JUSTIFIER 3: BEAUTIFY THE HOME

JUSTIFIER #3: BEAUTIFY THE HOME

Making a beautiful home is a priority for the majority of consumers because it is central to a person's identity. As one survey respondent explained: "I am house proud. The house is the single biggest investment you will make in your lifetime and you want it to reflect the care and love you put into it." Another says: "You want the look of your home to reflect you."

The importance of the home is magnified for women who do not work outside the home. "As a stay-at-home mom, you don't have a job that you get reassurance from, that you are worth something—that boost you get from your work. You get that feeling from your house and how it looks. You end up doing the same job over and over again. It gets tedious, but if your house doesn't look good, you aren't doing your job as a woman and mother." Another woman explains: "The house and how it looks is your responsibility. It all gets down to a reflection on yourself." For about 80 percent of those surveyed, beautifying the home is an important motivator for buying things they don't need. For these consumers, the home—how it looks and how it is decorated—is a reflection of the individual's identity, values, and self.

Cleanliness in the home is another aspect of beautifying the home. A clean home is a beautiful home. As one respondent explained: "Bathrooms are made for the SOUL. That is where I go to relax. A clean bathroom is also critical. It has to be clean and stay clean." Utilitarian products often offer cleanliness as an essential benefit. Because cleanliness is next to Godliness, the consumer connection to cleanliness is very deep, almost spiritual.

Demographic Distinctions

While men value a beautiful home, women are more highly motivated to purchase products for home beautification. The more youthful consumers, those aged 25 to 44, are the most intensely interested in home beautification. Households making $35,000 or more annually consider beautifying the home a higher priority in purchasing decisions than do those living in lower-income households where it is viewed as of little or no importance in their purchase decisions. Single-person households are less motivated by beautifying their home than are consumers living in two-or-more-person households and those with children.