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SUBCULTURE 11 Jan 18

EMPTY NESTERS: EMBRACING LIFE WITHOUT THE

KIDS
Empty nesters are seen as having a hard time once their children leave, having to splash out on
luxury items and pets to compensate for their absent kids. Yet, in reality, they’re online, optimistic
and looking for meaningful experiences. So, how can brands reach this group more effectively?

Location North America / Northern Europe

Highlights & Data

Empty nesters have changed – they don’t In the UK, 84% of empty nesters have
all suffer from empty nest syndrome. noticed a marked improvement in their
Instead, they’re optimistic about life and love life (The Guardian 2010)
want to try new things and travel
60% of baby boomers in the US are
This generation has seen their kids concerned about juggling the
travelling on gap years and think, ‘I can responsibilities of caring for family with
do that, too’ caring for ageing parents and loved ones
(Forbes 2017)
Empty nesters are chasing meaningful
experiences rather than just luxury items Of 50- to 59-year-olds in the US, 39% are
travelling to more exotic destinations than
They are increasingly tech-savvy and
before (Marketing Week 2016)
have embraced social media. They
distrust traditional advertising 45% of empty nesters in the US are more
likely to purchase a product if it is
Multi-pronged marketing is the key to
recommended by a blogger they follow
reaching empty nesters, as are third-party
(Business.com 2017)
endorsements

Scope
Empty nesters aren’t what they used to be. The post-parenting phase in life was once painted as
being dominated by empty nest syndrome, associated with feelings of grief and even depression.
But as Boomers enter this phase of their lives, they’re making empty nest syndrome seem like a
thing of the past. “The trends, at least as I know them in North America, indicate empty nest
syndrome has declined to the point that some say [it] is a myth – meaning most have a positive
outcome in this life-stage transition,” says Becky Bell Scott, senior lecturer in the School of Social
Work at Baylor University. [1] Rather than being at a loss after their children leave, many people

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feel free. They want to travel, spend more on themselves and get the most out of life.

But it’s not all fun and games; 60% of Boomers in the US are concerned about juggling the
responsibilities of caring for family with caring for ageing parents and loved ones. [2] House prices
in the UK and US also mean that many children are moving out later or coming back to live with
their parents after periods living elsewhere – the so-called boomerang kid. [3]

Brands are stepping in and providing support through this difficult transition. They are increasingly
noticing the untapped opportunities in marketing to empty nesters. Many hinge their messages on
the notion that growing old isn’t a bad thing anymore. But, having been advertised to their whole
lives, empty nesters are pretty clued up, making them a difficult demographic to engage with. What
do empty nesters want, how have they changed and how can brands reach them more effectively?

----

Who are they?

Empty nesters are a little older than they used to be. Today, the peak age is between 55 and 64.
Many people in this segment are still working, though others will use their newfound freedom to
follow their dreams and travel, or buy the kinds of things they have always wanted. Empty nesters
still enjoy traditional TV and newspapers, according to research by Royal Mail’s MarketReach. And
far from all suffering from empty nest syndrome, they tend to be optimistic about life. Three-
quarters of UK empty nesters agree they can ‘afford to splash out on luxury goods sometimes’. [4]

In a survey of 2,000 people by OnePoll on behalf of student accommodation brand Unite, parents
whose children had recently gone to university claimed to be fitter and richer, with improved social
lives. They felt on average “ten years younger”, were able to socialise three times a week and had
taken up new hobbies. More than half were considering taking up an extreme hobby such as
snowboarding or white-water rafting. Those surveyed also reported a better love life, with 84% in
the UK noticing a marked improvement. [5]

“Each time another one left I was able to try something new, such as getting fitter, home
improvements and going to concerts,” says Paul Jenkins, 55. Since his fifth and final child moved
out, he and his wife have had a new kitchen fitted and “transformed” their home. “Life seems so
much more balanced now,” Paul says. “I go to a Pilates class every week and I've taken up Nordic
walking – a type of cross-country hiking using ski poles.” He has even started going to Glastonbury
festival every year. [5]

<img src="https://images.canvas8.com/2018/01/11/11-01-18-empty-nesters-one-st.jpg" alt="Empty

nesters aren't as hard done by as stereotypes make them out to be" /> <span class="source">
Empty nesters aren't as hard done by as stereotypes make them out to be<br/> Midia Ninja,
Creative Commons (2017) © </span> </p> <p>Bell Scott says: “This positive outcome is most
often attributed to a few things, including increase in roles that parents (especially mothers) fill
outside of parenting, which allows them to engage in other meaning-making experiences; increased
financial resources for many couples allowing for more opportunity to engage in new experiences;
and some studies indicate that marital satisfaction increases in the post-parenting stage.” <span
class="xsmall">[1]

Psychologist and parenting expert Dr Pat Spungin says that while in the past parents had found
themselves at a loose end, “now there are so many opportunities. If you have kids in your mid-20s
and have two or three, by the time they have left you are coming up for 50 – and 50 is the new 40,”
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she says.

