Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

New York City -- Target, Kohl's and J.C. Penney ranked highest among discounters in consumer perception in the first half of 2011, according to YouGov BrandIndex. The company interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample, more than 1.2 million interviews per year.

Here is YouGov’s Retail Buzz scores for discounters in the first half of 2011:

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Tractor Supply Company continues to operate in a fertile market segment that enabled the nation’s largest farm and ranch store chain to harvest record profits during the second quarter.

Chicago -- A report released Thursday by ShopperTrak found that retailers should expect fewer shoppers this back-to-school season, but average tickets are anticipated to be larger.

According to ShopperTrak, national retail sales, when compared with the same period last year, will rise 3.8% in August, while foot traffic will decrease 2.9%.
 

ANN ARBOR, Mich. and WASHINGTON — When given a choice, American consumers prefer to purchase organic foods, according to the Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll. The survey found that 58% of Americans say they choose organic over conventionally produced foods when they have the opportunity, a number that spikes higher among both young and highly educated respondents. Sixty-three percent of respondents under the age of 35 prefer organic foods, as do 64% of those with a bachelor's degree or more.

New York City -- First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America on Wednesday announced that that several national and regional food retailers have pledged to open or expand stores in low-income markets where finding nutritious food options can be difficult. The chains participating in the partnership include Walmart, Walgreens and Supervalu, which, in total, agreed to open or expand hundreds of locations as part of the effort to eliminate what the Department of Agriculture calls “food deserts” throughout the country.

PORT WASHINGTON — Consumer electronics are growing increasingly popular with children, as indicated by NPD's latest survey, which revealed that in the past year 78% of portable video game systems purchased, and 56% of portable digital media players (PDMP) purchased were given to the child. 

For households with kids ages 4 to 14, newer devices such as e-readers and media tablets were acquired at single-digit rates (8% and 5%, respectively) in the past year, slowly driving up the number of homes where kids have access to these devices. 

New York City -- While the majority of global consumers still perceive store brands to be the same as or better than national brands, a one year trend analysis indicates that their positive perceptions toward store brands may be starting to decline slightly. This is the latest finding from a study conducted by Ipsos Marketing, Consumer Goods.

New York City -- A survey released Tuesday by Deloitte found that 87.7% of shoppers believe prices in food stores are escalating and 74% say the size of some packaged goods is smaller.

According to Deloitte’s new “2011 Consumer Food and Product Insight Survey,” thanks to higher food prices and rising gas prices, 72.7% of consumers are making fewer trips to the grocery store to save money and 40.8% are purchasing fewer items overall.