LibGuides: MDIA 4610/MC 5610: Audience Research and Targeting: Consumer Information

Consumer Research (Target Markets) Databases & Websites

Mintel
Research reports for U.S. & European consumer markets. Analyzes market drivers, sizes & trends, market segmentation, along with consumer attitudes & purchasing habits.
Business Source Complete
Contains full text articles from business journals, as well as company & country economic reports. Use BSC to locate articles on specific products & information about specific consumer groups and industries.

data.census.gov
This resource replaces the now defunct American FactFinder. This is the U.S. Census Bureau's main vehicle for distributing U.S. census data, including economic censuses and surveys and annual population estimates. Population, housing, economic and geographic data can be found here.

Consumer Reporter
This annual report by Richard K. Miller and Associates on trends and patterns in American consumer markets (available via Business Source Complete) has information about buyer behavior and how to influence various demographic groups.
Consumer Expenditure Survey (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Click on "Tables created by BLS" to access PDFs that break down spending on types of products or services (i.e. women's apparel) by different groups (income, ethnicity, etc.)
American Time Use Survey
This Bureau of Labor Statistics site measures the amount of time people spend on various activities, such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socializing.