BIG Executive Briefing
Economic & Consumer Insights for Marketing Executives
BIGresearch’s Consumer Intentions & Actions Survey monitors over 8,000 consumers each month
providing unique insights & identifying opportunities in a fragmented and transitory marketplace
January 2009 (Respondents surveyed 1/1 – 1/9/09)
ECONOMY
Consumers ring in 2009 with relatively renewed hope for the future of the economy…in January, 24.7% indicated they were confident/very confident in chances for a strong economy, rising from last month’s dismal 20.0% and the highest reading since September ’08 (28.3%). The recession has taken its toll, though…this month’s figure is almost ten points lower than a year ago (33.5%) and less than half of the January ’07 reading (50.5%).
While we’ll witness a changing of the guard on Pennsylvania Avenue this month, it appears that this transition – coupled with continued unrest overseas – has heightened consumers’ concerns regarding political and national security issues…26.7% continue to worry, up almost two points from December (25.0%) and rising nearly nine points from a year ago (17.9%).
Retailers hoping for recovery following a dismal holiday season had better heed consumers’ New Year’s resolution: become more practical…with holiday bills rolling in and the recession on the minds of all, more than one in two shoppers (57.3%) say they’ve become more practical/realistic in spending, up from 49.8% last (more…)
