Report: Mom demographics are shifting

A survey conducted by Experian Marketing Services found that the motherhood market is shifting to an older, and more environmentally aware, demographic.

In a Monday report by Marketing Daily, Jan Jindra, product manager for Experian, said that the universe of mothers of children ages 18 years and under who are 35 plus years old has grown from 40.9 million to 44.9 million in four years. “And of moms who are 35 and under -- the group most likely to be influenced by advertising -- we are seeing big shifts in their willingness to buy green products," added Jindra.

She attributed the shift toward green thinking to an increase in information available about the impact of green choices on children's health. The survey found that the growth trend toward green purchases among younger moms is outpacing the 35-and-older mothers by at least 5% a year.

According to the survey, the recession and its subsequent impact on household budgets has helped increase women's influence in all family purchases, with 69% of moms saying they are the most influential person in the household when it comes to making purchase decisions.

The study also put the population of moms who work outside the home (either full- or part-time) at 62%, or 19.6 million moms, while 21.5% (or 6.8 million) identify themselves as stay-at-homers. Some 30.8%, or 9.7 million, are unmarried.