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    BACK-TO-SCHOOL RETAILERS SCORE BIG IN LATEST CONSUMER MIND READER SURVEY

    Retailers of back-to-school products enjoyed a banner month in August driven by an early Labor Day as parents shopped for apparel, computers, books and other school supplies.

    The latest Consumer Mind Reader ™ conducted by America's Research Group showed that discount and major department stores saw increases in both the number of shoppers frequenting their stores and in average purchases. Retailers of computers and electronics, apparel and books enjoyed similar success. Membership warehouse clubs and online shopping also cashed in on the back-to-school sales bonanza.

    For the survey we interview 1,000 consumers across the country about their buying habits for the past month. The survey was conducted by telephone from September 6 to September 9, 2007. In some of the more dramatic findings in the survey:
    • Discount stores were jammed with shoppers. More than nine in 10 major shopping decision makers made at least one trip to a discount store last month, up a full 11 points from the same period last year. Meanwhile their average shopping levels jumped by more than $30 per visit.
    • Retailers of appliances, electronics and computers increased average sales from $38.25 in 2006 to more than $60 this year
    • This back-to-school season was a huge success for retailers with a presence on the Internet. The number of online shoppers jumped by more than six points over 2006 figures while their average purchases soared from $37.77 in 2006 to $58.36 last month.
    It appears that the good fortune of online retailers may have come at the expense of mail order catalogs, which have been on the decline for some time. Only 6.5 percent of shoppers made purchases through catalogs, down more than two points since last year. Expenditures also dwindled, from $11.92 in September of 2006 to $8.03 this year. Catalogs have not enjoyed double digit average purchases since last Christmas. Also singing the blues this Labor Day were retailers of bed and bath products, garage sales and flea markets and toy stores. Home furnishings and accessory retailers were especially hard hit, seeing significant declines in both store traffic and shopping levels. Factory outlet stores and those in outlet malls suffered similar misfortune.

    The back-to-school shopping season is not only one of the busiest selling periods of the year but also the gateway to the all-important fourth quarter, the make or break time for many retailers in America. Clearly some got a huge boost from the end of summer sales volume, while others have substantial ground to make up between now and the Christmas season. They will have to look to offering deep discounts on popular products to lure shoppers back to their stores.

    BIG WINNERS
    • Discount Stores
    • Major Department Stores
    • Appliance/Electronics/Computer Stores
    • Apparel Stores
    • Internet

    BIG LOSERS
    • Bed and Bath Stores
    • Garage Sales/Flea Markets
    • Furniture and Home Accessory Stores
    • Catalogs
    • Toy Stores

    Britt Beemer, founder and chairman of America’s Research Group, is the country’s leading authority on retail buying habits of consumers. ARG tracks consumer buying habits more than any other survey research firm in the nation. The company conducts customized surveys for retail and manufacturing clients across the United States, designed to provide clients valuable marketing recommendations to grow their businesses. Beemer is author of two best-selling business books, Predatory Marketing and It Takes a Prophet to Make a Profit. He is currently working on a third business book, to be entitled The Customer Rules, which is due out in the fall of 2008.

    More detailed information is available on the America’s Research Group website at http://www.americasresearchgroup.com.