The NPD Group has launched a new monthly report, The Economy Tracker, to monitor how the economy is affecting consumer attitudes and retail shopping behavior. Specific measures available in the monthly report are focused on highlighting areas of opportunity for manufacturers and retailers.

Categories covered in the report include Consumer Electronics, Video Games, Music, Movies, Dining / Eating Out, Apparel, Footwear, and more.

According to the NPD Group, The Economy Tracker delivers actionable insight into consumers’ perceptions of the U.S. economy, perceptions of their own economic situation, and how they are responding at retail. Measurements include:

• Degree of confidence or concern
• Spending and shopping expectations overall and by category
• Key drivers of store and product selection
• Changes in use of various payment methods

Demographic information is also provided for analysis by age, income, census region, and other variables.

“The current economic situation is creating dramatic shifts in consumer spending, and businesses can no longer operate under the ‘old rules,’” said Dee Warmath, Vice President for Retail Insights at NPD. “Our goal in developing The Economy Tracker is to help our clients to identify the bright spots in an otherwise bleak retail landscape and to guide their organizations through these challenging times with greater certainty.”

In addition to 12 monthly reports, a full report subscription includes quarterly summaries, and a year-end analysis with a presentation to help identify the major economic trends and effects for the year. The tracker is based on online surveys completed by 1000 respondents each month. The sample is nationally representative.

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