Holiday Shopping Spending Habits

Lifestyle Choices

The Internet has opened the entire world up to moms at the press of a button on their computer or Blackberry. Women and moms are flexing their well-toned-at-the-gym, buying muscles online. So, what, exactly, are our purchasing habits in the online world?

Moms of today are more into technology as opposed to our own moms were. But it bears mentioning that Baby Boomer moms such as myself are catching up in that department. While we are comfortable with surfing for information on the Web and listening to podcasts and watch videos, navigating social sites is still new to many of us.

According to the 21st Century Mom Report from BabyCenter, LLC, 91% of moms are using cellular phones as a way to manage our hectic lives. These same moms are almost 350% more likely to use our cell phone to access the Internet. This means managing banking accounts and also shopping.

It was just a matter of time before forays into the online world would lead to online purchases. It begins as surfing or participating on social sites and ends with shopping for deals on the things that moms need to care for their families.

I am just as apt to shop for a Victoria ’s Secret Sweaterdress as my daughter, who’ll be starting a new job as a Teaching Assistant.

According to Jupiter Media Metrix, women without children (about 63%) are more likely to buy online with or without a sale being an enticement. Only about 50% of moms would purchase the same types of items. It’s more likely that moms would buy online when there was a sale going on for items they wanted or needed. That figure is around 41 percent.

Why? The report from BabyCenter, LLC reports that 85% of women say that having a child changes their spending criteria. Whereas extra money from the paycheck could be spent on personal items such as a new business wardrobe or travel vacations for one thing – now there’s another person to consider.

Of the moms surveyed for the report, 73% said that their purchasing criteria has changed. As a woman without children, they may have shopped for quality and fashion with price coming in third overall. As a mom, items for their children require quality, safety and durability for value. More criteria is taken into account when a child is considered.

Be mindful that brands change too. Sixty-two percent of women changed the brands they used after becoming moms. Women without children are more likely to maintain brand loyalty according to Jupiter Media Metrix. For 20% of them, the brands reflect their personal style.

Whether a mom or a woman without children, you’re using the Internet as a vehicle for making purchases. How much and what you buy is greatly influenced by whether or not you have children in your life.