NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JamesAllen.com, the fastest-growing online retailer of engagement rings and loose diamonds, announces a new study that reveals millennials are more traditional than their older counterparts when it comes to proposing.
The study asked 2,000 married U.S. adults about their experiences getting engaged and found that millennials are more than twice as likely to get down on one knee during the proposal as those over 44. According to the results, younger generations spend nearly two-and-a-half times more on the ring than middle-aged couples – an average of three months’ salary. The study also reveals that 63% of millennials asked a parent’s permission before proposing while only 20% of respondents currently older than 44 observed this practice when they popped the question.
“Millennials have a reputation for shunning tradition, but our survey found that when it comes to proposals they’re actually the most conventional generation,” said JamesAllen.com Co-Founder and CEO, Oded Edelman. “What we’re seeing in our business is that millennials embrace tradition but also want to make the proposal unique, whether by hiring a proposal planner or customizing their own engagement ring online.”
JamesAllen.com’s survey found that, while millennials typically embrace traditional proposal customs, they also value originality throughout the process. Almost 40% of couples between the ages of 18 and 34 made sure there was something different about their proposal – by compiling a video presentation or traveling to an exotic destination, for instance – as opposed to just 15% of older generations. Similarly, millennials are three times more likely to make the engagement experience memorable by designing a personalized ring online than respondents over 44.
The study also found that:
- There is a geographic difference in ring price, with Northeasterners spending twice as much on bridal jewelry before popping the question as those living in the Southwest
- Respondents were split on whether it’s preferable to design the engagement ring together or to surprise the recipient with the ring (38% vs. 39%)
- The average time spent planning a proposal is approximately seven weeks
- Couples between the ages of 18 and 34 are more than seven times more likely to share news of their engagement on social media than those over 44
The survey comes at the opening of wedding season – between May and October – when approximately 80% of all U.S. weddings occur.
JamesAllen.com has tripled its business in the past 24 months and raised $140M growth equity investment from Francisco Partners in February 2017 to further accelerate its rapid expansion.
The company’s success has been propelled by JamesAllen.com’s commitment to using advanced technology to bring the luxury shopping experience of a high-end jewelry boutique into the home. JamesAllen.com offers countless customization options that allow shoppers to choose the perfect setting and gem from the company’s curated selection of 150K+ certified, conflict-free diamonds. In addition, JamesAllen.com’s proprietary 360° Diamond Display Technology shows what each exact diamond looks like from every angle in HD at up to 40x magnification.
ABOUT JAMESALLEN.COM
JamesAllen.com, the fastest-growing online retailer of engagement rings and loose diamonds, allows customers to easily personalize and order engagement rings and other fine jewelry entirely online. Through its advanced technology, including an augmented reality Ring Try-On app and proprietary 360° Diamond Display Technology that shows what each actual diamond looks like from every angle in HD, the company has earned industry-leading customer satisfaction scores. Founded in 2006 by four industry veterans with decades of combined retail and diamond experience, JamesAllen.com recently helped its 150,000th customer design the perfect ring, celebrated its 10th anniversary, and raised $140M growth equity investment from Francisco Partners.
Learn more at JamesAllen.com, and follow JamesAllen.com on Twitter (@JamesAllenRings), Facebook (@JamesAllenRings), YouTube (James Allen Rings) and Instagram (@jamesallenrings).
