--Index rises 1 point to a reading of 70--

Charleston, SC May 1, 2001 - --- The Furniture Buying Index climbed one point to a reading of 70 for this month. The index rebounded to the critical level of 70 points after dropping to 69 for last month.

"The index hitting 70 is extremely important for furniture retailers, knowing that Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day are just around the corner," cites Britt Beemer, chairman of America=s Research Group. "Retailers should be breathing a sigh of relief over the increase."

"Retailers need home runs during those all important three-day holiday weekends."

Mr. Beemer concludes, "regaining the 70 point level helps to assure retailers that spending money on advertising will be profitable for the three important holiday weekends coming up in the near future."

The Furniture Buying Index is compiled each month by America's Research Group from interviews with 5,000-8,000 consumers across the country. In a typical month, 80 percent of the consumers interviewed can name a specific furniture item they intend to buy. The Index's mark signifies what percent of the benchmark 80% actually have a particular item in mind.

Britt Beemer is chairman of America's Research Group, a full-service consumer behavior research company based in Charleston, SC. ARG provides research and strategic planning services to leading manufacturers and retailers of consumer goods across North America.

For more information call:
C. Britt Beemer
800-723-3253 or REQUEST MORE INFORMATION

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