Understanding Consumers

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Consumerism is a defining feature of 21st century society. According to some experts, we have learnt to communicate with and think of each other (and ourselves) less as workers, citizens, parents or teachers, and more as consumers. Sometimes even our success is measured in terms of how well we consume products and services. As such, understanding customer needs and wants is critical to firms in this era of increasingly complex customer behavior. At a time of the year when consumerism is more ubiquitous than ever, we have decided to offer in our newsletter a selection of useful information sources for consumer research.

The Library team wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Consumer goods: market research

Passport
Provides data and market reports related to consumer lifestyles in a wide range of industries and geographies.

MarketLine
Contains reports on global, national, and regional industries, business sectors, and consumer goods. Also includes market data and projections (consumption, market and brand shares etc.) for 150 categories of consumer goods, including drinks, food, household appliances, and personal care, across 64 countries/ regions since 1999.

eMarketer
Provides updated market data, statistics and analysis on the Internet, e-business, online marketing, media, and emerging technologies.

Statista
Enter “market share” and the consumer goods of interest into the search box or click on the “Consumer Markets” tab.

Thomson Research
Find analysist reports. Select “Screening & Analysis” tab and then “Research” (Note this resource only works on Internet Explorer).