Milton Keynes, UK, 2016-Oct-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — As we approach the October half-term, British consumer electronics brand Alba, exclusive to Argos, has today (20/10/2016) revealed how ‘tweenagers’ are rejecting TV for tablets and other mobile devices, as they become the most mobile-centric generation we’ve ever seen.
The study of over 1,000 UK parents with children aged 7 and over has found that the days of tweens being glued to the TV are over, as interest shifts considerably to smaller and smaller screens. So much so, that demand among this group for tablets is three times higher* than for TVs, with tweens instead using the devices to consume traditional media, such as TV shows, play interactive and educational games, and engage with friends online.
With the average pre-tween pocketing a tidy £295.36 a year, parents reveal a third (31%) of their child’s money is put towards ‘must-have’ tech, including mobiles, headphones and tablets.
Mobile phones top the league of most coveted tech for ‘tweenagers’**, with mobile phone credit considered a ‘must-have’ in order to stay connected. In fact, Argos reports that sim-free mobile sales are up by over 50% [1], as pay as you go deals become more competitive and consumers take to sim-free options, such as the Alba Sim Free 2.8 inch Mobile Phone , to save money. This is particularly true for parents looking to purchase a suitable first phone for their child.
The importance of being constantly connected is evident, with a quarter of ‘tweenagers’ taking their mobile phone to school and a third switching on as soon as they wake up. In fact, the mobile phone is now the most common item inhabiting a pre-teen’s backpack***.
While other staples remain largely unchanged from that of their parent’s generation, including notebooks (15%) and magazines (10%), the poll reveals that present day pre-tweens may be more health-conscious than their parents, with only 19% taking sweets to school compared to 28% of their parents’ generation.
In addition to engaging with new technologies, the poll also reveals that tech-savvy tweens spend a lot of their time talking to their friends about technology and social media (49%), considerably more than chatting about other popular culture topics, such as fashion (22%), celebrity (15%) and reality television (13%).
In another sign of the changing times, today’s tweens are getting more money for half the work. Present day tweens pocket an average of £5.68 a week compared to the £3.20 weekly allowance given to their parents – a 77% increase. In fact, half (45.5%) of parents claim they had to do chores to earn their cold hard cash, while only a quarter (25.5%) of present-day tweens have to get their hands dirty.
Purchased music has now fallen far down the list of items that pocket money is spent on – a likely result of the proliferation of free music available on the internet accessed on mobile phones and tablets. In contrast, parents spent almost a fifth (17%) of pocket money on music versus the 9% spent by their own children now.
Andrea Derrick, Alba Brand Controller, said: “Alba provides great value technology for pre-teens whilst also offering vibrant and fun designs with technology that is easy to navigate. It’s starter technology that parents can buy for their children, with the confidence that it is durable, affordable and safe, with parental control options offering peace of mind.”
Notes to Editors:
Research conducted by Opinion Matters between 09.09.2016 and 13.09.2016 of 1,129 parents of children aged 7+ in the UK
*13% of parents say tablets are the most coveted item of tech for tweens compared to 4% who say TVs
** 45% of parents say mobile phone devices are the most coveted item for tech for tweens
*** 24% of parents say that their child takes a mobile phone to school
Argos now offers same day delivery and faster in-store collection with Fast Track.
You can now buy online and get your order delivered the same day for £3.95, 7 days a week, with Fast Track Delivery. You can also buy online and collect from our dedicated Fast Track counters in-store in as little as 60 seconds.
About Sainsbury’s Argos
Sainsbury’s Argos is a leading UK digital retailer and sells more than 60,000 products under the Argos and Habitat brands. It sells through www.argos.co.uk, www.habitat.co.uk, its growing mobile channels, its 845 stores and over the telephone. Argos Digital Stores and Mini Habitats can also be found in Sainsbury’s supermarkets.
Argos is the UK’s largest high street retailer online and the second most visited website, with nearly a billion website visits a year. More than half of the company’s sales originate online and around 120 million customer transactions take place in its stores each year. Argos offers customers market leading delivery and collection services, including Check & Reserve, Fast Track Delivery and Fast Track Collection which make customers’ lives easier, every day.
Sainsbury’s Argos is part of J Sainsbury plc, a leading retailer of food, clothing and general merchandise and owner of Sainsbury’s Bank. Sainsbury’s commitment to helping customers live well for less has been at the heart of what the company does since 1869. J Sainsbury plc employs 195,000 colleagues across the UK and Ireland whose strong culture and values are integral to driving its success – now and in the future. Our vision is to be the most trusted retailer where people love to work and shop.
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Source: Argos