Abstract
The current Consumer Lifestyles segmentation study is the sixth major survey of this type carried out in the Department of Marketing at the University of Otago. As with previous iterations, the 2013 Lifestyle Study is designed to provide insights into the lifestyles, consumption patterns and choices, and behavioural trends of New Zealanders.
The report is based on responses to almost 600 questions about consumer attitudes, opinions and behaviours collected from NZ respondents. Data was collected from 2036 individuals in late 2013 using an on-line questionnaire covering a range of psychographic, consumption and lifestyle questions. Gathering responses was contracted to a commercial Australasian market research company. Our instructions were that the respondents should be over the age of 18 years and demographically representative of the New Zealand population in terms of age, sex, education, ethnicity and income.
The research design is based on previous studies carried out by the University of Otago in 1979, 1989, 1995, 2000 and 2005. Over the six iterations of the NZ Consumer Lifestyles survey, additional questions have been added to reflect new social trends, and some questions deleted to ensure the survey’s ongoing relevance. Innovations in the current study include a focus on food and drink consumption, sustainable consumption behaviour, and happiness and well-being measures. It is also the first study to use an on-line survey to gather data.
As a preface to the current findings, a summary is provided of some of the major social and demographic trends since the 2005 study to inform and contextualise the changing attitudes and behaviours of New Zealand consumers.