Marketing Research  

There are numerous resources in print and online that will help you to get numeric and demographic information about your (potential) customers. The following is a very basic start to resources in this area. Be sure to ask if you are not finding what you need.

General books about how American demographics and attitudes:

• American attitudes : who thinks what about the issues that shape our lives
  REF HN 90.P8 M58 2000
  Results of surveys about opinions held by Americans on a variety of different topics. Some topics have comparative data back to the 1970's.
  
  
• American Generations: Who They Are. How They Live. What They Think.
  REF HC 110.C6 .M545 2006
  The title of this book is fairly descriptive. Again, this is a book of statistics.
  
  
• American Men and Women: Demographics of the Sexes
  REF HC 110.C6 .A43 2000
  Statistics comparing men and women on a variety of aspects of their lives including: attitudes, behaviors, education, health, income, work, living arrangements, wealth and spending

Books about specific groups of people. Use them to find out what these people are doing with their time and their money:

• The baby boom : Americans aged 35 to 54
  REF HN 60 .R868 2006
  
  
• Generation X
  REF HC 110 .C6 .G46 2006
  
  
• The Millennials
  REF HQ 796 .M4797 2006
  
  
• Older Americans
  REF HQ 1064.U5 .O64 2006
  
  
• Racial and ethnic diversity : Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, native Americans, and whites
  REF E 184.A1 .R78 2002

Books about how people spend their money:

• American incomes : demographics of who has money
  REF HC 110.I5 A447 2007
  Statistics on who is earning how much and how that is changing. Includes discretionary income numbers.
  
  
• American Marketplace: Demographics and Spending Patterns
  REF HA 214.A6 2003
  Statistics on what people do, how they live their lives, and what they spend their money on.
  
  
• Best customers : demographics of consumer demand
  REF HC 79.C6 R87 2006
  The place to look if you want to see who is buying what products or services in the US. Each product is broken down by consumer age, income, household, and region. Provides data by average spending, index and market share.
   
• Household Spending: Who Spends How Much on What
  REF HC 110.C6 .H68 2004
  Statistics on spending in different categories/products divided by age, income, household type, race, and region
  
  
• Market Share Reporter: An Annual Compilation of Reported Market Share Data on Companies, Products, and Services.
  REF HF 5410 .M35 2007
  Find out who is the top company or brand in the US or select states based on sales, market share, number of locations, units sold, etc.

Books about what people do with their time:

• American Time Use: Who spends how long at what
  REF HD 69 .T54 .A46 2007
  What people are spending their time doing
  
  
• Americans at Play: Demographics of Outdoor Recreation and Travel
  REF GV 191.4 .W45 1997
  Statistics on activity participation, recreation, travel, and related spending.

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