Type A Woman

A recent article by Marketing Magazine introduced the ‘Type A Woman’.

This affluent and influencing group exerts more consumer domination than any other. Aged 50+ the ‘baby-boomers’ have now been propelled to the ‘Type A woman’ - gaining more and more recognition. Carol Orsborn, Ph.D, a leading marketing expert on this particular generation, attributes the spending power of these individuals to successful careers, investments made during the “boom” years, and inheritances from parents or husbands. Making this group “more financially empowered than any previous generation of women.”


Marti Barletta, author of PrimeTime Women and Founder of The TrendSight Group states these women spend 2.5 times the average person and are the main buyers for computers, cars, banking and financial services. In fact, Women account for, or influence 85% of all consumer purchases:

• 91% New Homes
• 66% PCs
• 65% New Cars
• 89% Bank Accounts
• 93% Food

Such strong statistics make it surprising that some corporations are still not showing more understanding to appease. Forbes reported 3/4 of women surveyed say they feel misunderstood by car marketers. Yes, these women do have money to spend, but they expect a product that suits them.

What is perhaps one of the most valuable (or dangerous depending on which way you look at it) features of these women is that 92% will communicate information about purchases and deals to others. Therefore, offering encouragement to spend where they have. Furthermore, making use of different mediums, Mindshare/Ogilvy & Mather state 22% of women shop online at least once a day; this group really are proving to be indispensable.

Lauren Overton
Consumer Analyst