Understanding Asian-American Shoppers

Ann-Marie Vazzano

Nielsen recently shed some light on the shopping habits of a growing demographic in the United States: Asian-Americans. According to the report, the Asian-American population has increased by almost 58% between 2000 and 2013. The study reports that Asian-American households in 2012 had an average expenditure of $61,400, compared to the total market’s $51,400. It also cites the 2012 GfK MRI Survey of the American Consumer, which found that two out of three Asian-Americans are willing to pay more for quality. In addition, 35% of Asian-Americans said they are “swayable shopaholics,” which means they “enjoy the act of buying and are impulsive buyers who are willing to pay extra for image-enhancing products.” Just 24% of non-Hispanic white consumers labeled themselves “swayable shopaholics.”

Only 14% of Asian-Americans defined themselves as “penny pinchers,” compared to 20% of non-Hispanic white consumers. Asian-American shoppers lead when it comes to online shopping—77% have made an online purchase in the last year, which is 16% more than the general population. Asian-Americans tend to be better savers, too, with 86% of them having savings accounts, compared to 76% of the general population. GP