The single demographic is a potential boon to marketers. According to a study by the New York-based marketing consulting firm WSL Strategic Retail, singles are more likely to spend money on self-indulgences, even though 70 percent of the demographic earns less than $50,000 annually. To attract singles to your products and services as part of your business development strategy, experts say, focus on the following key needs:

• Mobility. Singles spend much of their lives on the go, says Quantified Marketing Group’s Aaron Allen. If your company can help singles get around easier, it has a good chance with this market.
• Companionship. Just because singles live alone doesn’t mean they don’t desire companionship. For example, this group is likely to spend more money to keep their pets healthy and happy. According to WSL Strategic Retail, 52 percent of one-person households surveyed would splurge on products for pets, compared with only 23 percent of households with four or more people.
• Entertainment. Singles have “higher discretionary incomes and more time on their hands,” Allen says. Any product or service that can give singles something to do with their money and time has a leg up on the competition. (Hello consumer electronics and travel industries!)
• Romance. It’s human nature to want to be part of a loving romantic relationship. Events that allow singles to meet one another can be combined with other product and service offerings.
• Space. Singles often live alone in smaller homes with less storage space, so companies that package their products in smaller containers might win over this demographic. For example, dishwasher detergent gelcaps that come in a 14-1/2-ounce box might be more appealing than the powdered variety that comes in a 75-ounce box, because it’s easier to store.

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