Suburban Rows
Young and comfortable immigrant families in suburbia
Scattered across the provinces, Suburban Rows is comprised of younger, upper-middle-class immigrant families living in new suburban townhouses. More than a quarter of cluster residents are classified visible minorities: 5 percent black, 5 percent South Asian and the rest a mix of Asians and South Americans. With their college educations and service sector jobs, these newcomers have found opportunity and material comfort in their adopted homeland. They have high rates for buying the latest technology: PDAs, video game systems, wireless Internet devices and home theatre systems perpetually tuned to the Family Channel. Admitting that they spend more than they save, Suburban Rows consumers indulge their children with frequent trips to restaurants, amusement parks and discount department stores. And unlike less assimilated immigrants, they're relatively cool toward religion and traditional values.
Upper-Middle $62,111
Younger
Ethnic Presence: Some (Mixed)
As consumers, Suburban Rows present a mixed portrait. They're frequent travelers-especially to destinations outside Canada-but these penny-pinchers also rank near the top for flying standby and spending a relatively modest $500-$1000 on their last trip. Their typical row and single detached houses are modestly priced, as are their compact cars and SUVs. These residents especially enjoy attending shows and exhibitions, no matter the topic. Suburban Rows has high rates for going to expositions that feature pets, computers, boats, cottages-just about any of life's little luxuries.
How they think
Suburban Rows is a cluster dominated by immigrants who have been fairly successful at integrating themselves into the Canadian economy. This cluster's values, though, reveal some unease about its current position in society. Suburban Rows residents register high levels of Ethnic Intolerance and a belief in the Importance of National Superiority. These values suggest that they are concerned with maintaining strong ties to their nations of origin, while also hoping to have their difficult decision to emigrate affirmed by the oppurtuniites available in Canada. Their attraction to Ostentatious Consumption suggests that they wish to show others that they have succeeded in their adoptive country, and their Aversion to Complexity in Life suggests that their lives, though on the whole successful, are already complicated enough by the challenges they have faced as immigrant and/or members of minority groups. This segments Anomie, Aimlessness-and Acceptance of Violence suggest that their search for meaning and fulfillment has not progressed as far as their quest for career success in information-economy jobs and other well-paid occupations.
Attitudes
"More of the tax burden should be placed on corporations"
"Overall there is too much immigration"
"Society has become increasingly female-friendly and less male friendly"
"I am more of a spender than a saver"
Asian Up-and-Comers
Successful middle-aged Asian families
Divided between Vancouver and Toronto, Asian Up-and-Comers is often the first stop for new immigrants from China and, to a lesser degree, the Philippines, Vietnam and South Asia. These middle-aged families typically are well-educated and ethnically diverse. More than a third speak Chinese, nearly two-thirds speak a language other than English and 60% are foreign born. While their incomes are just average, this cluster's above-average savings levels and lofty home values - averaging nearly $309,000 for their suburban houses - result in decidedly upscale spending patterns: wardrobes filled with designer clothes and jewellery, driveways lined with sporty luxury cars, nights spent at the theatre. Self-described early adopters, Asian Up-and-Comers residents are especially fond of the latest in computers, consumer electronics and Internet technology - often to stay connected to relatives back home.
Upper-Middle $60,082
Middle-Aged
Ethnic Presence: High (Chinese)
The residents of Asian Up-and-Comers are relatively recent immigrants: nearly half came to Canada since 1990. But these large, often multigenerational families are beginning to prosper in their adopted country. Some have recently moved or bought their first home, and the 27 percent who still rent their residences will be a future market for houses. Already, many adults have university degrees and white collar jobs. And they apply their smarts when shopping, first researching products on the Internet to get the best deals. They're big on travel to Hong Kong and the western United States. And they're active in the community, not just in patronizing local shops and restaurants, but in writing public officials and donating money to political groups.
How they think
Asian Up-and-Comers is a cluster that is modern, autonomous and idealistic in its values. Among the strongest clusters on the trend Introspection and Empathy, these Canadians are living rich, thoughtful lives. This cluster is enthusiastic about consumption-especially technology, but not obsessed with material things. Asian Up-and-Comers is strong on a number of idealistic trends from Global Ecological Consciousness to Ethical Consumerism to Equality of the Sexes. This cluster delights in the non-rational: strong on Intuitive Potential and Personal Creativity, Asian Up-and-Comers residents like to feel as well as think, and create as well as produce. Asian Up-and-Comers is flexible and open; it has no particular Aversion to Complexity in Life and has little time for Ethnic Intolerance or the Acceptance of Violence.
Attitudes
"I find it enriching to talk to different kinds of people"
"I tend to be the first to own new electronic products"
"I read newspaper inserts before Shopping"
"Being Canadian is part of my identity"
"It is important for me to feel connected to my cultural roots"
Grocery Stores
Video Rental
