Consumers have long used multiple channels to research and purchase products. In many ways, the Internet has improved consumers’ ability to find what they are looking for but they continue to turn to traditional resources such as catalogs. And while catalogs still matter, they are becoming more of a research than purchase tool these days.
Since the start of the recession, consumers have changed their shopping habits, including where they are shopping and why. According to The NPD Group, Inc., in 2009, the small appliance industry gained 1.4% in sales over 2008, and although the housewares industry is still seeing declines year over year, there are segments that are rebounding. Several niche products – such as specialty kitchen appliances – demonstrated solid performance, doing better than expected in a tougher economic environment, as a result of the continued behavioral shift towards staying home and entertaining with family and friends. “These evolving consumer behaviors offer opportunity for the manufacturers and retailers who understand the current consumer mindset and the new consumer segments playing larger roles in the same home industries,” said Peter Goldman, president of NPD’s home division.
Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report for Paving Contractors.
Medium and large-sized businesses have long allocated a significant part of their B2B marketing budgets to exhibitions. But the exhibition industry witnessed business declines in 2009 along with most other sectors of marketing-related activity. The Center for Exhibition Industry Research reports that the number of exhibitors, the number of attendees and the overall revenue at exhibitions have been in steep decline since 2007. In 2009, the industry saw a 12.5% drop.
The results of the 2010 U.S. Census will not be tallied for some time but demographers believe the numbers will show that Hispanic consumers comprise 50 million strong or nearly 17% of the total population. With numbers like that, marketers might be expected to specifically target these spenders who hold the purse strings to over $1 trillion in spending power.
Desktop sales in February increased 30% in units and 33% in dollars year-over-year, according to new data from The NPD Group. In fact, February marks the third time in the last four months that desktop revenue grew faster than notebooks, and the fifth consecutive month of desktop revenue and unit increases. Average selling prices climbed almost 3% versus February 2009 to $670 and were far above the notebook/netbook ASP of $602. “Desktops have been the surprise consumer technology growth category of 2010,” said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis, NPD. “Desktop growth has come from both PCs and Macs.
ADVERTISING BRAND MARKETING CONSUMER DIGITAL SOCIAL
FOLLOW US