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Retail

All Signs Point to Low Expectations for Retailers

November 28, 2008

With highly negative consumer confidence levels, Americans increasingly worried about money, and estimated Christmas spending at an all-time low, this traditional shopping weekend is likely to be a tough one for retailers.

Americans in No Mood to Shop

Variety of Gallup indicators suggest consumers will spend cautiously

November 28, 2008

If Black Friday lives up to its name, it will be in spite of extraordinarily bleak indicators. These include Americans’ highly conservative 2008 Christmas spending forecast, their negative outlook for their personal standard of living, and their lack of confidence in the U.S. economy.More ...

Christmas Spending Projection Drops to New Low

Projected shopping at department stores takes biggest hit

November 19, 2008

Americans’ projected average Christmas spending this year, $616, is the lowest in Gallup’s 10-year history of tracking this question in its current format, and provides further evidence of the heavy toll the current economic turmoil is taking on America’s retailers.More ...

A Bleak First Look at Christmas Spending

Record-high number predict their spending will be lower than last year’s

October 20, 2008

A record-high 35% of Americans say they will spend less on Christmas gifts this year than they did last year; only 9% say they will spend more. This year’s result is by far the most inauspicious for the nation’s retailers of any Gallup has seen in over a decade.More ...

Can Falling Gas Prices Save Back-to-School?

Over the past few weeks, consumers have become less gloomy as pump prices have declined

August 8, 2008

Gallup Poll Daily tracking shows American consumers getting less gloomy over the past two weeks as gas prices have fallen, with 46% now rating current economic conditions as “poor” and 81% saying things are “getting worse.”More ...

Department, Discount Stores Top Christmas Shopping Spots

Likelihood to shop online up this year, reaching highest point to date

November 12, 2007

Department and discount stores are the two main places at which Americans say they are likely to shop for Christmas gifts this year. Nearly half say they are likely to shop online for presents -- marking the highest percentage to say this at any time over the past decade.More ...

Investor Optimism Remains Low in October

Worries about investment portfolios, value of dollar may affect spending

October 22, 2007

The UBS/Gallup Index of Investor Optimism poll shows investors to be less optimistic about their investment portfolios, more sanguine about the outlook for the economy, and somewhat unenthusiastic about their holiday spending.More ...

Annual Update: Americans Rate Business and Industry Sectors

Oil and gas industry and federal government have worst images

September 6, 2007

Americans rate the restaurant and computer industries the most positive of 25 sectors surveyed, while they are most negative about the oil and gas industry, the federal government, and the healthcare sector. Americans have rated most business and industry sectors more negatively over time, particularly since 2003, and the public has lost more faith in the federal government over the last four years than any other industry sector tested.More ...

Consumers' Optimism Continues to Build

This, despite weaker-than-expected December retail sales and increasing gas prices

January 16, 2006

New Gallup Poll economic data show that consumers are increasingly optimistic about current economic conditions. Does this mean December's weaker-than-expected retail sales numbers will be reversed in the months ahead? The answer may depend on gas price volatility and the impact it has on lower- and middle-income Americans' spending in early 2006.More ...

What's in Store for Specialty Retailers?

Service differences not that obvious to consumers

December 6, 2005

A mid-September Gallup Poll Panel survey asked respondents about their retail shopping habits and preferences -- the types of stores they made purchases at, what they bought, and how much money they spent. Their responses paralleled some of the Thanksgiving weekend purchasing behaviors, as more panelists said they had made purchases at general merchandise retailers, discount stores, and department stores than at specialty apparel retailers.More ...

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