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Thread: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

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    Default market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    The US Census Bureau just released some new official figures on state populations ... which puts actual 'numbers' to the alleged migration of 'middle class' Americans which, until now, was mostly anecdotal. The following graphic shows population shift in terms of US House of Representative seats, which are in turn based simply on state populations.





    larger image available at


    The theory which attempts to explain this migration is that 'middle class' people have chosen to leave Northeast and Central states with high tax rates and high costs of living, in favor of low / no tax, lower cost of living states to the South and Southwest.

    An obvious conclusion which might be drawn is that, with the possible exception of upscale clubs in very large cities, 'middle class' people comprise the lion's share of strip club customers.

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    This is what I've seen in this region.
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    ^^^ what exactly have you seen in New York ? A reduced number of 'middle class' residents ? A reduced number / average spending level by area strip club customers ?

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    I've noticed it where i am too..the difference between what i was easily making 2 years ago, compared to what i am now..i'm losing out on hundreds of dollars every shift. i just figured it was getting worse all over

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    ^^^ again, are you seeing a smaller number of club customers ? Are you seeing the same number of customers spending less money ? Are you seeing a smaller number of customers also spending less money each ?

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    I've seen the younger crowd (20s, 30s, 40s) and retirees move out to the south and southwest.
    I'm not in touch with clubs'/dancers' finances, but time and again I see clubs' parking lots with very few cars, especially compared to say 10-15 years ago.
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    a much smaller number of club customers,also spending much less..combined with a lot of new girls doing much more than they used to. or maybe i just notice the girls more now because things are getting more cutthroat. two years ago, tuesdays used to be booming..then came the new year, and tuesdays sucked..and then wednesdays..and then the next year even thursdays were awful..and now only the weekends are profitable whatsoever.

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    Melonie many years ago you posted predictions about middle class migration to the Midwest of the US...which came to be true for me.

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    ^^^ well, I have stopped making predictions ... on SW anyhow ... because they can never be 100% proven one way or the other, because they are a potential source of controversy, and because many SW readers simply aren't interested. But pointing out facts is a different story. Unfortunately, by the time a prediction is supported by facts, it's usually too late to take full advantage.

    I'm glad to hear that your 'Grass' is greener in the Midwest these days !!!


    I've seen the younger crowd (20s, 30s, 40s) and retirees move out to the south and southwest.
    I'm not in touch with clubs'/dancers' finances, but time and again I see clubs' parking lots with very few cars, especially compared to say 10-15 years ago.
    That 'jives' with what I've heard from family members still living in New York. Highly paid 'middle class' residents in their 50's and early 60's are afraid to relocate / change jobs, because they have been able to build up 'seniority' benefits over a lengthy career, because their employment chances with a totally new employer aren't very good ( rising health care costs, short 'working time' left relative to retirement age ), because they typically have fairly high value fully paid for houses which are difficult to sell, because family members look to them as a primary means of support, etc.

    On the flip side, younger residents who do not have deep ties / 'seniority' with local employers, who do not own houses or who have little equity in houses, who do not have families depending on them for support, etc. are likely to find equal if not better career opportunities in southern and southwestern states where economic growth is much higher, but where state taxes / cost of living is significantly lower.

    Also, retirees with some amount of money saved / pension benefits etc. often face a choice of continuing to work part time to economically 'survive' in New York, or relocating to a lower cost of living, lower tax state where their retirement money / pension benefits are sufficient to allow them to economically 'survive' without the need for ongoing supplemental income. And of course the lack of snowbanks and sub-zero temperatures is an added inducement.

    As a side note, the most recent employment numbers continue to show that Americans in your ~20 to ~49 age group ... which is coincidentally the main demographic for strip club customers, are still losing ground on the jobs front.



    Thus if your ~20 to ~49 age group are also the predominant demographic of people leaving northeast states, that amounts to a 'double whammy' for northeast state dancers and strip clubs.

    I'm not sure why the lion's share of newly created jobs are happening for the age 55 to 70 age group. One business acquaintance pointed out that eligibility for Medicare and/or lack of dependent children significantly lowers the employer's health care benefit costs. Another business acquaintance pointed out that their work ethic is 'old school' i.e. they actually show up on time, they actually do what's expected of them, they're not inclined to seek other jobs once hired, etc. And a family member still living in New York pointed out that, with rising local taxes / cost of living overwhelming retirement savings and pensions, they're willing to work 'cheap'. But one thing is for sure ... with the occasional noteworthy exception, there aren't many strip club customers aged 55 to 70 !!!
    Last edited by Melonie; 10-03-2014 at 01:40 PM.

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    OMG. Does this mean I have to stop going to strip clubs?

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    ^^^ hell no !!! Dancers love older gentlemen with fat wallets, generous tendencies, and lowered hormone levels !!! What the above data shows is that there aren't enough strip club customers in your particular demographic ... so anything you can do to alter these statistics will be greatly appreciated !!!

    Unfortunately, in broad brush terms, what the data is arguably showing is an increasing economic inability for 'near retirement age' Americans to actually afford retirement. Thus many such Americans are arguably 'taking' ( early ) retirement benefits from a long term employer, but turning right around and taking another job because the size of their retirement benefits / retirement savings and investment earnings etc., doesn't cover the costs of food, energy, property taxes, utility bills, etc.

    This has a 'double whammy' effect on the strip club industry, because A. the 'near retirement age' Americans above know they can't afford to spend much money on 'luxury' items such as lap dances and VIP's, and B. the fact that 'near retirement age' Americans are continuing to work in large numbers translates into fewer job openings for the 'younger' Americans who have typically comprised the lion's share of the strip club customer base. And this situation is arguably even worse than it appears in 'headline' data. Note this month's jobs bar graph ... which shows that Americans in the 20-55 age group ( the lion's share of strip club customers ) LOST an additional 82,000 jobs, while the 230,000 job gains in the age 55-70 age group ( who don't comprise a significant percentage of strip club customers ) overwhelmed this loss - resulting in a decent overall jobs number. The 45,000 jobs gained by the 16-19 age group also contributes to the decent overall jobs number, while arguably not helping out strip club spending whatsoever ( most are minimum wage jobs, and most don't have 'fake ID' to enter strip clubs even if they decided to spend their entire $200 paycheck on lap dances ).

    A 'drill-down' analysis of job gains and losses by state isn't readily available. However, it is logical to assume that the loss of jobs in the age 20-55 age group, and the state to state migration data, concur to some degree. Translation - it's likely to be the case that Northeast strip clubs are seeing their traditional customer base continue to erode.
    Last edited by Melonie; 10-05-2014 at 05:38 AM.

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    Default Re: market research - Migration of 'middle class' Americans

    ^^ Clarifying statements, as usual, from Melonie

    Make me think there may be more pervertunities for us older clubbers.
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

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