Britain’s handbag habits

Research published this week, to coincide with the launch of luxury online handbag store Oushka.com, highlights that British women are a nation of handbag fanatics, with 58% owning more than 20 handbags and many claiming that their handbag is worth more to them than the family car or even their partner!

Oushka.com polled 1,000 customers to discover just how much the humble handbag means to British women and why. The results proved that not only are handbags hugely popular for accessorising an outfit and the practical benefits they bring of being able to carry many things around with us, but there is a genuine bond between a woman and her handbag.

The Oushka.com research breaks handbag habits down to the following four personality types:

• The Hoarder – her handbag is like her second home, carrying her entire life contents (just in case she needs something) and it goes everywhere with her
• The Fickle User - chooses a different bag to suit her outfit every day. Co-ordinaton is much more important that practicality
• The Fashionista – always opt for the latest style and changes her handbag habits to suit the latest sizes and styles on the market. Must be seen with the latest bag, no matter what the costs involved
• The Minimiser - edits her handbag constantly, so she only carries the bare essentials
• 58% of those polled classed themselves as Handbag Hoarders. 18% saw themselves as Fickle users, 13% Fashionistas and 11% Minimisers

The overall results from the survey were as follows:
• 58% of those polled claimed to own more than 20 handbags. 29% admitted to owning between ten and twenty bags, 11% under five and 2% own more than 50 bags
• 26% of those polled claimed their handbag and its contents are of more personal value to them than their family car. 8% claimed their bag was more valuable than their partner!
• The average estimate for the price of their individual handbag collections was £2,500 – cited by 63% of those polled
• 47% claimed the most precious thing in their handbag was their mobile, followed by 26% citing their make-up. 11% claimed it was their Ipod, 6% would miss their diary, 5% quoted the key to their home, 4% a cherished photo. And 1% would miss their partner’s credit card!
• When quizzed on the most unusual thing in their handbag at that particular moment, the most common five items were body paint, puncture repair kit, a balloon, spare undies and false eyelashes
• The most popular celebrity handbag user was Kate Moss, followed by Sienna Miller in second place and Gwen Stefani coming third. The least popular celebrity handbag user was Victoria Beckham

Psychologist, Efua O’Brien, comments:

“These results highlight the startling emotional attachment a woman has to her handbag. However, as the research proves that the majority of us use our handbags to carry many of our precious possessions, it would make sense that women in the UK would place such value on them. Because of the service they provide, we psychologically see them as much more than material items – they are something to be treasured.

Sally Bradford, Managing Director of Oushka.com comments:

“To launch Oushka.com, we wanted to find out more about British Handbag Habits. Oushka is hugely popular brand, hence our move into online retailing, but even after many years experience in accessory design, I was astounded to discover quite how passionate women are about handbags!”

Oushka launches its online store in June 2008, allowing even more handbag fans to get hold of the latest designs. Oushka is firmly established in the UK’s contemporary accessories market and is available in John Lewis, Fenwicks, House of Fraser and many independent retailers. For further information, log onto Oushka.com.