Experian’s consumer classification system – Mosaic UK – has been updated to reflect demographic and social changes in British society since 2003.

Additional data sources have been added to encompass a more detailed understanding of the ageing population, changes in household composition, the growth in ethnic diversity and the impact of the Internet.

Mosaic UK 2009 draws on over 440 separate pieces of compliant public and proprietary sourced information for each of the UK’s 48 million adults and incorporates 15 lifestyle groups, 67 lifestyle types and 141 person types. The re-built classification will be updated every six months.

New consumer groups such as Alpha Territory, Active Retirement, Small Town Diversity and Terraced Melting Pot are included. Some of the more significant social trends identified in the new version of Mosaic are:

• Ageing Society. It is estimated there will be three million more people over 55 by 2019 but Mosaic makes a distinction between the active and less active phases of retirement. The new classification recognises the increasingly active nature of early retirement years (with the commercial opportunities this presents) and the latter phases which require more health and social care. Mosaic also identifies a move away from the traditional south coast retirement towns with many more affluent retirees - ‘Country Loving Elders’ - moving inland to historical and cultural towns while others - ‘Beachcombers’ - seek more exclusive seaside villages and expensive holiday destinations.
• Mosaic UK 2009 has identified a small but an exceptionally wealthy section of British Society. Representing some three per cent of the UK population, ‘Alpha Territory’ includes people who have received substantial injections of capital over and above already high incomes, such as from bonuses, share options or the sale of businesses. This elite includes individuals from the public as well as commercial sector.
• Migration. Reflecting the diverse and increasingly multicultural nature of contemporary Britain; identifying mono-cultural enclaves (‘Asian Identities’) and neighbourhoods which have embraced multi-culture through assimilation and integration (‘Terraced Melting Pot’ and ‘Global Fusion’). It recognises areas where more affluent Asians live (‘Asian Attainment’) and neighbourhoods populated by newcomers to the country (‘Re-housed Migrants’).
• Change in household composition. The last ten years have seen a massive rise in single person households. This has created a mismatch between housing supply (typically three bedroom houses built for families) and actual housing needs. Mosaic UK 2009 recognises the growth in all types of single occupancy, including ‘Crash Pad Professionals’ living in flats on brown field sites, ‘Side Street Singles’, ‘Small Block Singles’ and ‘Bright Young Things’. A significant trend has been the growth in concentrated student populations which has fuelled an increase in multi-occupancy households dominated by single people.
• Marginalisation of rural Britain. A strong rural segment of society (‘Rural Solitude’) has separated itself from creeping urbanisation and materialism. This has emerged as a result of the increasing gentrification of rural communities within commuting distances of large towns and cities, driving country people further into rural Britain. These rural types are affirming their identity and include Mosaic types such as ‘Modern Agribusiness’, ‘Farming Today’ and ‘Upland Struggle’.
• The network society. The UK has grown from ten per cent to almost 70 per cent broadband coverage since 2003. This transformation has brought a range of new social behaviours as people develop online social networks to keep in touch with family and friends, recommend products, services and experiences and transact business. It has also become a showcase for personal social capital. Mosaic UK 2009 uses Hitwise’s online intelligence to provide the latest insight into which consumers are using the internet for shopping, sourcing information and social networking.
• Impact of recession. By linking Experian’s economic forecasting capabilities to Mosaic UK, Experian identifies the degrees to which different types of people are affected by the current recession. Those most affected include the group ‘Active Retirement’ who have seen their savings and investments seriously eroded, the ‘Professional Rewards’ type which is having to support grown-up children financially and ‘New Homemakers’ who, having bought brand new properties in the last few years, now find themselves in serious negative equity.