What helps this optimistic feeling is money. Financially, parents in this segment are almost £600 a
month better off. Some are even more solvent thanks to renting out spare rooms, and 39% of
parents are comfortable on their present income. [5][4] This doesn’t mean that the empty nest
phase is a rosy time for everyone. Some survey respondents admitted that the departure of their
children marked the end of their relationship because the one thing they had in common had gone.
[5]

“Empty nesters now have the advantage of being recognised as a distinct demographic segment,
with more resources and support available to them than ever before, and with companies/brands
specifically targeting them,” says Suzy Mighell, who runs a lifestyle website and blog called Empty
Nest Blessed. “However, I see parents who are becoming empty nesters actually having a more
difficult time with the empty nest than previous generations. As parents, this group was more
involved in their children’s lives than parents who came before them. (Remember, this is the group
for whom the term ‘helicopter parents’ was coined.) In addition, there are more single parents
than ever before and when their nest empties they tend to feel especially lost.” [6]

The rise of the boomerang generation has also made life more complicated for empty nesters.
Children are living at home longer than before and coming back to live with their parents for years
after graduating. Three-million adults aged 20 to 35 now live with their parents – an increase of
27% since 1997. This problem has grown since the 2008 financial crisis. [7]

Not having to finance children leaves parents with more money to spend on themselves

Eddy Klaus, Creative Commons (2015) ©

What they love

We tend to imagine empty nesters splashing out on luxury items now that the kids have gone. But
Mighell thinks this is an inaccurate generalisation. For one thing, children are often still ‘on the
payroll’. “Two years ago, my husband and I had one child in law school, one in his final year of
college and one just starting college. We didn’t have very much disposable income that year!” she
says. [6]
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There’s a key thing to understand about today’s empty nesters: “In general, they are consumed
by a desire to ‘chase meaning’ in their lives,” believes Mighell. “They want to pursue experiences
and opportunities that are meaningful, significant and will make a lasting difference either in their
lives or the lives of others. This may include anything from financially stepping up their savings plan
in preparation for retirement to pursuing volunteer opportunities that will make them feel as fulfilled
as they were as parents,” she says. [6]

“Once the kids graduate and become financially independent, empty nesters may begin to spend
more on luxury items, with an emphasis on meaningful experiences,” adds Mighell. [6] “With
regards to other areas such as housing and consumer goods, they typically seek to simplify and
downsize. After years of buying more and more ‘stuff’, they want to rid themselves of much of it
and seek out purchases that are worthy of the money, the space they will take up and the meaning
they will bring.” [6]

This positive outcome is most often attributed to a few things, including

increase in roles that parents (especially mothers) fill outside of parenting,
which allows them to engage in other meaning-making experiences
Becky Bell Scott, senior lecturer in the School of Social Work at Baylor University

Another stereotype empty nesters are breaking is that they don’t love tech. Despite the fact that
they didn’t grow up in the digital era. Empty nesters have risen to the online challenge and
embraced technological innovations. They’re keen to stay connected with friends and family
online, with nearly 60% in the US sharing other people’s posts on social media, according to
research by Influence Central and Vibrant Nation. Nearly 90% have a Facebook account, while
more than a third prefer texting to talking on the telephone. They’ve also made the shift to online
shopping, with 82% spending more time browsing online than in store. [8]

This confident generation sees themselves very differently from how they are represented in news
and entertainment media. Some 71% percent disagree that they are behind the times or
disengaged from consumerism and pop culture. Nearly 70% believe they are the first person to try
new things. [8

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Spending on meaningful experiences begin to take a priority

Esther Wiegardt, Creative Commons (2017) ©

What they do (or don’t do)

So with the children gone, what do empty nesters do? It’s true, according to Mighell, that they may
indulge in a few larger items that fulfil long-held desires. They might treat themselves to luxury
items like a designer handbag or those expensive golf clubs they’ve been eyeing for years. They
may also refresh the nest, upgrading things like home goods that show significant wear-and-tear
from years with children in the house.

In the UK, there are 3.3 million over-55s living in large homes who would consider downsizing. Yet,
downsizing has been seen as an option only for the wealthy in recent years. This is largely due to
the rising cost of moving, with smaller homes increasing in price. Of Brits in this category, 64%
would prefer to move to a bungalow over another type of housing in retirement, but single-floor
properties are currently selling for twice the price of homes with stairs. The National House Building
Council (NHBC) says only one in 63 new homes built over the past year were bungalows,
compared with around one in six in the 1980s. [3]

Many empty nesters are looking for significant and unique experiences, according to Mighell.
“Once they’ve got past the initial, acute grief of their nests’ emptying, they typically sit back and
take stock. They tend to identify areas they’ve set aside while busy raising children and their
priorities moving forward are usually framed by where they feel a deficit exists in their lives. These
areas vary – with one exception – almost every empty nester I’ve encountered wants to travel
more.”

