phenomenon has seen children nagging mums and dads for big ticket lifestyle purchases rather than traditional toys and sweets.
The new research out today by eBayMotors.co.uk reveals two thirds of pressured parents try to keep up with the expensive taste of Junior (62%) rather than the more traditional pressure of keeping up with the Jones's (6%).
Today's research indicates that British kids are big players in household purchase decisions, with little ones having more influence over 'adult' purchases than ever before. The top five areas of child influence over parents spending choices are:
- Family holidays (61%)
- Electronic and AV goods (55%)
- Interior décor and computer set up (54%)
- Buying a new house (23%)
- Buying a new car (20%)
In the driving seat?
While British parents reckon they've forked out an extra £3 billion in the last year, for many the start of school term spells another 'power pester' headache. Thirty eight percent of Mums and Dads see an increase in nagging as kids are reunited with their classmates and try desperately to fit back in and impress them.
And sales people take note - pester power may soon be coming to a showroom near you. Two thirds of parents (66%) now take their kids along with them when buying big ticket items in order to ensure their approval and satisfaction. Of those, 34% say they've brought their kids on a house viewing, with 29% sitting them down at the travel agents to look through brochures and 16% of parents bring their kids on a test drive to see if the car gets their vote.
Commenting on the findings, child psychologist expert, Dr. Richard Woolfson says, "No parent is immune to power pestering, although they may be reluctant to admit this to themselves. Involving kids in family decision-making is a positive step, but there is a difference between asking a child's opinion and letting the child actually make the decision. While it is important to listen to children's consumer preferences, parents shouldn't feel forced into making a major lifestyle decision like buying a car or house under pressure from the kids."
eBay Motors' 'Power Pester' study also reveals:
- Of those kids who pester their parents for a car, precious few seem to want to be the green motorists of the future - 68% of kids pester their folks to buy giant gas guzzlers like a Ferrari (42%) or a big 4x4 jeep (26%). Only 2% of kids nagged their parents to buy a more environmentally friendly car.
- Parents are happy to fork out on average £400 more every time they go to buy another car just to keep the kids on-side.
- The top five car whinges by kids are: lack of high tech gadgets like Sat Nav (22%), the car is too old (16%), the car is not cool enough (15%), the car is too small (14%) and the car drives too slowly (7%)
- Extreme Action: 32% of kids choose to walk home than be embarrassed by their parents collecting them from school. 15% try to completely ignore their parents, pretending not to know them at all.
- 22% of kids find their parents' car and driving a massive source of embarrassment. Other crimson shames include the music their parents listen to, their Mum and Dad fighting or kissing in public and their dodgy dress sense.
Jody Ford from eBayMotors.co.uk adds: "Children are becoming a major influence in many aspects of modern life, especially when it comes to buying a car. More and more buyers are bringing their kids on test drives so we encourage people who are selling their car to consider more than just the primary buyer when getting their car ready for sale. Those selling their car could reap huge rewards making their vehicle child-friendly by installing a games console or even DVD player. Inclusion of gadgets to impress the kids could mean incurring a short term cost but in the long run it could add value to the final sale price of your car."
Dr. Woolfson adds, "It's a good idea to sit the kids down and let them know what options you're looking at - they like to feel involved and it encourages them to be discerning consumers. Explain all the big implications for the family that must be considered when buying houses, cars and holidays. That way the kids will appreciate why the final decision should rest with Mum and Dad, as they are the parents and know what's best for everyone! The kids feel much more commitment to the final choice when they know their parents have listened to their views."
Notes to Editors
eBay Motors.co.uk commissioned Raising Kids to conduct the research amongst 1,600 parents and kids (aged 6-16 years old) in August 2006.
* £3,032,321,600 based on an average annual spend of £440 by 6,891,640 family households with dependent children in the UK. Source: Raisingkids.co.uk, 2006 and National Statistics Office, 2004
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