-- Consumer shopping for home still strong, but wavering a bit --

Charleston, SC August 1, 2005 – The Furniture Buying Index is slightly down this month at a reading of 87. The Index remains positive, and consumer shopping for the home is still strong. But the Furniture Buying Index is wavering a bit.

Britt Beemer, Chairman of America’s Research Group, said, “The Furniture Buying Index continues to be a strong indicator of sales.” He continued, “Labor Day weekend will kick off an all important furniture sales season, and the Index may be down slightly, but it still remains strong.”

Beemer added, “Furniture retailers need to be super aggressive to capture consumers’ attention and make this season’s sales successful.”

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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