Lifestyle Survey 2016

Lifestyle survey 2016

UCAS Media understands the student audience like nobody else does – from those considering their post-18 options to those applying for higher education, along with current undergraduates and recent graduates. Reaching students requires an understanding of who they are and what motivates them. It also means connecting with them via the media channels they use, and having access to the right data and insight. With over 11,000 respondents, the Lifestyle Survey 2016 offers a unique insight into the habits of first year students – including telecoms, finance, technology, and social media – each with year-on-year comparisons.

Keith Parkman General Manager - UCAS Media

Next UK students are most likely to use the EE network for their mobile phones (25% use it), overseas students are more likely to use Three Telecoms (26%), and EU students are more likely to use giffgaff (36%).

25 2015 2016

20 Phone networks – in order of 2016 student 15 market share 10

0 EE Three O2 Vodafone giffgaff Tesco Virgin Talk Mobile Lebara Lycamobile

Mobile Monthly contract – in parent’s name 34% Which offers phone Monthly contract – in own name 30% do students plans Pay as you go 19% find most Sim only – in own name 9% attractive? Sim only – in parent’s name 6% 41% 36% 17% 5% 10% student Student 10% student Student bonus Shared plan 0.4% discount off a bonus data discount off minutes and pay plan allowance a device texts

47% Mobile phone brands – in order 29% of student 2016 market share 5% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1%

Apple Samsung Sony HTC Motorola LG Huawei Nokia One Plus Google

Telecoms Home entertainment Technology Student banking Grocery shopping UK student trends Social media Home entertainment

of students sign up Which TV subscription services to TV are popular with students? 58% subscription services whilst at university. Although Netflix remains the most popular TV 31 % subscription service, it’s popularity has declined by around 10% since 2015

Most popular broadband providers for students Amazon Prime subscriptions have increased 27 % by over 15% in the last three years 1 11 %

2 10 %

3 10 % 9 % Sky subscriptions are at their lowest in three years

Telecoms Home entertainment Technology Student banking Grocery shopping UK student trends Social media Technology

Where students bought their laptops 36% Wearable and tablets from for university technology 69% 17% of students own wearable tech. Here are the three most popular devices: of students bought or 8% 8% 6% 3% 3% 2% plan to buy a new laptop 1% 1% 1% Currys Amazon Argos John eBay Tesco Dell Laptops Littlewoods ebuyer 1 or tablet for university. PC World Lewis Direct Fitbit

The number of students What brand of laptops or tablets 27% 26% purchasing a laptop students bought for university 2 from Amazon has Apple doubled over the last Watch three years...

13% 9% 9% 3 ... while purchases 5% 3% 3% 2% made at Currys PC 1% Samsung Apple HP Lenovo Acer ASUS Dell Microsoft Toshiba Samsung Chrome World have tripled book gear

Telecoms Home entertainment Technology Student banking Grocery shopping UK student trends Social media Student banking

36.8% UK student market share 2016 Existing vs new student bank account providers Highest reputation 17.3% 10.6% 10.2% 1 7.6% 6.8% 57% 2 2.3% 2.3% 43% 1.5% 0.5% 3

Santander HSBC Barclays NatWest Lloyds Nationwide TSB RBS Bank of Bank of Scotland Ireland Existing New

Reasons for choosing a student bank account with a How did UK students What incentives students new provider open their account? found most appealing

Incentive 69% 71% 1 Free railcard for four years Good reputation 40% Amazon Prime free for one year 28% 2 Recommendation 32% plus a £60 Amazon voucher Parents’ bank with them 11% 1% 3 Free National Express card

Other 4% In branch Online By phone

Telecoms Home entertainment Technology Student banking Grocery shopping UK student trends Social media Grocery shopping

Overall, Tesco has remained However, students from Students from the 93% the most popular store the North were unique South West of England for grocery shopping over in the fact that they are most likely to shop of students the last three years, with preferred to shop at Aldi online for groceries. prefer to shop a quarter of students rather than Tesco. for groceries shopping there in 2016. in-store.

25% Where students shop for groceries 14% 13% 11% 10% 8% 7% 4% 3% 2%

Tesco ASDA Aldi Sainsbury’s Lidl Morrisons Tesco Sainsbury’s Co-op Iceland Express Local

Telecoms Home entertainment Technology Student banking Grocery shopping UK student trends Social media UK student trends

Regional lifestyle trends Students from Scotland are most likely to buy a laptop or tablet Half of Northern Irish before uni. students are on the O2 network for their mobile phones. Students from the North East are the least engaged with social media sites (across Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp and Twitter).

Students from the West Midlands are the Those from the East most likely to subscribe to discount sites. Midlands are most likely to have contents insurance.

Two thirds of Welsh students opened a student bank account, more than Students from the East are the least any other region. likely to spend money on clothes.

Students from London Students from the South West are most likely spend the most on to own wearable tech, and are twice more clothes and going out. likely to own it than London students. They also save the most, with 68% of students saving each term.

Telecoms Home entertainment Technology Student banking Grocery shopping UK student trends Social media Facebook continues to be the most widely used social media platform among students Social media (over the last three years).

Although Facebook is still the most popular social media site overall, Whatsapp, Snapchat, and Instagram have slowly been catching up over the last three years, and Facebook usage has slowly declined from 2014 – 16.

86% 74% 65% 63% 60% 36% 15% 13% 10% 10% 7% 7% 2% use use use use use use use use use use use use use Facebook YouTube Snapchat Instagram Whatsapp Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Google+ Reddit Linkedin Campus Yik Yak regularly Society

Telecoms Home entertainment Technology Student banking Grocery shopping UK student trends Social media What’s changed

What was on the rise What students left behind

The number of Snapchat and Regular use of Regular use of Use of social Tumblr Use of NUS Netflix The proportion respondents Instagram have Pinterest has Whatsapp has media site usage dropped by popularity of respondents buying laptops both become doubled over the increased by 6% Yik Yak declined by just under reduced by ordering from Currys PC more popular than last three years. since 2015. decreased 3% from 10% in 9% from groceries World has more in 2015, with at by 24% from 2015 – 16. 2016. 2015 – 16. online for than tripled in the least 12% more 2015 – 16. home delivery last three years. regular users. almost halved from 2015 – 16

Telecoms Home entertainment Technology Student banking Grocery shopping UK student trends Social media Results in the lifestyle survey have been weighted to the student population. Regional results refer to students’ home addresses. % increases or decreases refer to percentage point differences.