Renfrew Lifestyle & Demographics

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"

Urban Spice
Young multi-ethnic lower-middle-class singles

A collection of immigrant gateway communities, Urban Spice is the urban home for a mixed populace of blacks, Arabs and immigrants from Asia, Europe and Latin America. With nearly half of the singles and foreign born, this cluster is a mecca for educated, first-generation Canadians striving for middle-class status in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Many of the residents of Urban Spice live in older, garden-style apartments - half of all dwellings were built before 1960 - along streets lined with mom-and-pop shops, fast-food restaurants and convenience stores. The typically close quarters encourages residents to gather instead at health clubs, art galleries, basketball courts, soccer fields and music clubs. And they take an active interest in community, ranking highest among all clusters in working for a political party or candidate.

Lower-Middle $44,248
Young
Ethnic Presence: High (Mixed)

With a relatively high education profile- -a quarter hold university degrees- -the residents of Urban Spice have varied media tastes. They watch a lot of TV shows featuring music fashion and sports, and they read hundreds of magazines at above-average rates, including locally-based titles like NOW and Vancouver Magazine. There's hardly a kind of cuisine that doesn't have an audience in this cultural stew, be it health foods, gourmet ethnic cuisine or junk food. Although their incomes are relatively modest, these young strivers still like to be early adopters of fashion and technology. More residents in Urban Spice take public transportation than drive a car, but owning a European luxury car is a coveted symbol of status.

How they think
Urban Spice is a diverse cluster, but its values are remarkably coherent in their flexible, postmodern flavor and their idealistic outlook. These Canadians register a great Openness Toward Others, perhaps in part because they believe strongly in Introspection and Empathy. While it is not uncommon for new immigrants to wish to display success in their new country ostentatiously (for a generation or two), these young Canadians are more interested in achieving Fulfillment Through Work. Although they are weak on Adaptability to Complexity, they are already handling plenty of complexity and showing values that betray little fear or hostility. Strong on Flexible Definition of Family, Equality of the Sexes and Primacy of Environmental Protection, Urban Spice residents celebrate equality and autonomy, and even have attention to spare for the planet. Finally, this cluster scores high on Belonging to the Global Village; this trend may represent an attachment to a nation of origin, but given the broad-minded values of this cluster, it is as likely to signify an openness to and interest in the whole world-not just the parts most familiar to these thoughtful young Canadians.

Attitudes
"Other cultures have a lot to teach us"
"I tend to be the first to own new electronic products"
"It is very important for me to feel creative"
"I enjoy entertaining"
"The use of marijuana should be legalized in Canada"

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"