You might be wondering Why does there have to be a Women’s Consumer practice, instead of just Consumer? Well, it’s because the majority of consumer investing goes to men and it’s just anecdotally not the scope that most VCs go off of.

This section is one that I haven’t even started to really tackle just because there’s SO much context to each section. But, the ones that I add to - you’ll know.

Women and U.S. Spending

Women make up more than half of the U.S. population, and control or influence 85% of consumer spending — Source, Forbes 2019
The purchasing power of women in the U.S. ranges from $5 trillion to $15 trillion annually. (Source: Nielsen Consumer, 2013)
Women control more than 60% of all personal wealth in the U.S. (Source: Federal Reserve, MassMutual Financial Group, BusinessWeek, Gallup)
Women purchase over 50% of traditional male products, including automobiles, home improvement products, and consumer electronics. (Source: Andrea Learned, “Don’t Think Pink”)
Approximately 40% of U.S. working women now out-earn their husbands. (Source: U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Consumer Purchases by Women

Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases:

91% New Homes

66% PCs

92% Vacations

80% Healthcare

65% New Cars

89% Bank Accounts

93% Food

93% OTC Pharmaceuticals

Women and Shopping

80% of women say they are the primary grocery shopper, and 71% say they do both the shopping and are the household member who primarily prepares the meals. (Source: Bureau of Labor and Statistics and Pew Research Center, 2019)
61% of women are more likely to include an item on their list if they’re currently using the brand, 57% if they have a coupon, or 56% if they have seen the item in a store ad or circular. (Source: Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research, 2012)
92% of women pass along information about deals or online recommendations to others. (Source: Mindshare/Ogilvy & Mather)
In 61% of all consumer electronics purchases, a woman either initiated the purchase or was involved in the purchase process. (Source: Consumer Electronics Association (2012)

Women & Travel

Women make 70% of all travel decisions. (Source: Bridget Brennan, “Why She Buys”.)
73% of travel agents surveyed noted that more female travelers embark on solo trips than their male counterparts. (Source: The Gutsy Traveler)
According to 68% of travel agents, most female clients taking trips in small groups are over the age of 45. (Source: The Gutsy Traveler)
The average adventure traveler is not a 28-year old male, but a 47-year-old female who wears a size 12 dress. (Source: Travel Industry of America)
One in four women have participated in a “girlfriends getaway” and 39% plan to do so at least once in the next three years. (Source: AAA)

Women & Food

Women spend more money per shopping trip – $44.43 per trip compared to $34.81 for men. (Source: Todd Hale, “In U.S. Men Are Shopping More Than Ever, While Women Are Watching More TV” Nielsen (2011).
60% of moms believe that organic foods are better for their health. (Source: Food and Drug Administration).
84%of women are the sole preparer of meals in the household, with 61% stating that they prepare meals at least five times per week. The majority of these meals are not prepackaged, as 64% said they make most meals using fresh ingredients. (Source: “Today’s Primary Shopper”, Private Label Manufacturers Association)
Millennials are most likely to engage with retailers using social media or other digital tools. (Source: US Grocery Trends, 2016)
Facebook, Pinterest and web searches are among the most common ways consumers digitally engage with food culture. About half of all shoppers engage with food digitally through social media – especially younger generations. (Source: US Grocery Trends, 2016)
59% of women feel misunderstood by food marketers. (Source: Greenfield Online for Arnold’s Women’s Insight Team)

Women & Healthcare

Women make 90% of household healthcare decisions. (Source: Yankelovich Monitor, M2W Conference)
Women account for 93% OTC pharmaceutical purchases. (Source: Tom Peters, in the forward to “Marketing to Women”, by Marti Barletta)
The internet – more than the family doctor– is the primary source for healthcare information, and women more than men seek such information online. (Source: Natural Marketing Institute, 2009)
More than three-quarters of those 65 years and older say they go online for health information (Source: Burst Media Survey, 2007)
9 of 10 women online seek health information via the web. The Internet – more than the family doctor – is the primary source for healthcare information, and women seek such information online more than men. (Source: National Marketing Institute)
66% feel misunderstood by health care market. (Source: Greenfield Online for Arnold’s Women’s Insight Team)

Women & Technology

Products that topped women’s purchase lists, in order: smartphones, tablets, laptops, HDTVs, digital cameras, and headphones. (Source: Consumer Electronics Association, June 2013)
Female gamers over 55 spend more time online gaming than males ages 15 to 24. (Source: Ford Motor Company and Trendwatching.com study, 2013)
44.4% of women say social media is a good way to keep up with the latest content. Other reasons include sharing content with family and friends (40.9%), sharing personal opinions or comments (26.7%) and seeing what other fans or followers are saying about the content (25.4%).
50% of women say staying current on a brand’s latest offerings is a top reason to follow brands on social media sites. (Source: Burstmedia, 2012)
56% of women in the US use social networking sites:> 58% of Facebook users are women> 64% of Twitter users are women> 82% of Pinterest users are women(Source: Mashable, 2012; Pew Research Center)

Women & Sports

Women Make Up:> 47.2% of major league soccer fans> 46.5% of MLB fans> 43.2% NFL fans> 40.8% of NHL fans> 37% of NBA fans> Women make 46% of official NFL merchandise purchases(Source: Compiled by Marketing to Women Conference (Including Yankelovich Monitor & Greenfield Online for Arnold’s Women’s Insight Team)
More women (50.4 million) tuned into the Super Bowl than watched the Oscars (24.5 million), Grammys (23.8 million), and Emmys (8 million). (Source: Nielsen, 2012)
44% of women say they prefer ads during the Super Bowl to any other aspect of the game. (Source: Lab42 Research Study, 2013)
Of the NFL’s 185 million fans, 45% are women. (Source: Business Week, 2013)
Sales of women’s NFL apparel have tripled in the last four years. (Source: Business Week, 2013)

Women & Automobiles

Women make 65% of new car purchase decisions. (Source: Yankelovich Monitor, M2W Conference)
Women spend over $200 billion on new cars & mechanical servicing of vehicles each year. (Source: She-conomy)
45% of all light trucks and SUVs are purchased by women. (Source: Women-Drivers.com, 2010)
Women own 12.3% of all motorcycles in the country, a 28% increase in 5 years. (Source: MSN Autos, 2009)
77% of women take a man along to a dealership to prevent being taken advantage of. (Source: Women Certified, Delia Passi, cited in Automotive News, 2011)
Women make up to 52% of all new vehicle purchases including trucks and influence 80% of purchases. (Source: Bridget Brennan, “We Buys”)
74% feel misunderstood by automotive marketers. (Source: Greenfield Online for Arnold’s Women’s Insight Team)

Women & Electronics

In 61% of all consumer electronic purchases, a woman either initiated the purchase or was involved in the purchase process. (Source: “Tip for Valentine’s Day: Women Want Electronics”, Laura Hubbard, 2012)
U.S. women spend an average of $822 on gadgetry each year and account for more than half of their household’s total consumer-electronics spending. (Source: Consumer Electronics Association, Influence CE Purchases, 2010)
45% of all video game players are women. (Consumer Electronics Association,