• Two thirds of men (65%) experience skin irritation or discomfort when shaving. [Men, Health & Beauty Aids] (Procter & Gamble/Gillette; phone: 617-463-5777)
• Although 68% of Americans think the Gulf oil spill could slow the U.S. economic recovery, 72% say it will not affect their personal spending. [Consumer Spending & Attitudes] (RBC; phone: 212-428-6902)
• A majority of babysitters (54%) engage in an outdoor activity — such as going to a park or riding bikes — with the children in their charge, 30% work on arts and crafts, and 13% take the kids to a play group or on a field trip. [Youth, Leisure] (Sittercity.com; phone: 312-436-0952)
• Nearly a quarter of hiring managers (22%) say candidates are using unusual tactics to get their attention when sending in resumes and during interviews, up from 12% in 2008. [Workforce/Employment] (CareerBuilder; phone: 773-527-2437)
• People who stream video content on Hulu.com tend to watch more TV shows (93%) than movies (60%), compared to Netflix streamers, who tend to watch more movies (87%) than TV (68%). [Entertainment, Online] (Interpret; phone: 310-255-0590, x346)
• Nearly eight in 10 shoppers (79%) are more concerned about economic issues than environmental issues; however 35% expect to spend more on green products in the coming year. [Consumer Spending & Attitudes, Environment] (Cohn & Wolfe; phone: 415-365-8548)
• More than four in 10 office workers (42%) have stolen supplies from a coworker’s desk; while most simply forgot to return the items they borrowed, 23% purposely kept them because they believed their coworker had done the same to them. [Workforce/Employment] (OfficeMax; phone: 630-864-6066)
• Most women (76%) would like to be able to create more professional, salon-quality hairstyles at home, but a majority thinks home style accessories are difficult to use and cost too much. [Women, Health & Beauty Aids] (Goody; phone: 770-418-7723)
• Some 55% of vehicle owners are driving on at least one under-inflated tire, and 17% have four under-inflated tires. [Automotive] (Rubber Manufacturers Association; phone: 202-682-4846)
• Only 18% of mattress buyers say they were ready to make a purchase after shopping online, compared to about 67% who say their online research did not help them choose a brand of mattress. [Retail/Service Sector, Online] (Sealy; phone: 312-616-2589)
• Nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) plan to watch the World Cup soccer tournament, including 31% of men and 17% of women. [Sports] (Zogby; phone: 202-429-0022)
• One in five Americans (20%) have streamed a movie in the prior month in October 2009, up from 6% in September 2008, and 13% downloaded a movie in the prior month, up from 5% over the same period. [Entertainment, Online] (Ipsos; phone: 612-573-8520)
• The vast majority of Americans (83%) have made permanent changes in spending as the result of the recession, and 43% believe the economic changes have affected them positively. [Consumer Spending & Attitudes] (Carton Donofrio Partners; phone: 410-576-9000)
• Younger consumers are more likely than older consumers to say “gourmet” and “prime” are indicators of food quality, ranking gourmet 4.4 (versus 3.8 for older consumers) and prime 4.3 (versus 3.4) on a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 is high quality. [Food/Beverages] (The Consumer Network; phone: 215-235-2400)
• The value of a coupon is more likely to influence a shopper to buy a new product (68%) than the store where it can be used (13%). [Food/Beverages, Consumer Spending & Attitudes] (M/A/R/C research; phone: 303-393-3474)
• Between 2006 and 2008, when gas prices fluctuated and spiked, consumers spent 4.5% less at grocery stores and 2.4% more at supercenters and mass retailers for a 100% increase in gas prices. [Consumer Spending & Attitudes] (Marketing Science Institute; phone: 617-491-2060)
• Two thirds of women (67%) say that insulting their cooking for a holiday meal or special occasion is the equivalent of insulting their character. [Women, Food/Beverage] (Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia; phone: 212-827-8722)
• Most parents (58%) tell their children to address other adults as Mr. or Mrs., while the other 42% think it is okay for them to use their first names. [Family] (Parenting; phone: 212-779-5113)
• More than two thirds of social network users (68%) have become a “fan” or “friend” of a product, service, company, or musical group, up from 57% a year prior. [Social Networking, Brands & Branding] (Experian Simmons; phone: 954-246-8220)
• A majority of shoppers who used a coupon to make an online purchase (57%) would not have bought the item if they had not received a discount. [Retail/Service Sector, Online] (Compete; phone: 617-933-5600)
© Copyright 2011, EPM Communications, Inc. May not be reproduced without written consent of publisher.