80% of active duty personnel are under 35, over one million young and active consumers and a significant segment of the highly desirable 18-34 consumer group. And they're growing in size, with an average of 185,000 new entrants annually. 37% active duty personnel are of non-white ethnicity or race. 15% of active duty personnel are now female.
The 1.4 million members that make up active duty personnel are 100% employed and not at risk of being laid off, downsized or reengineered. They will receive a guaranteed 3.4% raise in January 2010, more than many private sector employees.
This large population is dedicated and satisfied with military life, highly connected, and savvy when it comes to their shopping habits and media usage. Military life shows personnel and households highly engaged with mass media and active consumers of entertainment, equal to the general market.
Almost all active duty households are active users of the internet and MP3 devices. 84% own a laptop and an MP3 player:
Auto parts or maintenance rank highest in military household purchases in the last 12 months at 76%, while home furnishing purchases follow at 62%, and toy purchases at 59%. Home improvement supplies and major appliances round out the list.
Military personnel and their spouses appear to be web-savvy shoppers and show high usage of the internet to research products, says the report. 68% of these consumers are using the internet a lot when deciding where to shop or what to buy, with that same number choosing to purchase products online:
Active duty personnel and their families have committed their lives to serving the nation, and they also demonstrate a solid commitment to serving their military communities. According to the study, 64% of military households have volunteered for a military cause or for another outside organization, while 77% reported donating money to a cause.
Greg Anthony, Senior VP for Alloy Media + Marketing, concludes that "... this military study sheds light on the market significance of this... dynamic group... they are engaged with their communities and dedicated to family life... They (are) savvy... consumers who are willing to spend... the findings offer a revealing look into the daily habits of this diverse and growing population... "
N.B. For active duty and the total military population, sampling error is +/-4 percent. Sampling error for the spouse sample is +/-9 percent.
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