The Sun-Herald

WHO WE ARE: Hey big suspender, what's with the hosiery?

To discuss the next generation of Australian television, go to The Tribal Mind.
For regular updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

A column about Australia by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald, 27/7/2008
Let's assume for a moment that you are an average Australian, or close to it. You will have noticed that you've become a lot richer over the past ten years -- the Bureau of Statistics tells us your household income is more than 20 per cent higher than in the mid 90s. The question we want to answer today is: How have you been spending all that wealth?

Apparently you've been gambling, eating out more, lavishly furnishing and equipping your house, and buying all sorts of gadgets for communication and entertainment -- computers, big screen televisions, DVD players, iPods and mobile phones for every member of the family except the new baby (being average, you had one of those in your mid 30s).

You now spend $1679 a year on meals in restaurants, cafes, hotels or clubs (up from $1297 in the mid 80s). As the bureau's report, Social Trends 2008, puts it: "The comparatively large increase is consistent with some people electing to 'contract out' meal preparation activity in response to their reduced availability of time from increased employment combined with their expanded spending capacity from higher real income."

You've recently bought an airconditioner, a microwave and a dishwasher (for the rare occasions when you eat at home). The bureau claims that 60 per cent of Australian homes now have some form of air conditioning (up from 30 per cent in the mid 90s), while 42 per cent have a dishwasher (up from 25 per cent) and 90 per cent have a microwave (up from 80).

The research organisation ACNielsen has just added to our understanding of how Australians are spending their new wealth with a chart of the grocery items that have been growing fastest in sales since 2006.

I must admit I'm puzzled by these booms: 1 Chilled baby foods (sales up 790 per cent between 2006 and 2007); 2 Fresh soups (up 43 per cent); 3 Drinks - sports/ energy (up 32); 4 Olive oil (28); 5 Foot care (24); 6 Instant coffee (18); 7 Dairy dips (17); 8 Ice cream (16); 9 Hosiery (16); 10 Canned fruit (16); 11 Bottled water (15); 12 Mouthwash (14); 13 Frozen meals (14); 14 Fresh milk - flavoured (14); 15 Fresh pasta and sauce (13).

Nielsen's Managing Director, Glen Murphy, says the biggest growth areas of the late Noughties are "fresh and natural products -- In recent years, trends in supermarket sales have demonstrated that consumers are increasingly looking for products which support a healthy lifestyle as well as providing convenience."

But that doesn't really explain the increased spending on "hosiery" (because you no longer have to get around in thongs?) or "foot care" (you have blisters from the elegant shoes you can now afford?) or mouthwash (you're worried about the garlic in the pasta sauce?) or flavoured milk (you can now indulge your nostalgia for school days?)

If you can offer a theory that explains all 15 product explosions, please tell us at Comments. I haven't decided yet on a prize for the most interesting explanation. What does one give to the reader who can already afford everything?

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.