Tweens are a demographic that’s making a growing impact on today’s market. Due to their involvement in online media and their eagerness to shop, their interests provide valuable insight to businesses and marketers worldwide. Since we strive to attain the most up-to-date information and research on tweens, we recently conducted a survey on 460 tween girls nationwide. Our participants ranged between 8 and 14 years old, with the majority lying between 11 and 13. The girls came from a diverse ethnic background and represent all but two US states.

Internet Usage

Our results indicate that 71% of participants use the internet every day, while 28% use the internet at least once a week. Of the daily users, 81% chat and online shop, 80% participate in a social network, 74% listen to music, 70% surf and visit websites, and 69% play games. Daily usage was also more common amongst the older age group (girls ranged from 11 to 14 years old). Accessibility to a computer or the internet is no longer an issue--out of our participants, 99% own at least one computer at home.

When examining the daily users and the weekly users together, our results show slightly different statistics regarding online usage. The majority (78%) now play games, 76% surf and visit websites, 69% listen to music, 59% chat, and only 28% participate in online social networking and shop. What accounts for this difference? Perhaps those who are not daily users simply go online when they are in the mood to play games or surf websites, whereas daily users are more likely to be chatting and partaking in social networking because they are two activities that often require daily attention.

Tween Spending

Tween spending is always an interesting topic, but just as important is setting the foundation with the question: Where do tweens obtain their money? After surveying the participants, we found that just about 50% of the girls receive allowance, while 50% do not. Out of those who do receive allowance, the average amount was $33/month, with the median being $20/month.

A closer look at their shopping habits revealed that during each shopping trip, 30% spend $20-$40, 27% spend $10-$20, 16% spend over $80, and 13% spend $40-$50. The girls typically chose the mall as their most popular venue (83%), followed by department stores (48%), and gift and specialty shops (35%). The majority of the girls we surveyed (64%) actively shop for and collect small accessory items like jewelry, stuffed animals, Webkinz, rocks, and various book series. For jewelry and other accessories, the hottest stores that they turn to include Claire’s (83%), Target (57%), Wal-Mart (48%), and Limited Too (48%).

Tween spending habits, as well as their interests are often the key to understanding current and upcoming trends in the market. One interesting correlation we found was that when girls shop with their parents (32%) or grandparents (33%), they are more likely to go to the mall 2-3 times per week, whereas when girls shop on a weekly basis, they more often meet other friends (23%) or go with only their best friend (20%) or older sibling (17%). This brings the question of shopping for the purpose of buying what’s needed versus shopping as a social activity. By understanding what inspires tweens and the nuances in their shopping patterns, we can gain more insight in a field that is rapidly changing. For more information, please contact Tina Wells.

Tina Wells is the CEO of Buzz Marketing Group
and can be reached via email at tina@buzzmg.com
or via phone at 856.346.3456.