• A third of travelers (33%) plan to take more trips in the coming year than they did in the prior year, up from 28%; only 14% plan to cut back on travel, down from 20%. [Travel/Tourism, Consumer Spending & Attitudes] (Decision Analysts’ phone: 415-716-7983)
• While 45% of consumers trust the label “organic” and 33% trust “natural,” 30% do not trust either label. [Food/Beverages, Opinion] (Mintel, phone: 312-628-7946)
• The average number of years a male worker stays in the same job is 5.2, down from 5.9 years in 1983; among women, the average tenure is 4.9 years, up from 4.2 over the same period. [Workforce/Employment, Men] (Employee Benefit Research Institute; phone: 202-775-6356)
• Two thirds of Americans (67%) say taking vitamins during the recession is more important to them because they need to stay healthy and avoid incurring healthcare costs, and 72% believe that taking vitamins is key to avoiding health issues. [Health/Treatment/Wellness] (Nature Made; phone: 800-276-2878)
• The vast majority of American women (85%) have tried to lose weight at least once in their lives, and 51% of married women would like their husbands to lose weight. [Women, Health/Treatment/Wellness] (Reader’s Digest; phone: 212-850−7100)
• Nearly four in 10 shoppers (39%) decided not to make a purchase during the 2009 holiday season because a coupon or discount was not available for the item they wanted to buy, up from 20% the prior year. [Retail/Service Sector, Consumer Spending & Attitudes] (Motorola; phone: 631-738-4751)
• Most wealthy Americans (88%) — defined as those with at least $500,000 in investable assets — say that it is more important than ever to live within their means; some have experienced negative affects on their household budget (42%) and lifestyle (34%) during the recession. [Affluent Market, Finance] (PNC Wealth Management; phone: 412-768-3711)
• While 76% of couples want large, traditional weddings, some are going with less traditional features, such as 20% who have a friend or relative deputized to perform the ceremony. [Religion] (Brides magazine; phone: 212-286-3809)
• The vast majority of those who suffer from an excessive sweating disorder (86%) are fearful of going on job interviews, and 27% avoid them all together. [Workforce/Employment] (International Hyperhidrosis Society; phone: 302-650-4781)
• Nearly three quarters of Americans (72%) expect the best outcome for their futures despite uncertain economic times, and 92% believe that optimism has a strong impact in keeping the country moving in the right direction. [Opinion] (Pepsi-Cola; phone: 914-253-2964)
• Some 37% of Americans watch the amount of salt they consume by limiting the amount they use to cook or by reading food labels, compared to 24% who are not at all concerned about their salt intake. [Food/Beverages, Health/Treatment/Wellness] (Council For Responsible Nutrition; phone: 202-204-7684)
• Half of U.S. households (50%) use meal planning as a way to save money on their food budget. [Food/Beverages] (Fleishman-Hillard for Bumble Bee Foods; phone: 619-237-7718)
• In 2009, 6.5% of children aged 6-7 had a cell phone, as did 17.7% of those aged 8-9, and 36.1% of those aged 10-11. [Telecommunications, Youth] (Mediamark Research & Intelligence; phone: 212-884-9204)
• Fewer than half of workers (45%) are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61% in 1987. [Workforce/Employment] (The Conference Board; phone: 212-339-0231)
• The average woman who worked full time earned $35,745 in 2008, down from $36,451 in 2007 (after adjusting for inflation); that amounts to 77 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2008. [Women, Finance] (U.S. Census Bureau; 301-763-3030)
• Nearly a third of women (31%) wash their hair every other day, and 20% wear an accessory in their hair at least a few times a week. [Women, Health/Beauty Aids] (Sally Beauty Supply; phone: 940-297-2049)
• The vast majority of drivers have used their cell phones to talk, text, or surf the Web while driving, and 72% admit they continue to do so despite state bans of such activities. [Telecommunications, Automotive] (cellcontrol; phone: 225-215-0079)
• More than three quarters of parents (76%) say that consumer electronics — such as TV, iPods, and videogame consoles — enhance the time they spend with their children as a family and encourages bonding. [Family, Computers/Electronics] (Memorex; phone: 651-704-3288)
• Nearly eight in 10 children aged 2-14 (79%) bought digital or physical content — such as videogames, music, movies, etc. — in 2009, with 85% of their spending going toward physical items, and 15% toward digital items. [Entertainment, Youth] (NPD Group; phone: 516-625-2277)
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