After years of buying more and more ‘stuff’, they want to rid themselves of
much of it and seek out purchases that are worthy of the money, the space
they will take up and the meaning they will bring
Suzy Mighell, owner of Empty Nest Blessed

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According to over-50s specialist Saga, more than half of this generation has changed the way they
approach holidays in the last decade, with around 30% expecting that their habits will change in the
next 10 years. 67% of those who’ve already changed their travel habits say they travel more
frequently, while 39% of 50- to 59-year-olds travel to more exotic destinations. Meanwhile, 53% of
50- to 59-year-olds deliberately avoid travelling during the school holidays – a striking change from
their previous habits. [9]

Vanessa Lenssen from holiday specialist Vidados says that while activities like cooking and wine
have always been popular, this segment is keen to try new things. “Hiking and photography are
popular, as are yoga, fitness, detox and general wellbeing. But traditional activities, such as
painting, have been overtaken by things like surfing,” she says. Many empty nesters are also
enjoying their newfound freedom to go travelling alone. “We get loads of people travelling solo who
aren’t necessarily single,” says Lenssen. “They often want to do something their partner isn’t
particularly interested in and it becomes a social thing.” [9]

Empty nesters represent a huge, untapped market of consumers

Felix Serre, Creative Commons (2017) ©

Insights and opportunities

Companies and brands are recognising the empty nester segment of consumers more than ever
before, according to Mighell. “However, I do think there is confusion out there about what
motivates and is meaningful to this demographic,” she adds. “Although they are diverse, they are
a demographic motivated by an overwhelming desire to ‘chase meaning’ in their lives and to
make a difference in the lives of others.” [8]

Bell Scott agrees that campaigns must avoid generalising. “The most difficult aspect from my
perspective as a therapist is when men or women in this normative life phase respond to a
culturally or self-imposed expectation that they adjust and react a certain way,” she says. “Like all
other life transitions, there is likely to be ambiguity (relief and sadness) and uncertainty (how often
should I text or call my adult child?). Grief is also a real possibility. But so is a sense of gratitude
and a new way of knowing oneself.” [8]
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We get loads of people travelling solo who aren’t necessarily single. They
often want to do something their partner isn’t particularly interested in and
it becomes a social thing
Vanessa Lenssen, founder of Vidados

As empty nesters are a diverse lot, a multi-pronged approach by brands is the key to reaching
them. Word of mouth is important, as well as third-party endorsements. Although empty nesters are
confident and tech-savvy, marketers still stereotype them as passively consuming traditional media.
In fact, they largely dislike traditional advertising and are instead embracing social media, which is
a key means of reaching them. Only 11% in the US trust what they read in print ads or hear in
broadcast adverts, with just 12% saying they are more likely to purchase a product when it’s used
in a compelling ad. First- and third-person reviews play a key role in their purchasing decisions,
with almost 80% more likely to buy a product if it receives a high rating in a review. 45% percent of
empty nesters are more likely to purchase a product if it is recommended by a blogger they follow. [
8]

The key thing to understand is what empty nesters are really looking for in life. For many, when
their children leave, they may find themselves confronting their aging, or even mortality, for the first
time. “Once they do that, it affects everything from how they choose to use their time to how they
spend their money,” Mighell says. “Companies/brands that are seeking to market effectively to
empty nesters need to associate consumer goods and experiences with significance and
meaning.”

Darren Loucaides is a travel writer and music critic for the BBC. He’s lived and travelled in Italy,
the Middle East and Latin America, and has become obsessed with the parallels between cultural
and political trends.

Sources
1. Interview with Becky Bell Scott conducted by author

2. ‘New survey finds adult children want their parents to age at home’ , Forbes (April 2017)

3. ‘Our nest is empty. Now what?’ , The Telegraph (September 2016)

4. ‘Why brands are targeting empty nesters with traditional direct mail’ , Marketing Week (July 2016)

5. ‘Parents find a new freedom after children leave the nest’ , The Guardian (August 2010)

6. Interview with Suzy Mighell conducted by author

7. ‘Don’t pity the empty nesters: it's tough when the kids come home to roost' ,The Telegraph (July 2015)

8. ‘Today’s Empty-Nesters: 4 Surprising Insights Around the New Power Generation' , Business.com (February 2017)

9. ‘Empty nesters: Life begins at 50’ , National Geographic Traveller (April 2016)

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