Report: Phoenix LGBT community holds economic clout

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Angela Hughey

Brandon Brown

Reporter- Phoenix Business Journal

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The Phoenix LGBT community is better educated, better paid and more likely to shop than the rest of the Valley, according to a report released Wednesday.

The First Annual State of LGBTQ in Arizona Report said that the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer community is more like to make purchases than their heterosexual counterparts, at most retailers.

Nationwide, LGBT households are 55 percent more likely to shop at a pet store than total number households in the U.S. The LGBT community is also 36 percent more likely to shop at health food stores and electronic retailers and 19 percent more likely to make online purchases.

The only retail stores that are more likely to be frequented by heterosexuals are toy stores and dollar stores.

The average number of shopping trips per household in the U.S. was 149 in 2013. The same year, same-sex partner households averaged 173 trips to the store, the report said.

Angela Hughey, president of ONE Community, an organization that promotes local LGBT-friendly businesses, said nationally the LGBT community reportedly has a buying power of $830 billion. But Hughey said that number is very skewed because that dollar amount is based off obscure questions on 2010 census. She believes the national LGBT buying power is closer $1 trillion.

The writers of the report felt that equal rights and opportunities for the LGBT community is not just a social and political issue, but also an economic issue. They argue the report shows that the demographics and the buying power of the LGBT community should be very influential.

Here are a few other takeaways from the report:

Brandon covers retail, restaurants, hospitality/tourism as well aviation, small business and nonprofits.